DALIA SABLE • Australian Jewish News
AUSTRALIAN Birthright program organisers have rejected reports in the international media claiming a recent group visit to Hebron was “unprecedented”.
An article, first published in the New York Jewish Week [sic – the news was first first published by Coteret.com and the Chabad aspect by FailedMessiah.com. The Jewish Week simply stole the story and did not credit either Coteret.com or FailedMessiah.com] last week, reported that the trip made by the Australian Chabad Campus Birthright group earlier this month also “raised questions about whether the program has shifted policy on visits to the West Bank”.
But Rabbi Yehudah deVries, who is responsible for the Australian Chavaya Taglit-Birthright Israel trips for Chabad Campus students, said that those undertaking the extended program for longer than the 10-day free trip have always visited Hebron, with the exception being the past two years.
Rabbi deVries told The AJN he was approached by Birthright’s official trip organiser, Israel Experience, to arrange the visit to the Cave of the Patriarchs, or Ma’arat HaMachpela, the site where – according to the Torah – Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sara, Rebecca and Leah are buried.
“The entire 10-day program was submitted for Taglit’s approval, as always, and was, as always, approved.
“This includes security approval,” he explained.
“The trip went ahead and was run according to exact security requirements,”
Rabbi deVries said security would not have been approved if the army, police and education department had deemed the visit to be a potential risk.
“If we can visit Kibbutz Misgav Am, which is in the firing range of Hezbollah on the Lebanese border; we stand on a Golan Heights border lookout at Mizpe Gadot and look into Syria, then why make a point of Hebron being either dangerous or political?” Rabbi deVries questioned.
And as for the politics of the visit?
“Politics should not be brought to the groups. Taglit-Birthright Israel is most young people’s first experience of the land of Israel. Let them see as much as possible … and let them make informed decisions based on their own intellect and experience,” he said.
The Zionist Federation’s Israel Programs coordinator Brendan Bensky said the visit formed part of the Chabad Campus group’s Jewish historical aspect and was approved by Birthright.This trip was the first time an Australian group undertook the Birthright program mid-year.
[Hat Tip: Joel Katz.]