Gaza and Israel

Room: 103
28.08.2010, Sat  15.15 - 16.45


Organizer and speaker: Hillel Schenker, Co-Editor Palestine-Israel Journal (www.pij.org); Donald L. Mellman, MD, MPH, MBA, was a private practice neurosurgeon for 26 years. He now concentrates on healthcare policy & management issues as well as those of social and economic equity.

Moderator: Liz Waterston

Hillel Schenkers presentation will be strucured as follows:

1) Attitude of Israelis towards IDF interception of International Flotilla.
    a) Public opinion divided 50-50 for and against.     b) Much criticism in Israeli media
    c) How do we deal with the repercussions of the action?   d) Israel and Turkey
2) Background
    a) Israelis think they ended responsibility for Gaza with unilateral disengagement in 2005.
    b) Hamas victory in Palestinian elections and military takeover of Gaza and firing of 8,000     Kassam rockets against Israeli civilians.
    c) Why was Operation Cast Lead (Gaza War) of December 2006/7 supported by 95% of     the Jewish population?
 3) Attitude of the Israeli peace movement to situation.
    a) Attitude towards blockade of Gaza.    b) Attitude towards Gaza War.
    c) Attitude towards Hamas     d) Attitude towards Palestinians in Gaza.
4) Where do we go from here?
    a) Civil Society.   b) Arab Peace Initiative  c) President Obama and Internil Community.

Donald L. Mellman will present his ideas under the title: ?An Innocent Abroad (with apologies to Mark Twain). My two adventures to Gaza and Jerusalem: what I learned; what I think.?

He will tell about his own personal experiences and conversations with Palestinians and with Israeli Jews who spoke of relevant events in their lives and their individual philosophies. The central focus of his presentation will be public health, political and economic issues from the perspective of relationships, leadership and values.