History was thwarted early Wednesday morning when a peace mission making its way across the Sahara Desert was refused entry into Libya due to the participation of three Israelis who were flatly denied entrance at the border.

The group of people from around the world, including four Americans, was welcome in Libya, a special representative of Libyan leader Mohmar Qadaffi told the mission as it stood on Libyan soil just five meters from the formal border crossing. But not the Israelis.

"Israel does not exist as a country, it is Palestine. We don't allow occupiers into our country," the official said. "Now I order you all to leave Libya."

Earlier, the group had decided it would not cross into Libya unless everyone was allowed in.

After being denied, the nine-person group voted to stay the night at the border and see if diplomacy and their message of goodwill to all peoples would gain them admittance Wednesday into the nation which has until now barred Israeli visitors.

As of Wednesday afternoon, it appeared those efforts had failed and the group was considering its options...

Beginning on March 22, Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs will host a conference entitled "The Prospect for Democracy: A-Libyan-American Dialogue." On the second and final day of the conference, Libyan strongman Muammar al-Qadhafi is to address the participants by video conference. He is slated to speak about his views on the prospect of democracy in Libya. Among the participants will be Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Welch. The conference is being cosponsored by Columbia, the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, and the Libyan regime.

It is unfortunate that Columbia University has accepted money from the Libyan regime. Columbia's public affairs did not respond to queries about the amount of funding it received, nor whether there were any conditions with regard to nomination of speakers or limits on the audience. The conference is but the latest in a disturbing trend of U.S. universities displaying willingness to accept Middle Eastern money. Harvard and Georgetown Universities, for example, accepted millions from Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz. In Columbia lost out on that bid but soon after SIPA Dean Lisa Anderson, SIPA's acting Middle East Institute director Gary Sick, and other prominent faculty accepted an all-expenses paid junket to the Kingdom.

What is wrong with accepting Middle Eastern largesse? Seldom is the funding altruistic. Just as Alwaleed hopes to launder Saudi Arabia's image, so too does Qadhafi want to whitewash his interest. Just a month ago, Qadhafi's Revolutionary Committees and Libyan security shot and killed eleven people in Benghazi. Hundreds of Libyans — including my brother Fathi — remain in prison for the crime of speaking out in favor of multiparty elections...