New Hope: Supporting Both Israelis and The Core Values of Democracy

New Hope: Supporting Both Israelis and The Core Values of DemocracyThese past months, judicial reform in Israel has been a hot topic in the news. According to the BBC, “Israel is in the grip of one of the most serious domestic crises in its history, with uproar over the government's plans to change the way the judicial system works.” In the midst of Israel’s legal “reform,” how can Americans and other non-Israelis both criticize the Israeli government and support the broader ideas of peace and democracy for the state of Israel?

Often for non-Israeli supporters of Israel it seems we have to choose between two bad options: condemn Israel, and you interrupt the most remarkable attempt of modernity to save Jewish lives; support it and you support the occupation, and other growing breaches of human rights.The protests in Israel, however, reveal new options to support forces of Israeli society that fight the erosion of Israeli democracy.

This talk presents some ideas of creative protests and background on Israeli organizations that promote peace, democracy, and human rights.

Says Israeli presenter Moshe Rachmuth, “I’m neither an expert on activism nor on Israel. I am a searcher for ways to keep my own humanist values without falling into paralysis in the face of the turn of events, and I invite you to join me in this search.”

Suggested Donation $3-$6/Person, however no one turned away for lack of funds.

Dr. Rachmuth earned a Bachelor’s degree in computer science in 1998 from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and a Master's degree in 2004 from the Tel-Aviv University in Religious Studies. The title of his thesis was "A Great Space Being between Them: A Kohutian Reading of the Books of Samuel." In 2004, he moved to Eugene, where he completed his Ph.D. in Comparative Literature in 2010. His dissertation is entitled, "The Speculative Ethics of Modern Comedic Work: Mark Twain, Italo Svevo, Charlie Chaplin and Lenny Bruce."

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