Not sure if sending Shimon Peres to campuses will solve the problem, though…
A JTA report on the Jerusalem conference of the Jewish People Policy Institute emphasizes the importance of maintaining Israel as a touchstone of Jewish identity formation:
Noting the rise of anti-Israel sentiment in the world, [JPPI head Stuart] Eizenstat spoke of the ripple effect a negative image of Israel can have on Diaspora Jews, particularly the younger generation.
“Jewish identity is increasingly tied to Israel, and as Israel’s status improves, it will be easier for younger Jews to identify not only with Israel but Judaism,” Eizenstat said. “When its image is negative, it undercuts that.”
The gathering supported the notion that one of the best ways to fight delegitimization — described as a “battle of ideas” by Eizenstat — was for Israel and the Diaspora to do a better job of promoting the Israeli narrative.
To that end, conference leaders announced that Israeli President Shimon Peres, who was among the top-level speakers, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who addressed the gathering, was considering a tour of several college campuses in the United States.
Note that Dennis Ross used to have Eizenstat’s job. Now Dennis Ross helps form Obama’s policy toward Israel and Palestine.
