Universities ban student travel to Israel

By Kate DeWeese

Executive Reporter

Publication Date: 09/18/2006

Since 2001, no Purdue students have had the opportunity to study abroad in Israel due to travel warnings put in place by the State Department.

According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, several other schools have chosen to cancel study abroad programs in Israel until the spring semester at the earliest in response to the war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which began in mid-July when two Israeli soldiers were kidnapped and eight others killed.

Philip Schlossberg, executive director of the Hillel, said he finds it ridiculous that students cannot travel to Israel.

"If students want to study in Israel, they have to withdraw from Purdue and then re-apply," he said. "They don't have to do this in South Africa or Vietnam, for example. They can't have (programs) in other hot spots and deny Israel."

The travel warning was suspended in the spring, but was renewed in the West Bank and Gaza because of the conflict over the summer, Schlossberg said.

"These are places students wouldn't go anyways," he said.

In recent years, several other Big Ten universities, which Schlossberg said are comparable in programs to Purdue, have re-instated study abroad programs, in some form, in Israel.

"Why deny students the opportunity to learn there?" he said. "From a social or political aspect, you would be studying where it is happening. And what better place to study religion?"

Students interested in going to Israel still have some options. Schlossberg said Hillel has a Birthright Israel program, which sends students to the country for 10 days over Winter Break to learn about the country, history and geography. In addition, there are educational opportunities as well as student missions.

"I wouldn't be recommending students (to go to Israel) over Winter Break if I didn't think it was on safe," he said.

Brian Harley, assistant dean of international programs and director of programs for Study Abroad, said there is one approved program in Israel, at Hebrew University Rothberg International School, which is still suspended due to travel warnings.

"The primary concern is the sake of student health safety," he said. "It is a common perspective of Big Ten schools; we encourage students to go to another program."

Fewer students across the nation go to Israel to study because of the travel warnings and although the program at Hebrew University is inactive and looks like it doesn't exist, Harley said Purdue maintains a relationship and regular communication with the approved program.

"It is not one of the choices, but occasionally a student will ask about it," he said. "It is hard to know how many would go (if they had the option)."

If the travel warnings are lifted, Harley said the University would be able to resume things almost immediately.

Leah Yablong, a junior in the College of Pharmacy, Nursing and Health Sciences, said although there are no current programs, she would still feel safe studying abroad in Israel.

"If I had the opportunity to study in Israel and was basing it (the decision) on whether or not I felt safe, I wouldn't feel like my life was in jeopardy," she said.