Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak was presented a copy of the GVSU-published holocaust memoir Good Morning by President Mark A. Murray during a visit to Grand Rapids Wednesday.
The book chronicles the story of Grand Rapids businessman Joseph Stevens -- a Polish Jew who had to pose as a Catholic to avoid capture by the Nazis and was published by GVSU earlier this year.
Barak was in Grand Rapids to speak at an event sponsored by GVSU and the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan. At a press conference before the event, Barak blamed Yasser Arafat for the current violence in the Middle East, and he complimented the U.S. leadership in the fight against terrorism.
Barak -- who was on his first U.S. speaking tour -- said he didn't think there were direct links between the assassination of Rehavam Zeevi and the Sept. 11 attacks on the U.S. But he said they are related.
It's part of the same phenomenon of terror ¿ ugly assassinations of innocent civilians, Barak said.
Barak called Zeevi a man who devoted his life to the security and establishment of the Jewish state.
He became a victim of the fact that he refused to have a bodyguard with him, Barak said.
Barak said he agrees with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's assertion that Yassir Arafat bears responsibility for the killing.
Arafat is clearly responsible for the atmosphere of terror that took over the Middle East landscape in regard to Israel and the Palestinians, he said. He's basically responsible for his decision some 15 months ago.
That's when Barak, as prime minister, first put the concept of a Palestinian state on the table for negotiation.
Arafat refused to even take it as a basis for negotiation, he said.
He added that that's when he unmasked Arafat.
We found out that he still behaves as a terrorist, Barak said.
Barak said the response of the American people to the Sept. 11 attacks has been amazingly impressive for foreigners who spend their lives in terror. There's a lot of patriotism, solidarity, seriousness -- almost an absence of panic.
He complimented U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair for the way they've handled the crisis, comparing them to their World War II counterparts, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill.
But he cautioned that the fight against terrorism will be a long, difficult one.
Nothing short of full, unconditional defeat of terror will suffice. We will not be able to return to our normal lives if this shadow will continue to hover over our daily lives, he said.
Barak was presented with a signed copy of the holocaust memoir Good Morning, which was written by Grand Rapids resident Joseph Stevens. Stevens was a Polish Jew who posed as a Catholic to avoid capture by the Nazis. Stevens currently lives in Tel Aviv, and the book was presented by Grand Valley President Mark A. Murray.
Music at the dinner was performed by Israeli pianist Aviram Reichart, who is a music professor at GVSU.
