I'm not a big fan of petitions. Too often, they oversimplify and misrepresent important political or social issues. The petition statement is usually worded carefully so that anyone who refuses to sign, or even worse, speak out against it is seen as insensitive or naive.Last year, however, when the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) launched its petition campaign on college campuses across the country, I rushed to scribble my name. The Brandeis version of the petition reads: "We, the students of Brandeis University, acknowledge Israel's right to exist as a democracy living with safe and secure borders. We support maintaining and enhancing a mutually beneficial relationship between the State of Israel and the United States of America." Not controversial and not sneaky.

Let's look at the first part of the statement: Israel's right to exist as a democracy - I would think that goes without saying. Yet, many of Israel's neighbors and their supporters around the world consider this right to be a point of negotiation. Consider, for example, the Saudi proposal in which recognizing Israel's right to exist would be a concession. The idea is ludicrous; what other country would ever be called upon to make land and security concessions in exchange for mere recognition of existence? So yes, I support Israel's right to exist as a democracy.

What about living with safe and secure borders? This also should go without saying. The freedom to live in safety is fundamental to any society. Most of us go about our lives simply assuming that we're safe, that nobody has the right to detonate a bomb in the middle of a crowded street in the name of some religious belief or political cause. Israelis make no such assumptions, which is why we need to sign a petition supporting what most of us take for granted - the right to safety.

The second part of the petition statement advocates a strong, mutually beneficial relationship between the United States and Israel. The two countries share the basic values of freedom, democracy and human rights. Of all the nations in the Middle East that receive American aid, only one extends civil liberties to all its citizens. Israel allows its Arab population to organize several political parties to represent itself in the Israeli Parliament in a way that no Arab country would allow for Jews. For some reason, though, nobody expects the Arab world to extend these same rights to Jews, or even to their own citizens.

The United States needs a close ally in an anti-Western, anti-American region. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, this is all the more clear. Israel's enemies - Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Arafat's Al Aqsa Brigades - have all sworn to attack American targets as well. The need for a strong alliance between these two great beacons of freedom is overwhelmingly clear.

It is important to point out, though, what this petition is not. It does not endorse any particular American or Israeli government nor does it advocate any specific peace plan or resolution; it certainly does not endorse unrelated issues, such as war in Iraq. The strong alliance between Israel and the United States and Israel's right to exist are supported by the petition, which was signed by over 1,000 Brandeis students and more than 60,000 students around the country.

- David Fryman '04 submits a column to the Justice.