Four OU students will dive head first into Isreali foreign relations when they travel to Washington, D.C. in March for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee Policy Conference.
AIPAC works to maintain a strong U.S.-Israeli relationship ,and the AIPAC policy conference in the largest gathering of pro-Israel people outside of Israel, said Erik Baker, psychology and history junior.
“Two-thirds of Congress will be there,” Baker said. “Tony Blair is the keynote speaker.”
Baker said past speakers have included Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain.
The AIPAC Policy Conference is three days, March 21 to 23, of education on policy, Baker said. The conference encourages people to take an active stance on furthering Israeli policy.
“This is an amazing experience for students involved in politics to meet representatives from all over the country as well as past diplomats and presidents,” said Benjamin Schiller, political science senior and Sooners for Israel President.
Schiller said he attended the policy conference in the past, but will forgo his opportunity this year to study for the Law School Admission Test.
“The U.S. and Israel are both committed to human rights,” Schiller said. “It will be very interesting to see the second conference with the Obama administration because Obama and Israeli President Shimon Peresare are not seeing eye to eye on a few things.”
Policy Conference is one of the most well-attended annual political events in Washington, D.C., Schiller said by e-mail.
“The unparalleled attendance is a testament to the strength of the partnership between the United States and Israel,” Schiller said. “Also, the strength of the relationship can be attributed to the common interest shared by both countries, including a commitment to democracy, individual liberty, and equality for both men and women.”
Political science junior Grant McLoughlin is one of the four students attending the policy conference in March.
“I’ve always been a proud supporter of the U.S.-Israeli relationship,” McLoughlin said. “It’s the most important three days for the U.S.-Israeli relationship because it gathers everyone who cares about that in one place.”
McLoughlin said he is most excited to hear former British Prime Minister Tony Blair speak and hearing experts talk about the issues.
“We’ll be going over really interesting policy matter like the ins and outs of missile defense system, potential nuclear bombs and expert analysis,” McLoughlin said.
AIPAC subsidizes the policy conference registration fee from $500 to $250 for students, Baker said. AIPAC also set up a hotel package for $250, so they entire trip will cost $500 for students, not including travel.
Baker and McLoughlin said they will probably fly to Washington, D.C.
Schiller, Baker and McLoughlin are all members in Sooners for Israel, which is OU’s pro-Israel voice, according to the student organization’s Web site. Sooners for Israel is not directly related to Hillel, but they do coordinate events together, Baker said.
“We work with Hillel, but we are not associated with them,” Baker said. “We co-sponser the Israeli film series and host Latkes for Love together. We both broadcast a pro-Israel message.”
The Oklahoma Daily is pleased to provide you the opportunity to share your thoughts about this article. We encourage lively debate on the issues of the day, but we ask you refrain from using profanity or other offensive speech, engaging in personal attacks or name-calling, posting advertising, or straying from the topic at hand. To comment, you must be a registered user of OUDaily.com. Thanks for taking the time to offer your thoughts.
You must be logged in to leave a comment. Log in | Register
JJanowiak 2 years, 3 months ago
Yeah bro! You displace those dirty Palestinians from Judea/Samaria. AIPAC says it's all Israeli land so why should you take that degree in political science and apply some critical thinking about who's slinging you money to help corrupt America's legislature and foreign policy?
JJanowiak 2 years, 3 months ago
This is an article from the NY Times Magazine last year about J-Street, the REAL pro-Israel lobby: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/magazine/13JStreet-t.html
Gene 2 years, 3 months ago
I am Jewish and I am pro-Israel, but I do not support AIPAC. They represent a far right-wing, warlike perspective that in the long run harms Israel and keeps it mired in endless conflict. They like to claim that their approach is the only way to be "pro-Israel", but that is far from the truth. For a group of American and Israeli Jews making a genuine effort at peace and stability in the Middle East, check out J-Street (http://www.jstreet.org/).
soonerboomers 2 years, 3 months ago
What a great way to influence future leaders to continue supporting occupation and international law violations!
matthewmurrayday 2 years, 2 months ago
That's a great idea! As a Christian who goes to a Southern Baptist church here in Norman, I think that not enough is said about the HUGE role Israel and Judaism play in Christianity.
God said to Abraham (somewhere in Genesis, I don't know the exact chapter and verse), "I will bless those who will bless thee." By blessing Israel, we are headed on the right path with God.