THE JERUSALEM POST . THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2016 DECISION 2016 7 BDS in Israel is a dangerous Arafat Museum opens today in Ramallah phenomenon, says Im Tirtzu • By ADAM RASGON The Yasser Arafat Museum will open its doors on Thursday, • By LIDAR GRAVÉ-LAZI Im Tirtzu’s head said that dents to visit Hebron in an 12 years after the Palestinian when he speaks about “polit- effort to teach them about the leader died under uncertain cir- The Boycott, Divest and icization in academia, it’s not historical and biblical ties to cumstances. Sanctions Movement (BDS) a catchphrase – it is a real and the land as well as to counter The museum, which cost activists in Israel has become tangible problem.” claims of IDF brutality. more than $7 million and a dangerous and serious prob- “The involvement and pen- “Not enough Israelis have took eight years to construct, is lem, Matan Peleg, CEO of right- etration of political organiza- been to Hebron. Israelis should located between Arafat’s tomb, wing grassroots organization tions into Israeli academics, come and see for themselves. which Palestinians, foreign dig- THE MUSEUM tells not only about the late Palestinian leader, Im Tirtzu, recently told The many of which are funded It is not going to be political, nitaries and tourists visit daily, but about ‘100 years of conflict and dispossession.’ (Adam Rasgon) Jerusalem Post. by foreign governments, has but rather historic tours and we and the office of Palestinian Speaking on the backdrop of become a very serious prob- want to show people the truth Authority President Mahmoud dowless bedroom with a simple documents and speeches, such the opening of the new aca- lem.” behind Breaking the Silence’s Abbas. twin bed and wooden closet. as the military announcement demic year, Peleg spoke about He cited a number of pro- claims,” he said. Many Palestinians hail Ara- The bedroom displays prayer of Fatah’s first “operation” the challenges facing Israeli grams at the leading univer- The organization will also fat as the father of Palestinian mats, winter hats, worn blan- against Israel and the famous democracy and academia, as sities, which he claimed are expand its program for Zionist nationalism. The more than kets and pillows and a drawing 1974 UN speech in which Arafat well as the group’s agenda and MATAN PELEG promoting political agendas in thought, an extracurricular lec- 100 exhibits, including digi- of Arafat’s daughter, Zahwa. said he carried both an olive planned activities for the com- (Im Tirzu) academia. This, Peleg explains, ture series bringing prominent tal installations, explore his Muhammed Halayka, direc- branch and a gun. ing year. is “one of the main criticisms” Zionists to lecture on university life and the history of the Pal- tor of the museum, said the Museum director Halayka said “The heart of Im Tirtzu’s it also penetrates. These same of his organization. campuses. estinian people. They include bedroom reflected the humility many other important belong- activities is fighting against organizations petition the Im Tirtzu has in the past two “Im Tirtzu has branches, inscriptions and clips about the of Arafat. ings and documents were still BDS from within,” Peleg said. Supreme Court daily, against years grown significantly, both activists, we go to the people Balfour Declaration, the 1947 “The bedroom shows that in Arafat’s Gaza office, which He explained that for BDS IDF soldiers, for example – this in the number of its activists and harness the Israeli public UN Partition plan, the Madrid Arafat was simple and humble; Hamas has closed to museum organizations to be effective, is an attempt to change the pol- – who include some 6,000 stu- to address these issues, by pro- Peace Conference, Arafat’s elec- he didn’t assume a grand way of officials. Moreover, Kidwa said they need to convince the icy of Israel from within, fund- dents spread across 15 campus- tests, and writing reports – and tion to the PA presidency and living, like other presidents,” he many other documents and world that Israel doesn’t have ed by foreign governments,” he es – as well as in its influence also through the policy mak- many other historical events. said. “He lived like any ordinary belongings had been lost. the right to exist, “and we will said. “This is anti-democratic.” and reach. ers,” Peleg said. Nasser al-Kidwa, a nephew Palestinian.” “The Arafat archive, which crumble from within. Inside He explained that foreign “We have activists who are “We provide policy mak- of Arafat and a Fatah Central Hassan Shtaiwa, 39, who is probably the only coherent Israel they have a simpler job: governments that don’t agree across a spectrum of political ers with information,” he Committee member, said the served as a personal securi- and comprehensive archive, They just need to cause doubt, with Israel’s policies will fund parties,” Peleg said. “They all explained. “We want MKs to museum purposefully did not ty guard of Arafat during the was subject to several blows in to cause a lack of security in Israeli NGOs to present their have one thing in common: a know who is standing in front choose to focus exclusively on Israeli siege, recalled that the Beirut and later in Gaza,” Kidwa Israeli society and the founda- agenda in court and in Israeli love for a Jewish and democrat- of them. When you hear of a Arafat’s life. Palestinian leader maintained said. “The same goes for his tions on which it’s built – a academia. Peleg said his organi- ic state and the understanding human rights organization it “We want to show the whole his composure and even made belongings.” Jewish democratic state.” zation’s main goal is to “expose that the BDS within is a serious may seem legitimate on the story of the Palestinian people, jokes. For example, the museum Peleg said that at the begin- this connection.” and dangerous problem.” surface, but in reality it is being from the dawn of the 20th cen- “He managed to stay happy could not find Arafat’s original ning of the century there was “We are against foreign gov- In the new academic year, funded by foreign govern- tury until 2004,” he said outside and crack jokes when everyone Nobel Peace Prize certificate and an increase in the number of ernments funding NGOs – Peleg said his organization ments and is working against the museum. “This story is of else was depressed,” said Shtai- instead displays a copy that the foreign-funded organizations even to right-wing NGOs – we plans to make an even greater the state.” 100 years of conflict and dis- wa, who will soon take over Nobel committee reproduced. operating in Israel. are against the entire princi- impact – expanding its activi- This year, the organization possession, [but] also the role of security for the museum. “He Across the street from the “These are organizations that ple,” he said. “When you look ties on campus as well as help- aims to work together with Arafat, who is the main figure in was a big support for all of us.” museum, Ahmad Said, a are causing delegitimization at the big picture, Im Tirtzu ing to promote new legislation policy makers to counter this Palestinian journey.” The museum’s opening 22-year-old Palestinian stu- from within – claiming that connects the dots and exposes and mobilizing the Israeli pub- National Service funding to At the end of the four hall- comes as Fatah, Arafat’s party, dent residing in Jordan, said he Israel commits war crimes in the connection between all the lic to its cause. foreign-funded organizations, ways of exhibits and across a suffers from divisions and believed the museum was very Gaza, that there is apartheid organizations and exposes who “This coming year our first Peleg added. medium-sized footbridge over- internal fighting. It is expected important. in Judea and Samaria, that funds them.” objective is to take out many “Im Tirtzu has received mas- looking the entrance to the to convene at the end of the “It is a reminder of the inti- the Golan is occupied,” he Peleg added that this prob- political organizations from sive criticism over the years, Mukata, the PA headquarters, month to elect a new leader- fada and the struggle when we explained. lem has also “infiltrated” Israeli academic programs,” he said. more than any other organiza- comes the centerpiece of the ship, but many analysts say did not give up on our country,” “These are organizations academia. Peleg called on the Education tion dealing with these issues. museum, the wing where Arafat Abbas intends to use the confer- he said. that are foreign funded, that “Some of the activists of Ministry and the Council for Why? Because we are the most and his associates were besieged ence to consolidate his author- Yasser Khasib, a 51-year-old are promoting the notion that these NGOs are professors in Higher Education to establish a effective,” Peleg said. “We are by the IDF for 34 days during ity. doorman, said he had no reason there is something not right in our universities, these NGOs committee to examine all aca- not only satisfied with research, the second intifada. The museum also features a to visit the museum. every part of the State of Israel,” fund scholarships and provide demic programs and “remove” but we move the Israeli people The wing includes Arafat’s handful of Arafat’s most prized “No one knows who’s a sym- he added. internships for students, and the political organizations to act as an authentic force, office, where he recorded many possessions, such as his hand- bol and who isn’t anymore,” However, Peleg said this is not this is how they educate stu- operating within.