It’s about freakin’ time! If the people who suspended the program in the first place knew anything about the security situation in Israel, they never would have suspended it.

“UW organization Al-Awda (Palestine Right to Return Coalition) member, Mohammed Abed said his organization stands firmly against the reinstatement of the study abroad program in Israel. He added that all main universities and institutions in Israel should be boycotted.

"I think people can get just as much benefit … from any [major] European university or other universities from around the world," Abed said.”

Not exactly fair, especially given the support al-Awda has given to Ward Churchill.

“Abed added that Hebrew University should particularly be ridiculed due to its close relations with the Israeli military and the country's discrimination of Palestinians. Abed also said Hebrew University's campus is in an occupied East Jerusalem neighborhood that "expelled the Palestinian inhabitants."”

Yes, it’s in East Jerusalem, but it was in a Jewish neighborhood when it was established in the 1920s, and the neighborhood remained almost exclusively a Jewish neighborhood until the Jews were expelled by the Jordanians in 1948. Learn some history, dumbass!

It’s funny that he declares that we should boycott all institutions that are Israeli, even Hebrew University when there are numerous intitutions within Israel that are a safe haven for Palestinians escaping political persecution within the Palestinian area. Should we boycott those as well? Not to mention the fact that Hebrew University has a very significant Arab enrollment.

It’s a good thing the Badger Herald found a guy with a pure hatred for Israel. That was really integral to the article.

I agree. Mohammed Abed’s comments were completely irrelevant to the issue. We should be celebrating the fact that the Israel Abroad program was reinstated. Maybe the Badger Herald could have interviewed MADPAC (Madison Israel Public Affairs Committee) about the issue instead.

Badger Herald is MADPAC. Do you really tink this story is news worthy, let alone frontpage headline. It is promotion of Israel at every possible turn, though there is no good reason to.