As a former UC Berkeley Israel Activist and as a former JSU treasurer involved with decisions as to whether groups should be funded, I feel the need to comment on the issue of whether Dafka should granted Hillel membership. (see here, here, and here.)

In my view it would be entirely appropriate to deny Dafka funding and hillel membership on two bases: (1) that the group is not student-led (if this is indeed the case), and (2) the group's Kahanist political orientation.

(I am not familiar with the decision in this case and can not comment on whether it was consistent with decision made regarding other groups. I do not see a basis for denying funding to a student led group with political views similar to those of the ZOA, at least to the extent that I am familiar with that organization.)

The Dafka website contains links to at least two Kahanist organizations. The two websites linked two are: http://www.jdl-ny.org and http://www.masada2000.org. I found these links at http://www.dafka.org/Gallery.asp at about 7:45 am on 11/6/2003.

The page also refers to Michael Lerner as a "Kapo." While I consider Michael Lerner's politics to be outside the Zionist consensus and generally have a lot of other negative things to say about them, labelling him as a "Kapo" is strictly unacceptable by the standards of Jewish communal discourse.

Kahanism is a far greater danger to Jews than is the progressivism of Michael Lerner and the Tikkun community. While Tikkun seeks to deprive Israel of its strength; the Kahanists threaten our very soul. Our community must make every effort possible to oppose Kahanism in all of its forms.