The much anticipated showdown with the University of California, Irvine Chancellor Michael Drake went down Monday afternoon at the Hillel summit in Washington. Hillel was criticized for inviting Drake, who presides over a campus with a history of inviting inflammatory, anti-Israel speakers, with some criticizing the chancellor for not denouncing specific acts of anti-Semitic and/or anti-Israel activity. Hillel defended the invitation as a chance to engage the chancellor and allow him to hear the concerns of the Jewish community.
Well, here’s how it played out, in three acts:
Act I, Drake responds to a question put to him by ZOA President Mort Klein.
Act II, Klein confronts Drake after the forum directly (cutting me off in the process).
[audio:/images/archive/drake1.mp3]Act III, JTA tries again to get Drake to say how he feels about comparisons between Israel and Nazi Germany. Drake’s response: the university must remain “content neutral.”
[audio:/images/archive/drake2.mp3][Update] Leaders of four UCI Jewish organizations issued a release praising Drake and telling “off campus organizations” (read: ZOA) they don’t know what they’re talking about.
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See also: Hillel invite to Irvine chancellor spurs debate over campus issues
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