{{short description|Pro-Israel campus group in United States}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} {{infobox organization |name = The David Project |image = David Project Logo.jpg |formation = {{start date and age|2002}} |founder = Charles Jacobs and Avi Goldwasser<ref name="Campus Watch">{{cite web | title=Columbia to investigate charges of anti-Jewish intimidation by Arab professors | website=Campus Watch | date=29 October 2004 | url=https://www.meforum.org/campus-watch/9082/columbia-to-investigate-charges-of-anti-jewish | access-date=September 19, 2020}}</ref> |dissolved = 2017 |purpose = Pro-Israel campus activism |headquarters = [[Washington, DC]] |parent_organization = Hillel International |type = |leader_title = Executive Director |leader_name = Phillip Brodsky |key_people = [[Charles Jacobs (political activist)|Charles Jacobs]] |website = {{url|http://www.davidproject.org}} }} '''The David Project''' ('''TDP''') was an American pro-Israel campus group.<ref name="LandyLentin2020">{{cite book|author1=David Landy|author2=Ronit Lentin|author3=Conor McCarthy|title=Enforcing Silence: Academic Freedom, Palestine and the Criticism of Israel|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H77dDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT52|date=15 May 2020|publisher=Zed Books|isbn=978-1-78699-653-4|pages=52–}}</ref> The purpose of TDP was to build diverse pro-Israel support on campuses.<ref name="HaveUHeard.com2020"/> TDP began in 2002 as an agency of [[Hillel International]], an international Jewish campus organization. In 2017, it merged with Hillel International's Israel Engagement and Education department.<ref name="Kampeas 2017">{{cite web | last=Kampeas | first=Ron | title=Once 'combative' David Project joins Hillel International for Israel advocacy | website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency | date=August 24, 2017 | url=https://www.jta.org/2017/08/24/united-states/once-combative-david-project-joins-hillel-international-for-israel-advocacy | access-date=September 25, 2020}}</ref> In 2019 it evolved into the Hillel U Center for Community Outreach.
TDP was founded in 2002 by [[Charles Jacobs (political activist)|Charles Jacobs]], who previously co-founded [[Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America|CAMERA]]. He served as its president until August 2008. [[David L. Bernstein|David Bernstein]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://thedavidproject.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=54&Itemid=63 |title=The David Project Website |access-date=2010-07-20 |archive-date=2010-08-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100811101722/http://www.thedavidproject.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=54&Itemid=63 |url-status=dead }}</ref> previously Program Director of [[American Jewish Committee]] (AJC), began leading TDP in July 2010 and in September 2014, Phillip Brodsky took over.
TDP was an associate member of the [[Israel on Campus Coalition]].<ref name="ips2005">{{cite web | title=Academic Freedom and the Teaching of Palestine-Israel: The Columbia University Case, Part II | website=Institute for Palestine Studies | date=March 14, 2005 | url=https://www.palestine-studies.org/en/node/41606 | access-date=September 23, 2020}}</ref>
== Mission == From the website of TDP, "empowers student leaders to build mutually beneficial and enduring partnerships with diverse organizations so that the pro-Israel community is integrated and valued on campus."<ref name="AboutUs">{{cite web |url= http://www.davidproject.org/ |publisher= The David Project |date= January 2014 |title= The David Project (home page) |access-date= 2007-08-06 |archive-date= 2007-08-22 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070822112107/http://www.davidproject.org/ |url-status= dead }}</ref> TDP focused on building student partnerships and helping Israel groups reach out to their peers to talk about Israel.
== Activities ==
Major activities of TDP included:
* ''Israel Uncovered'' - Sponsored ten-day trips to Israel for Jewish and non-Jewish campus Israel advocates.<ref name="HaveUHeard.com2020">{{cite web | title=The David Project | website=HaveUHeard.com | date=March 11, 2020 | url=https://haveuheard.com/blog/david-project/ | access-date=September 19, 2020}}</ref> * ''Relationship Building Institute'' – Training for students to learn Israel advocacy methods through building relationships.<ref name="Hillel International 2017">{{cite web | title=Face to face | website=Hillel International | date=August 25, 2017 | url=https://www.hillel.org/about/news-views/news-views---blog/news-and-views/2017/08/25/face-to-face | access-date=September 19, 2020 | archive-date=May 6, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506185551/https://www.hillel.org/about/news-views/news-views---blog/news-and-views/2017/08/25/face-to-face | url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Documentaries== ===''The Forgotten Refugees''=== The David Project and IsraTV produced the documentary film ''[[The Forgotten Refugees]]'' in 2005, a documentary about the [[Jewish exodus from Arab and Muslim countries]] in the second half of the 20th century.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.davidproject.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=41&Itemid=115|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090120203010/http://www.davidproject.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=41&Itemid=115|url-status=dead|title=The Forgotten Refugees Website|archivedate=January 20, 2009}}</ref>
The film won the "Best Featured Documentary" at the Warsaw Jewish Film Festival in 2006 and "Best Documentary Film" at the 2007 [[Marbella International Film Festival]].<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.wjff.pl/en/2006/awards/ |title=2006 Awards {{!}} Warsaw Jewish Film Festival |access-date= 2009-02-21 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090206012103/http://www.wjff.pl/en/2006/awards/ |archive-date= 2009-02-06 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.marbellafilmfestival.com/en/home/Awards07/default.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207184502/http://marbellafilmfestival.com/en/home/Awards07/default.htm|url-status=dead|title=Film Awards 2007 | Marbella International Film Festival|archivedate=February 7, 2009}}</ref>
===''Columbia Unbecoming''=== {{main|Columbia Unbecoming controversy}} In 2004, the David Project produced a documentary film titled ''Columbia Unbecoming''. The film interviewed pro-Israel students at [[Columbia University]] who complained that professors had intimidated or been unfair to them over their political views. The release of the film led to an inquiry and to [[United States House of Representatives|United States Representative]] [[Anthony Weiner]] to call for one of the professors involved, [[Joseph Massad]], to be fired. The inquiry found no evidence for the complaints and the political motive of the students filing them were questioned.<ref>Jacob Gershman [http://www2.nysun.com/article/6826?page_no=2 Civil Liberties Official Defends Columbia Professors.]{{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} ''The New York Sun''. December 28, 2004.</ref>
==Harvard University==
TDP was involved in pressuring [[Harvard University]] to reject funds from Sheik [[Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan]], ruler of the [[United Arab Emirates]], who funded and lent his name to a think-tank based in [[Abu Dhabi]] that they saw as [[Anti-American]] and [[Anti-Semitic]]. The campaign, led by [[Rachel Fish]], who later became an employee of TDP, and her student supporters, contributed to Zayed's decision to shut down the [[Zayed Center]] in August 2003, saying that it "had engaged in a discourse that starkly contradicted the principles of interfaith tolerance."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://archive.boston.com/news/local/articles/2004/07/28/harvard_to_return_25m_given_by_arab_president/|title=Harvard to return $2.5m given by Arab president|first=Ralph|last=Ranalli|newspaper=Boston.com |date=July 28, 2004|via=The Boston Globe}}</ref><ref name="Kamins 2004">{{cite web | last=Kamins | first=Toni L. | title=Campaign Against Harvard Gift Ends in Victory for Tennessee Girl | website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency | date=July 30, 2004 | url=https://www.jta.org/2004/07/30/archive/campaign-against-harvard-gift-ends-in-victory-for-tennessee-girl | access-date=September 19, 2020}}</ref>
In July 2004, the campaign concluded when Harvard decided to reject the $2.5 million donation from the Sultan Al Nahyan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=503246|title=Harvard Returns Gift to Arab President," July 30, 2004 | The Harvard Crimson}}</ref> Through her activism, in 2003, Fish was named one of the 50 most influential Jews in America by ''[[The Forward]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://forward.com/news/7091/activism/|title=ACTIVISM|date=November 14, 2003|website=The Forward}}</ref>
== Boston Mosque Controversy == In 2005, TDP, its director of education, 13 other groups and two media outlets; the [[Boston Herald]] and [[Fox Television]]'s Channel 25 were sued by the [[Islamic Society of Boston]] (ISB) which alleged that they "conspired to publish and broadcast false and defamatory information about mosque leaders in part to halt development of [a] project ... [p]lanned as the largest mosque in New England."<ref name="Schwartz 2006">{{cite web | last=Schwartz | first=Penny | title=Boston mosque project chills dialogue | website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency | date=March 26, 2006 | url=https://www.jta.org/2006/03/26/lifestyle/boston-mosque-project-chills-dialogue | access-date=September 19, 2020}}</ref> In 2006, The David Project sued the [[Boston Redevelopment Authority]] to obtain documents regarding the authority's sale of land to the Islamic Society of Boston for construction of a mosque, which revealed that some funding for the mosque had come from the [[Islamic Development Bank]] of [[Saudi Arabia]].<ref>{{cite news | publisher=Boston Globe | title=Group opposed to Roxbury mosque sues BRA for documents | author=Radin, Charles | date=October 6, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/01/10/the_boston_mosques_saudi_connection/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070113134024/http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/01/10/the_boston_mosques_saudi_connection/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 13, 2007 |title=The Boston mosque's Saudi connection |publisher=Boston Globe |author=Jacoby, Jeff |date=January 10, 2007}}</ref> On May 29, 2007, the ISB dropped its lawsuit against all defendants.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://archive.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/09/30/islamic_society_of_boston_suit_moves_forward/ | title=Islamic Society of Boston suit moves forward | date=September 30, 2006 | author=Abraham, Yvonne | publisher=Boston Globe}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=Exchange of letters between Jessica Masse of The Islamic Society and Charles Jacobs of The David Project | publisher = Boston Globe | location=Boston | date=December 20, 2006 | url=http://archive.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/letters/articles/2006/12/28/islamic_society_of_boston_david_project_air_grievances/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=Islamic Society drops lawsuit | publisher=Boston Globe | location=Boston | author=Slack, Donovan | url = http://archive.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/05/30/islamic_society_drops_lawsuit/}}</ref> After the lawsuit was dropped, [[Charles Jacobs (political activist)|Charles Jacobs]] of the David Project continued opposition to the building of the mosque, saying "We are more concerned now than we have ever been about a Saudi influence of local mosques."<ref name=forw>{{cite news | title=Lawsuits Dropped, But Battles Over Boston Mosque Continue | url=http://www.forward.com/articles/11052/ | publisher=The Forward | location=New York | author=Rakowsky, Judy | date=June 27, 2007}}</ref>
== Criticism == ''[[The Forward]]'' wrote in 2004 that TDP had "a national reputation for hounding Muslims that it perceives to be a threat to the Jewish community."<ref name=forw/>
==See also== * [[Israel On Campus Coalition]] (member) * [[Death of Daniel Wultz]] *[[Hasbara|Public diplomacy of Israel]]
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website|http://davidproject.org/}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:David Project}} [[Category:Organizations involved in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict]] [[Category:Israel–United States relations]] [[Category:Educational organizations based in the United States]] [[Category:Non-profit organizations based in Boston]] [[Category:Zionist organizations in the United States]] [[Category:Defunct Jewish organizations based in the United States]]