To Whom It May Concern:<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

We the undersigned want it to be known that we consider an attack on one study abroad program to be an attack on all study abroad programs as well as an assault on the very foundations of higher education. Across the United States politically motivated well organized groups of individuals are attempting to destroy study abroad programs between U.S. universities and universities located in the State of Israel. These programs have been in existence for as many as sixty years and have positively and unequivocally influenced the career paths, world-views, and self-confidence of their students. Studying abroad is usually a defining moment in a young person's life and impacts the participant’s life for years after the experience.

Those who seek to politicize study abroad programs have no interest in the education or welfare of students. Their goals are simply to advance their personal world views and political agendas of their respective groups. Supporting study abroad programs is equivalent to supporting improved understanding, not between governments, but rather between people. The State of Israel is a microcosm of the Middle East. According to Wikipedia theState of Israelhas a population of approximately 7,836,300 inhabitants.Approximately seventy-five percent of them are Jewish, 20.5% are Arabs, while the remaining 4.3% are non-Arab Christians, non-Arab Muslims and residents who do not have a religious classification. A student seeking to better understand the true diversity of the Middle East could find no better place to do so than the State of Israel. Despite the proven worth of such study abroad opportunities those who are entrusted with the responsibility to administer these programs are under constant pressure to terminate them.

We recognize that such attacks are not reserved for the State of Israel alone. In recent years attacks have been made by politically motivated individuals and groups against China, Russia, and Cuba. Keeping us apart only serves to reinforce our lack of understanding of each other. Students who study abroad gain insight from first hand experiences with diverse languages, cultures, and disparate intellectual traditions.

The world needs future leadership that is effective in bringing its people together. Men and women who better understand their own cultural values and biases and seek out greater diversity in their choice of friends. Future professionals of all backgrounds will need to have a more diverse and inclusive view of mankind. All these aspirations are enhanced by study abroad. We ask that those who have the authority to maintain study abroad programs do so with a blind eye to politics and clarity of vision toward sound educational principles.

Thank you,

Ronald Fischbach