I wrote on this earllier: "UCI's Olive Tree Initiative Met Secretly With Hamas Speaker Aziz Duwaik."
And Professor Gary Fouse also reports, "Olive Tree Initiative -- Was There a Meeting With a Hamas Official in 2009?"
More at the link.In way of background for those readers unfamiliar with the Olive Tree Initiative, it was formed in 2007 at UC-Irvine in order to send selected groups of Jewish, Muslim and other students to Israel and the West Bank to meet with various figures on both sides of the Israel-Palestinian dispute. To date, there have been three trips, 2007-2008-2009. In addition, the program has spread to other UC campuses. Funding for the travel of Jewish students is handled primarily by the Rose Project, which was established by the OC Jewish Federation. In addition the OTI, in its brochure, solicits public donations. Finally, it is known that the Federation and Hillel of UCI have supported OTI-the Federation monetarily. At the university, the program falls under the Dept of Social Sciences.
In the past few months, there has been an on-going controversy within the Jewish community concerning some of the Palestinian figures that the Jewish students have been meeting with in the Holy Land. They include figures who have been part of or even helped found the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), an international organization dedicated to the destruction of Israel.
As stated, the OTI claims that it is exposing the students to both sides of the dispute. The Jewish Federation claims that this exposure makes the Jewish students better equipped to argue Israel's side. Yet, many members of the local Jewish community, including those who have donated money to the Federation, are questioning the wisdom of sending Jewish students to be influenced by older, experienced activists who are dedicated to deligitimizing Israel through so-called peaceful protests and the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions movement (BDS). The OTI-sponsored speaking appearance in November of 2010 of George S Rishmawi at UCI also sparked questions. Rishmawi, is a Christian Palestinian figure, who was a co-founder of ISM, with whom he claims not to be presently involved. He is one of the top OTI contacts in the Palestinian territories.
RELATED: The Jerusalem Post reported the story, "UC-Irvine students secretly met with Hamas official."
Plus, Hamas Speaker Aziz Dweik met with Mahmoud Abbas earlier this week to work out a reconciliation: "Palestinian leader Abbas meets with Hamas leadership for first time in two years." The meeting was repudiated by Israel:Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu said last week that reconciliation of the Fatah-run Palestinian Authority with Hamas, which Israel considers a terrorist organization, would seriously hamper peace talks with the Palestinians.And from last year, at the Wall Street Journal, "Israel's Foes Embrace New Resistance Tactics: Hamas and Hezbollah Find Inspiration In Flotilla, Support Protest Movement." It's all one big campaign to delegitimize and eventually destroy Israel.
There'll be more on this ...