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The Real Birthright: Inheriting Our Jewish Story

(Jerusalem Post) Gil Troy - Birthright, which has brought over 700,000 young Jews to Israel since 1999, is not a partisan program. It's not basic training for propaganda wars. It is a Jewish identity-building program offering Israel 101 - a basic introduction to a great gift that too many parents deprive their children of today: our story. So, no, Birthright Israel doesn't offer "multiple narratives" - students get that from the media, at university, online. And no, Birthright Israel isn't about the Palestinians - it's about the Jews. Of course, it would be immoral - and foolish - to ignore the Palestinian issue. That's why Birthright, which has always educated about the conflict, recently added a mandatory two-hour geopolitics seminar for all participants. A New York Times article of June 11, 2019, described how "some Jewish activists have protested Birthright." "Some?" Thirteen frauds, who essentially stole spots from others and came on trips last year to walk off their trips, have received far more press coverage than last year's 48,000 satisfied participants. The writer is Professor of History at McGill University.
2019-06-21 00:00:00
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