BDS — a new name for an old tactic
On Apr. 1 1933, the Nazi regime implemented a nationwide boycott of Jewish businesses in Germany. Hitler’s Sturmabteilung storm troopers stood outside Jewish shops to prevent customers from entering, and vandals painted Jewish stars across doorways with slogans like “Germans! Defend yourselves! Do not buy from Jews” and “Go to Palestine!” This phenomenon quickly spread to other countries, with boycotts against Jews occurring in Poland and Hungary in 1935 and 1938, respectively.
RETHINKING MITX:
This past December MIT announced the launch of “MITx,” a new online learning initiative that will offer a large selection of MIT courses online and will allow those that demonstrate mastery of course material to earn a certificate of completion. The announcement has received much praise from both faculty and students as a mark of progress and a major step towards global education — but has the MIT community really considered the full impact of MITx?
Rocket fire in the Gaza strip hits close to home
I’m frightened. My younger sister, who will be a freshman at MIT next year, is currently hiding in a bomb shelter in Israel. My phone buzzes nonstop with worried calls from my mother, and texts from my sister with messages like “update: sirens went off, went to safe room, heard blast but out now,” and “wow that was loud … two more rockets fell near us, one was hit by iron dome and the other they say fell in the sea.” While my sister is handling the terrible situation well (she is mostly complaining that the rocket attacks are preventing her from seeing the new Twilight movie), the reality is that Israel has been thrown into turmoil by the constant barrage of rocket attacks from Gaza, which have made living everyday life impossible for millions of Israelis.
Jerusalem: Israel’s eternal capital
“Jerusalem is and will remain the capital of Israel. The parties have agreed that Jerusalem is a matter for final status negotiations. It should remain an undivided city accessible to people of all faiths.” This statement, taken from the 2008 Democratic Party platform, was removed from the Democrats’ 2012 platform last week, only to be reinstated by President Barack Obama after an onslaught of opposition. Fortunately, Obama made the right decision in reaffirming Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Nuclear Iran needs to step down
Last week, an international delegation met in Istanbul with the hope of securing a serious commitment from Iran to negotiate an end to its nuclear enrichment program. The talks, which resumed after more than a year without any negotiations, illustrated the broad global consensus against a nuclear Iran. It is critical that we too, as American citizens, fully comprehend the threat of a nuclear Iran to our national security and work in a bipartisan manner to prevent that end.
‘Never again’ means never again
If Iran were to build a nuclear weapon, the result would be catastrophic. A nuclear Iran would spur a regional nuclear arms race and Iranian aggression in the Persian Gulf, embolden Iranian terror proxies like Hezbollah, and actualize the threat of a nuclear bomb being dropped on the United States and Israel, or in the words of Iran’s leaders, on the “Great Satan” and “Little Satan.” President Obama has said, “When I say all options are on the table, I mean it,” but is this enough to assure Israel — who unlike the United States does not have the safety of distance, size, or an advanced fleet of bomber jets — that Iran won’t “wipe Israel off of the map?”
Rethinking MITx
This past December MIT announced the launch of “MITx,” a new online learning initiative that will offer a large selection of MIT courses online and will allow those that demonstrate mastery of course material to earn a certificate of completion. The announcement has received much praise from both faculty and students as a mark of progress and a major step towards global education — but has the MIT community really considered the full impact of MITx?
Google and others cyber-arming protesters
As I surfed the web exploring the Internet’s role in the Arab Spring for a cyber politics class, I stumbled upon the website . The site’s homepage immediately grabbed my attention with a large advertisement for a “How to Bypass Internet Censorship” guide. Not typical of the average political blog, I decided to investigate further. I was amazed to find Google-owned YouTube, CBS News, Pepsi, MTV, Facebook, MSNBC, and National Geographic listed as sponsors of the site. Moreover, the co-founder of Movements.org is Jared Cohen, the current Director of Google Ideas.
A sordid end for the ‘Cain train’
Last Saturday was a happy day. Republican presidential contender and former frontrunner Herman Cain announced the suspension of his presidential campaign. Cain, who initially gained support for his conservative values and rags to riches story, has been dishonored and discredited by a slew of lewd sexual assault accusations that eventually killed his political ambitions. Americans can now take a collective sigh of relief because Cain, with his questionable ethics (at best), is no longer in the running for our country’s highest office.
Occupy yourself
“No entry without a Harvard ID,” I was told by a police officer. And I was not alone — this was the response that hundreds of tourists received when they tried to walk through Harvard Yard last week.
A nation’s son home safely
Last week, Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was finally allowed to return home after being kidnapped and held hostage for over five years by Hamas. Shalit’s release showed the immense value that Israel attributes to a single human life, and this value of life deserves praise and emulation.
The Palestinian statehood ruse
Today, Palestinian leaders may attempt to achieve statehood with a unilateral declaration of independence at the United Nations. This political ploy on the part of the Palestinians, if carried out, will not only fail to change the situation on the ground, but will also severely undermine peace and violate past agreements with Israel. Therefore, in the interest of true and meaningful peace, it is the responsibility of Congress to cut U.S. foreign aid to the Palestinian Authority if any such unilateral appeal for statehood is made.
Embracing Africa’s newest nation
After decades of brutal fighting that left millions dead, South Sudan finally seceded from the North on July 9, forming the Republic of South Sudan. Led by President Salva Kiir, the South has many serious obstacles to overcome, including vast poverty, ongoing conflict with the north, and internal tribal violence. Regardless, secession is a vital step on Sudan’s journey towards a long-awaited prosperity, and it is important that the United States not only endorses the split, but also extends support to the months-old nation during this critical time of development, when the South’s government can so easily unravel.
Picture of a real leader
Last week Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’75 addressed a joint session of Congress, almost a week after President Obama delivered a major policy speech on the Middle East to the U.S. State Department. Both men outlined bold and unprecedented plans for ensuring security and peace in the region and deserve commendation for their strong support of a sincere and lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace. However, Palestinian refusal to accept Israel as the Jewish state, Fatah’s reconciliation with Hamas, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ rejection of direct negotiations with Israel pose serious threats to the peace process.
Rights, not bureaucracy, are imperative
This Friday marks the sixth week of widespread political protests across Syria, where hundreds have been killed on the streets and thousands more are still missing. Shockingly, however, the United Nations Security Council was not able to release even a press statement criticizing the violence in Syria. This stands in stark contrast to the firm international stance taken against Libya, and clearly demonstrates the corruption and inefficiency of the United Nations. Nothing but hypocrisy can explain the enforcement of a no-fly zone over Libya for humanitarian purposes, and yet not demand a mere utterance against the ongoing slaughter in Syria.
Sometimes it’s hard to take back what you said
On April 1, Judge Richard Goldstone published an opinion in the Washington Post where he reconsidered his U.N. report on Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza in 2008-09. In the column, Goldstone renounces many of the report’s conclusions as factually inaccurate and based on insubstantial evidence. It is fortunate that the South African judge finally decided to publicly recognize a more balanced account of Operation Cast Lead, and as the saying goes, “better late than never.”
MIT — the premed’s choice?
I am not going to lie. If your goal is to go to college, take the easiest classes possible, and get into medical school with perfect grades, then MIT is not for you. However, if you want to excel in science and engineering and live among brilliant peers and professors, all in an environment that is unrivaled, then keep on reading. Not only is it possible to be a successful premed at MIT, but I would also argue that MIT is one of the best places for shaping future doctors.
Congress: do not take a hatchet to foreign aid
President Obama is receiving harsh bipartisan criticism for his handling of the economy, and his approval ratings are at an all-time low. Many are calling for the U.S. to reduce foreign aid and to pursue isolationist policies in order to save money. However, it is not in our best interest to take a hatchet to foreign aid. Instead, we need to carefully evaluate where our resources are allocated abroad so that U.S. interests and safety can be best secured.
Politics and engineering are not mutually exclusive
This past Monday, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano delivered the 2011 Karl Taylor Compton Lecture. Secretary Napolitano emphasized the importance of the involvement of MIT minds in politics and public service for the benefit of the nation. However, it is extremely common for MIT students to greet important political issues with apathy, and for political involvement to be dismissed as irrelevant. It is time for MIT students to take Secretary Napolitano’s advice and to broaden their focus beyond the pages of textbooks and problem sets.
Protection means peace
On Tuesday, Wissam Jarjoui wrote a response to my opinion piece “Don’t settle for settlement condition,” in which he argued that settlements were a major obstacle to peace. I hope to address a number of his claims and to further clarify why Israeli construction in the West Bank should not be made into an arbitrary gauge for peace.
No precedent for peace
The Libyan people have been met with fighter jets, bullets, and clubs as Moammar Gadhafi attempts to quell the uprisings overtaking his country. The violence being used against the protesters has been unrivaled in any other Arab country, and what began as protests now resembles something closer to civil war. Thousands have tried fleeing the brutality in fear of their lives, creating a refugee crisis in the process. However, it seems unlikely that Gadhafi picked up such a violent disposition overnight. Why, then, was more international effort not spent exposing Gadhafi’s cruelty before the situation deteriorated to the point of hundreds of people being murdered in the streets?
Keep your eye on the ball, America
The governments of Egypt and Tunisia have toppled like dominoes, accompanied by immense protests in Libya, Bahrain, Algeria, Jordan, and Yemen. Cries for freedom, revolution, and reform have been transformed into global slogans. Amidst the chaos and excitement, it is important to not lose sight of one of America’s most prevalent threats: a nuclear Iran.
Don’t settle for settlement condition
Last week, the United States vetoed a U.N. resolution condemning Israeli settlements as illegal, and rightly so. Israeli settlements in the West Bank are by no means the main obstacle to peace, and peace can only be achieved as soon as a genuine and willing partner takes Israel’s outstretched hand. It is important that the Obama administration continues to correctly pursue a foreign policy that allows Israel to negotiate a peace agreement for herself.
America: Align yourself with your strategic allies
America is confronting significant challenges and turmoil at home and abroad, including severe partisan tensions domestically, collapsed governments and regime changes in the Middle East, the existential threat of a nuclear Iran, and uncertainty about Egypt’s future.