Record YU Particpation At AIPAC Conference

An unprecendented number of Yeshiva undergraduates joined 850 other college students and more than 1,500 adults at the 42nd annual AIPAC (American-Israel Public Affairs Committee) Policy Conference this past March in Washington, D.C. The twelve Yeshiva students - two women from Stern College and ten YC men, exceeded the previous Yeshiva high of one student, an explosive growth trend that organizers see as indicative of great future success.

This year's convention marked record attendance from the pro-Israel community, who came to listen to, mingle with, and lobby leaders of America and the world. Featured speakers included Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, American Secretary of State Colin Powell, and Nobel Peace Prize Winner Elie Wiesel.

Over the course of the three-day conference, participants were flooded with information about the current situation in Israel. American, Israeli, and AIPAC leaders noted that Chairman Arafat has deserted the peace process, orchastrated an uprising, and has, in effect, lost his status as a partner in peace. The issue of Jerusalem's remaining the eternal capital of Israel and continued United States support to all of Israel's needs also served as prevalent topics of discussion.

Speaking before the main banquet, which included 103 members of the House, 43 Senators, 15 senior administration officials, and more than 200 journalists, Sharon stressed the importance of Jerusalem, the fault of Arafat for the so called Al-Asqa Intifada, and the need for increased aliyah efforts.

"Israel will not negotiate while Israeli civilians and soldiers are under fire or under threat of terror," a steadfast Sharon declared.

Even former United States negotiator Dennis Ross, who many blame for poor foresight prior to and at Camp David, admitted that "Palestinians, if they want to achieve their aspirations, will guarantee that they will not achieve those aspirations if they use violence. Violence has destroyed the faith of the Israeli public in the Palestinians. The violence has set back the possibility of achieving the very things they [the Palestinians] want to achieve."

It was clear that the themes of the conference were well-received by those present, adults and students alike. YC sophomore David J. Weissman, a member of the Yeshiva delegation, reflected on his experience, remarking that "there's a reason why AIPAC is known as one the most influential lobbying groups in all of America." When asked if it was difficult to attend, being that the convention overlapped midterm time, he responded, "there are few things that would hold me back from AIPAC, and a midterm is not one of them."

Weissman's zealousness is not exactly uniform throughout Yeshiva, however. In fact, depite this year's record-breaking Yeshiva turnout, other schools, such as NYU, easily drew more than twenty-five students to Washington.

When asked about this, AIPAC campus liason Yehuda Shmidman explained that "there are two fundamental reasons for the phenomenon. First is that most people in Yeshiva take the American-Israel relationship for granted and therefore do not realize the importance of AIPAC. Also," Shmidman continued, "a major factor is the expense; and whereas other Universities help subsidize their students for AIPAC, Yeshiva surpisingly declined the opportunity to help out."

Shmidman added, however, that the Yeshiva College Student Council chipped in to defer the cost of transportation for the Yeshiva delegation. However, he maintained that students required serious financial help - directly from the University - for the program itself. "This is an urgent matter that Yeshiva cannot afford to overlook," he averred. In spite of Yeshiva's lack of financial assistance for the contingent, Shmidman remained upbeat about the prospects for future growth in pro-Israel activism on campus. "Next year," he promised, "we are sending twenty-five students, and we will somehow find a way to garner Yeshiva support."