Alum rallies for Israeli support

JONATHAN YOUNG/Daily Bruin Congressman Henry
Waxman
(right) speaks with Jasmine
Oberman
, coordinator of Bruins for Israel, and her father
Jeffrey T. Oberman, in Ackerman Union Monday.

By Dorothy Augustyniak
Daily Bruin Contributor
daugustyniak@media.ucla.edu

The congressman who represents UCLA spoke about terrorism and
the crisis in the Middle East Monday in Ackerman Union at an event
hosted by Bruins for Israel.

Democratic U.S. Congressman Henry Waxman, who represents the
29th Congressional District and is a UCLA alumnus, discussed why he
believes many people have anti-American or anti-Israeli
sentiment.

“So many Arabs hate Israel and the United States because
they do not understand why they have not made progress as Israel
has,” Waxman said.

American students and the public should be backing Israel at
this time of conflict, Waxman said, explaining it has not been that
long since Israel became a state, which was created because of the
horrors of the Holocaust. Israel needs to be protected so the
Jewish people have a safe homeland, he said.

Though numerous campus, nation-wide and international groups
have criticized the United States for having what they call
unconditional support for Israel ““ a state they say is
the perpetrator of terrible violence ““ Waxman said people
have to understand the basics as to why the United States supports
Israel in the first place.

“Israel is a democracy; they share many of the same values
as the United States, and they are our most reliable ally in that
part of the region.

“The U.S. understands the suffering in Israel with the
various suicide bombings because we experienced the horrors of
terrorism on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept.
11,” said Waxman.

Fourth-year Jewish studies student Anne Roseberg agrees with
Waxman.

“I think what has happened with the terrorist attacks will
make the relationship between the United States and Israel even
stronger,” Roseberg said.

The United States’ involvement in the War Against
Terrorism will not only make the nation as a whole stronger, but
its involvement in the Middle East will help in the peace process,
Waxman said.

“There are some people in the world who are against Israel
for many reasons. That is why it is so important for the United
States to support them,” said Waxman.

“After years of persecution, the United States and Israel
need to stick together. Don’t be embarrassed or intimidated
in supporting Israel because you are not Jewish,” said
Waxman.

He also added that he supports President Bush’s War
Against Terrorism because it’s about the nation’s
security and “something legitimate has to be done.”

The event was hosted by Bruins for Israel and co-sponsored
Republican Leadership Council, Bruin Democrats, Political Science
Student Union, Bruins Abroad Program, UCLA Hillel, Persian American
Jewish Association and Jewish Student Union.

Jasmine Oberman, event coordinator of Bruins for Israel and a
fourth-year political science student, said the idea for the event
was brought up last month in Washington D.C., where 15 out of 20
students from UCLA were lobbying for Middle East policies.

“During that time, they thought it would be a really great
idea to have Waxman speak at UCLA about the Middle East,” she
said.

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