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| One of the main speaker halls at CPAC |
(Click here for commentary on the 2011 CPAC exhibit hall.)
On Saturday, February 12th, I attended the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington D.C. to observe the various workshops and speakers. The first workshop I observed was entitled "Free Speech and Israel on Campus: How Students are Speaking Up," presented by two staff members from Christians United for Israel (CUFI). The workshop provided an introduction to CUFI's campus-based efforts and political leanings.
Jeremiah Nasiatka, CUFI's national campus director, described CUFI's pro-Israel lobbying efforts and campus events, including a two week advocacy trip to Israel each August. These events, he explained, are intended to help people recognize the value of a strong relationship between Israel and the U.S. Another CUFI supporter, John Winchester, described his own upbringing in a Christian home, which included teachings about the Jews as God's chosen people and their Biblical mandate to reside in Israel. Winchester emphasized that college and university campuses shape discussions on important issues, including political discussions surrounding Israel.
Winchester insisted that academia is often neglectful of Israel and Jewish studies. For example, he claimed that Arabic language courses often try to erase Israel from history by labeling it as "Palestine" on maps, and Middle Eastern studies programs often fail to include Jewish studies. (When I researched this claim, I found evidence to the contrary. Several Middle Eastern studies programs include courses in Hebrew language and Jewish studies, including
University of Texas at Austin,
New York University,
Harvard University,
University of Wisconsin-Madison, and
U.C. Santa Barbara, to name a few.) Winchester also criticized campus speakers such as
Norman Finkelstein who cast Israel in negative terms.
On the subject of radical Islam, Winchester talked at length about the role of radical Islam in international politics. Arguing that the U.S. and Israel have a common enemy in radical Islam, Winchester claimed that the U.S. is seen as a "Christian nation" and an obstacle to Islamic expansion by observers in the Middle East.
