Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

Speaker addresses international issues at Cornell U.
By Olivia Oran
Cornell Daily Sun (Cornell U.)
02/27/2006

(U-WIRE) ITHACA, N.Y. — There are three types of people: Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who wonder what happened, according to David Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee.

Encouraging young people to find a global issue they are passionate about, Harris called for students to initiate change yesterday at the kickoff for Cornell's University's new American Jewish Committee in Anabel Taylor Hall.

"You can make a difference. [The oppressed] need a lifeline," he said. "Why can't it be you? Why shouldn't it be you?"

Harris's lecture entitled, "Iran, Global Terrorism, the Jewish Future: Why You Should Care," addressed significant international issues that will affect the current generation of undergraduates. Harris said the United States will eventually need to look at young people to solve policy matters.

"Don't be overwhelmed by challenge," Harris said. "I bet dollars to donuts this room is filled with people who are potential change agents."

Harris said he entered college as a "preppie who didn't care about world issues" but left as "an activist." But several generations later, Harris said he was struck by the seeming lack of activism on many university campuses and the general indifference of the West to the plight of the rest of the world — and particularly, the Middle East.

Illustrating this apathy, Harris pointed to the arrest several years ago of 52 Egyptian gay men, who were persecuted solely because of their sexual orientation.

"Why didn't they have the gay movements around the world standing with them?" he asked.

Harris said that there are three main policy issues in the coming years that young people should think about: The increasing threat of Iran, the electoral success of Hamas among Palestinians and the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe. Iran has not only announced its determination to build nuclear weapons, but its president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has made it explicitly clear that he wishes to destroy Israel.

There are several policy approaches the global community can take to address Iran, Harris said. The world can learn to live with the threat of the Iranian bomb, knowing they can't stop it, can promote change from within, give incentives or deterrents for the country to give up its nuclear program or use military action.

With regard to Hamas, Harris said there are "no easy answers." He emphasized that "anyone that says they saw [the election of Hamas in Israel] coming is probably misleading you and themselves. Few people foresaw this coming."

Harris attributed the growing anti-Semitism in Europe to the increase of minority immigrants. Europe is struggling to assimilate this influx of immigrants, many who have been "infected" with anti-Semitic propaganda from the media.

Students at the lecture praised Harris for his oratory skills and ability to motivate students.

"He is simply an amazing speaker who wants to change the world and give us advice about how we can get involved," Victoria Hershey '08 said. "Mr. Harris really wants us to help out."

Nicki Leitner '08 agreed, calling Harris a "brilliant, eloquent and modest speaker who makes young people aware of important news events they might not ordinarily know about."

Leitner said that before Harris' lecture she had not realized that Iran was such a threat to the global community.

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