Daring To Criticize Israel: "Overcoming
Zionism" Calling Israel "A Machine For The Manufacture
Of Human Rights Abuses
19 April 2012
By Stephen Lendman
Addressing this issue responsibly risks rebuke,
ostracism, or job loss. For some, it's a career ender.
Scoundrel media writers and broadcasters are
vulnerable. So are university professors.
Joel Kovel lost his Bard College position for writing
books like "Overcoming Zionism" and calling Israel "a
machine for the manufacture of human rights abuses."
DePaul University denied Norman Finkelstein tenure. It
then fired him for speaking out and writing books like
"The Holocaust Industry."
Political activism and honesty about the
Israeli/Palestinian conflict also cost tenured
professor Denis Rancourt his University of Ottawa job.
UCLA Professor David Delgado Shorter's now targeted.
His academic freedom's at stake. On April 4,
department chair Professor Angelia Leung rebuked him.
She said his web site was being reviewed for posting
inappropriate material pertaining to the academic and
cultural boycott of Israel. More on that below.
California Scholars for Academic Freedom (CSAF)
include 134 academics at 20 state universities. "The
group formed as a response to various violations of
academic freedom that were arising from both the
post-9/11/2001 climate of civil rights violations and
the increasing attacks on progressive educators by
neo-conservatives."
Arab, Muslim or Middle East scholars are especially
vulnerable. So is anyone criticizing Israel. CSAF's
"goal of protecting California scholars" broadened in
scope. Its members "recognize that violations of
academic freedom anywhere" threaten it "everywhere."
On April 18, CSAF wrote UCLA Academic Senate chair
Professor Andrew Leuchter. It addressed Shorter's
rebuke and the broader academic freedom issue.
It expressed concern that Leuchter "overstepp(ed his)
authority (by) honoring of complaints by a clearly
partisan political group over collegiality and
protocol regarding treatment of tenured faculty at
UCLA...."
The AMCHA Initiative made the complaint. AMCHA is
Hebrew for "your people." The organization "strives to
bring together Jewish people from all over California
so that they might speak in one voice in order to
express their concern for the safety and well-being of
Jewish college and university students."
It also one-sidedly supports Israel and Zionist
ideology. Its record includes harassing faculty
members critical of Israeli policy. It airs views
openly in the press. Targeting academic freedom shows
how far it's willing to go. Its history includes
accusing UC campuses of ignoring anti-Semitism and
allowing anti-Israeli protests. On issues regarding
the Jewish state, it tolerates no criticism.
Shorter felt its wrath. At issue was also judging him
" 'in the court of public opinion' by releasing
information to the press without his knowledge."
In the 2012 winter quarter, he taught W33: Tribal
Worldviews. He used a university provided web site for
course material. It covered "indigenous uses of media
around the globe to assert their claims of
sovereignty."
His site contains source materials and URLs related to
struggles throughout the world. UN documentation on
Palestine is included. They're called indigenous
people. In March, the course ended. So did access to
the site. Only students could view it.
In response to Professor Leung's concern, Shorter
emailed her his syllabus and a URL about groups
targeting US professors for their Palestinian course
materials.
On April 11, Leung gave him a choice. Either teach
about a petition or be a signatory, not both. In
response, Shorter said he'd consider the implications
of Leung's demand.
He requested deferring comment until next academic
year. Clearly, Leung was academically and
constitutionally out of line. Academic and speech
freedoms are inviolable.
UCLA and other US higher education institutions have
other rules. So do Canadian and perhaps European ones
as well. On April 12, Leuchter emailed his complaint.
He copied signatories endorsing it. They included "US
Senators and University Administrators." He said:
"posting of such materials is not appropriate.
Professor Shorter's chair assures me that he
understands his serious error in judgment and has said
he will not make this mistake again."
In response, AMCHA issued a press release. It claimed
victory over an anti-Israeli professor. It quoted
Leuchter verbatim. It made it appear that UCLA found
"his actions were inappropriate."
On April 13, the Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside
Higher Education, and the Los Angeles Times contacted
Shorter to comment about university disciplinary
action. No one told him his private conversation was
communicated broadly to outsiders.
On April 16, the LA Times headlined, "UCLA professor
told not to link class material to anti-Israeli
campaign," saying:
Academic freedom's at issue. So aren't First Amendment
rights. None are more important. All are risked
without this one.
"Leuchter said (Shorter) agreed not to repeat" linking
his web site to one "call(ing) for a boycott of
Israel." Shorter said "he made no such promise." He
awaits a more detailed campus policy explanation
regarding issues this important. He added that linking
"to the Israeli boycott was just a number of suggested
links for the class to explore in his" course.
He didn't provide them as required reading. In class,
he also discussed other views. Since he changes
courses annually, he didn't know if he'd use the same
links. Constitutionally he can use any he wishes
freely.
Tammi Rossman-Benjamin heads AMCHA. She's UC Santa
Cruz Center for Jewish Studies lecturer. She said by
email:
"Although I believe it was appropriate for Professor
Shorter to be cautioned about his misuse of his class
website, our primary purpose in raising the case of
Professor Shorter was not to demand that action be
taken against him, but rather to force UC
administrators and faculty to grapple with the
question of whether the UC academic freedom rules
protect a professor who uses his classroom and
university resources to engage in political
activities, including the boycott of Israel."
Leuchter concurred, saying faculty may freely express
views in classrooms or course material short of "advanc(ing)
a political agenda." Apparently he includes facts
critical of Israel.
He said Shorter faces no disciplinary action. He
described what he did as a judgment error. Perhaps
repeating it will be cause for dismissal. It wouldn't
be the first time on US or other Western campuses.
CSAF asked why Leuchter never met or spoke to Shorter
while defamatory information about him was being
circulated. What kind of investigation was conducted,
it asked? Clearly, "your actions....constitute a
violation of the normal protocols of due process at
the University of California or most other
universities."
CSAF wants definitive answers regarding UCLA policies
and Academic Senate authority to investigate a faculty
member without his knowledge, then requesting his
chair rebuke and warn him. Doing so amounts to
unwarranted "censure."
CSAF also wants Leuchter to explain how he justified
distributing information about Shorter behind his back
to a partisan organization like AMCHA, and why he
challenged his academic freedom.
Silencing anyone critical of Israel "makes a mockery
of (UCLA's) faculty protocol...." CSAF deserves
answers regarding these vital issues.
A Final Comment
Perhaps Leung, Leuchter, and other like-minded
academics need brushing up on what life in occupied
Palestine is like. It's not pretty, nor has it been
for decades. Visiting to see things firsthand might
help.
Spending time in Gaza during Israeli air and ground
assaults might prove enlightening. So would learning
about the effects of siege, watching Israeli soldiers
use Palestinian children for target practice, and
fishermen criminally assaulted at sea.
Maybe watching homes bulldozed, farmland razed, and
trees uprooted repressively would be hard to forget.
Seeing soldiers attack peaceful protesters with tear
gas, rubber bullets, water cannons, and live fire
would enlighten more.
Conversations with Palestinians might be best of all.
Firsthand accounts from wives would explain life
without husbands. Parents could talk about lost
children. Sisters and brothers could say what its like
without lost siblings. Discussions about thousands of
political prisoners would reveal much about a
repressive state.
Life in deep poverty without jobs would be described.
So would daily fear of Israeli incursions, attacks,
arrests, detentions, torture, and other unspeakable
abuses for praying to the wrong God.
Enough time in occupied Palestine might soften views
now held. Sunshine is the best disinfectant. So is
seeing things firsthand to know what's really going
on.
Israel is criticized for a reason. Persecution,
racism, occupation, and apartheid are unjustifiable.
So are crimes of war and against humanity.
Compromising academic and speech freedoms puts all
other rights at risk. Without them, classrooms are
more indoctrination than education. Professors
understanding that deserve praise, not rebukes or
ostracism.
Freedom in America and other Western societies hang by
a thread. Protecting it in classrooms may be step one
to having a chance to save it.
Professors on the front lines of right over wrong are
heros, not villains. Students lucky enough to have
them know best of all.
Imagine if all academics taught the right way. Imagine
a better world at peace. Instead of a dream, it could
be reality. Imagine how different things could be.
If enough people cared enough and worked for it, it
would be. It won't happen any other way.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached
at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book is
titled "How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized
Banking, Government Collusion and Class War" http://www.claritypress.com/Lendman.html Visit
his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to
cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on
the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive
Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and
Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are
archived for easy listening. http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour.
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