This has been a lively past few months for SPME. Besides dealing with the various “Israel Apartheid Week” activities on a number of campuses this past spring, we have dealt with numerous issues abroad. As regards the UK, for example, we responded to the UCU (University and College Union) vote to boycott Israel and reject the European Union’s draft definition of anti-Semitism. A lawsuit challenging these votes is now in the works by colleagues of ours in the UK. In South Africa, to give another example, the University of Johannesburg senate voted to sever ties with Ben Gurion University because of BGU’s support of the Israel Defense Forces. We worked with allies in South Africa to organize concerned academics there to bring pressure to bear on UJ. Just recently, as many of you may know, a new agreement between the two universities has been signed. And once again, we organized a tour for academics to visit Israel, get to know the country up close and to meet with colleagues with an eye to establishing research relationships.

This coming fall looks like it could be a very busy time for us. With the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the possibility of the PNA going to the United Nations for a vote affirming a unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood, and the third Durban Conference on Racism there will be a lot of emotional issues about the Middle East hitting our campuses. Along with a number of other organizations (dubbed “the dream team”) we are participating in wide-spread and creative programs to prepare students, faculty members and others to deal with whatever anti-Israel, anti-Jewish or anti-peace initiatives might hit campuses.

In addition to these activities, we have begun reaching out to other persecuted groups in the Middle East, such as the Baha’i, to see if we can build broader mutually supporting coalitions. We are in fact pursuing some suggestions that we apply for UN observer status at UNESCO and are exploring other possibilities along these lines as well.

As even this brief review shows, SPME has expanded its scope and activities quite considerably over the last few years. To help us deal with the new challenges we are facing, we have received funding to hold a two-day board governance conference in Washington DC from July 31 to August 2 to work with a consultant specializing in the organization and operation of NGO’s like ours. It is our hope that out of this conference will come ideas for better procedures and financial strategies for sustaining our organization so that it can function more effectively and efficiently.

We, the officers and board of SPME, of course continue to value and be grateful for all the backing we have received from our supporters over the years. I imagine the next few months will be a period of considerable change and structural maturation. We will of course keep all of you informed as we go through this process and looking forward to your continued partnership with us as we deal with the challenging times ahead.

Peter J. Haas
President, SPME
Abba Hillel Silver Professor of Jewish Studies
Chair, Department of Religious StudiesProfessor (Secondary Appointment), MSASS
Case Western Reserve University