UCI hosts Middle East lecturers in two events

Prominent criminal lawyer and Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz will discuss “The Case for Peace in the Middle East” Thursday at UCI.

Dershowitz is an outspoken critic of Palestinians in the Israel-Palestinian conflict and advocates torturing terrorism suspects in some extreme circumstances.

UCI’s Hillel group, the Jewish Student Union, Anteaters for Israel, a fraternity and a sorority are sponsoring the event, which is funded by a grant from the Jewish Federation of Orange County.

Reservations are required to attend. General admission is $18, with a limited number of VIP tickets for $100, which includes a private reception with Dershowitz at 4 p.m. The lecture begins in the UCI Student Center at 5 p.m. and parking is free. To reserve tickets go to www.jewishorangecounty.org or call (949) 435-3484.

At 7 p.m. today, Middle East scholar Daniel Pipes will also be at UCI.

Pipes’ visit last year garnered national attention when his speech was interrupted by a demonstration. The presentation will be in UCI’s Student Center.

— Joseph Serna