Open Letter to the Collegian

There has been considerable discussion and, I believe, confusion in the pro-Israel community about the purpose of the November 2 panel discussion that is being sponsored by the Students for Justice in Palestine at 7 p.m. in 117 HUB/Auditorium. Although my own position on issues regarding Palestine and Israel is well known, I do not plan to speak at this meeting, which is meant to educate and inform the Penn State community, not to indoctrinate the audience or to embarrass advocates of any party to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We have invited an outside speaker, Dr. Norman Finkelstein, who has written a number of books and articles supportive of the Palestinian position. To ensure balance, I have made a sincere effort to include one or more known supporters of Israel in the panel discussion. Many refused, but we still hope that someone will join us. Dr. Arthur Goldschmidt, a retired professor of Middle East history and author of A Concise History of the Middle East, now in its ninth edition, will serve as moderator.