Over objections over academic freedom and free speech, the California State Assembly passed a controversial resolution (HR 35) that calls on universities to crackdown on criticism of Israel. Passed by a voice vote, the resolution includes language that equates criticism of Israeli policies and actions as “anti-Semitism.” While the resolutions original purpose is laudatory and does include clear expression of anti-Semitism, its drafters decided to include criticism of Israel and its human rights record in a measure that at a minimum chills free speech by professor and students alike. Drafted by Republican Linda Halderman, there was no hearing or debate allowed on the resolution. Just a voice vote.
It should be kept in mind that this is a non-binding resolution and, as such, has little coercive impact on universities. However, as public institutions, these schools are likely to take such a resolution as a guideline for the future to avoid the animus and possible retaliatory measures from the legislature. It describes anti-Semitism that should “not be tolerated in the classroom or on campus, and that no public resources be allowed to be used for anti-Semitic or intolerant agitation.”
The key “whereas” provisions lists the acts are deemed evidence of the need for greater action from universities in combatting anti-Semitism:
WHEREAS, Over the last decade some Jewish students on public
postsecondary education institution campuses in California have
experienced the following: (1) physical aggression, harassment, and
intimidation by members of student or community groups in
student-sponsored protests and rallies held on campus; (2) speakers,
films, and exhibits sponsored by student, faculty, and community
groups that engage in anti-Semitic discourse or use anti-Semitic
imagery and language to falsely describe Israel, Zionists, and Jews,
including that Israel is a racist, apartheid, or Nazi state, that
Israel is guilty of heinous crimes against humanity such as ethnic
cleansing and genocide, that the Jewish state should be destroyed,
that violence against Jews is justified, that Jews exaggerate the
Holocaust as a tool of Zionist propaganda, and that Jews in America
wield excessive power over American foreign policy; (3) swastikas and
other anti-Semitic graffiti in residential halls, public areas on
campus, and Hillel houses; (4) student- and faculty-sponsored
boycott, divestment, and sanction campaigns against Israel that are a
means of demonizing Israel and seek to harm the Jewish state; (5)
actions of student groups that encourage support for terrorist
organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah and openly advocate
terrorism against Israel and the Jewish people; and (6) suppression
and disruption of free speech that present Israel’s point of view;
and
Such anti-Semitism includes speech accusing Israel of “crimes against humanity”; “language or behavior [that] demonizes and delegitimizes Israel”; claims that Israel engages in forms of “ethnic cleansing”; statements portraying Israel as a “racist” or “apartheid” state; statements “applying double standards by requiring of Israel a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation;” “actions of student groups that encourage support for terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah”; and “Student and faculty-sponsored boycott, divestment and sanctions campaigns against Israel.” These are some of the cited examples that are then the basis for the resolution to encourage universities to take further steps to protect Jewish students from such speech.
This makes criticism of Israel the same as a hatred for the Jewish people and human rights activists (and various United Nations figures) bigots.
College campuses are places where such issues of human rights and politics have long been debated under the protection of academic freedom and free speech. The legislature’s intrusion into this protected space is both unwelcomed and unwarranted. These schools already have robust discrimination and hate speech protections.
If these are examples of anti-Semitic or hate speech, then United Nations officials like Judge Richard Goldstone and Jimmy Carter (as well as groups like Amnesty International) would be barred from campuses as anti-Semitic bigots.
This is not to say that these groups or these individuals are correct in their views. Rather they are not criticizing Israel out of anti-Semitism but good-faith view on human rights and civil liberties — just as their critics hold good-faith opposing views. Notably, proponents for Israel do not win this debate by demonizing critics or seeking to silence such speech. The resolution is particularly troubling in California, which is the home of so many leading academic institutions with a long history of political protests and discourse on campus.
What is most striking is that objections were made publicly to this language before passage with even some sponsors expressing concerns. It would have been an easy thing to edit that graph to eliminate areas of legitimate public policy differences and debate but the language was kept in the resolution.
Here is the resolution:.
Source: ABC
http://youtu.be/wQP43moWcXk
Mike, thank you for the education. I was unaware of the facts
As I told you in the first comment I addressed to you, Teji Malik, cut the crap; we all know what antisemitism means.
As to your question of “what SEMITE means,” understand it however you wish. And I am arrogant because I deserve to be so. People prove it to me on a daily basis.
My take on Israel: First and foremost Israel is not a democratic country although it has all its facades like The Paris and The Venetian in Las Vegas.
Democracy is a charade in Israel. Case in point about the American lady protesting against the occupation was shot to death by the Israeli Army and the Supreme Court claimed that Army was not at fault for her murder by the Israeli soldiers
Israel has become the Nazi state of the Middle East. (I know many Jews hate this word because they only link it to what Hitler did to them and purposefully forget that there were more NON- JEWS killed by Hitler than the Jews). Israel is doing the same things as Hitler did to them whose lands they have occupied, whose houses they demolish at will, whom they put into prisons for years without any due process like Hitler and other fiends did.
Israel does not allow any Humanitarian aid to the Palestine. We all know when they killed many peace lovers in a ship full of needed products and medicines, and the so called ” Israeli Democracy” did not bring the Israeli murderers to justice. They were never charged.
I would love to have responses to my following questions:
1. How many Palestinians and others were killed by the Israeli armed forces, including Mosad- The Israeli armed forces legal Terrorist Unit- in the past 10 years?
2. How many Israelis were killed by the others during the same time?
3. How many Palestinian houses have been destroyed by Israel in the past 10 years and how many Israeli houses got bulldozed by the Palestinians?
4. How many Palestinians and other non-Jews are rotting in the Israeli prisons without due process for years and how many Israelis are in their own prisons or in the Palestinian prisons?
5. How much land has been forcefully occupied by the Israelis?
6. How many original Israelis from the middle eastern descent live in Israel?
7. As Israel is a ” Democratic” Country, then why is it objecting to the Arab Spring- the path way to Democracy in its neighbouring countries?
The answers to all the above would show us what “Israeli Democracy” really means.
Israel prides itself the only WHITE country in the Middle East and the facts show that it practices the worst kind of Apartheid in the name of its “Democracy”.
In my opinion, If what was East Germany then, were established into Israel, we would not be having all these problems today because the fact of the matter is that all this started in there.
Israel has selling its victimization propaganda for decades around the globe and especially in the US. They have the strongest lobby in here. They use fear tactics on us. All this should stop.
Lastly, I would like ALL to have Nuclear Energy who can afford it. After all, it is naivete to forbid people gaining knowledge.
Upthread, P Smith wrote an interesting sentence:
“Yeah, it’s consistently pro-jewish, as well as hypocritical.”
This was referring to something that P Smith identified as “pro-Jewish.”
My MY: What is “pro-Jewish” now? Is it that political position that advocates for being Jewish? That advocates for letting other people be Jewish? That advocates for encouraging people who are not presently Jewish BECOMING Jewish? That advocates that Jewish Lebians vote Republican? WHAT? (I mean, I want to find out if I’m pro-Jewish or not so I can then figure out whether I’m also a hypocrite.)
Malik, you say “You can not give up not looking at your shattered inner mirrors of arrogance. I guess it has become your second nature.”
Um…
(I used cut and paste so as not to misquote you.)
I will NEVER give up not looking at my inner mirrors of arrogance, Malik. And why? Because I don’t NEED to give that up, EVER. I am an AMERICAN. You can fight to the DEATH to make me stop not looking at my inner mirrors of arrogance, it will NOT WORK. You can come at me with skittles, you can make edicts, you can broadcast codpods, you can do anything you want, I will not be moved, I have a right to look at my inner mirrors of arrogance and to give it up or not give up not looking at it even if I want to and furthermore, it is not shattered. My inner mirror of MY arrogance is perfectly intact. Perhaps YOU have a shattered inner mirror of my arrogance, I do NOT. (That’s because I wrapped it carefully in my plethora before inuring it within the inner; stuff shuts down if it has to, that’s my own business.) LMOVIAHO. But it’s NOT my second nature: It’s my FIRST. (Second is humor.) Over and out.
Well, let me make things perfectly clear:
Malisha- The Typo- Correctional Queen.
Thanks for proving my point about your arrogance much better than anyone else could have.
Once again, back to the original point. Do you understand what SEMITE means now or not?:-)
Mahmoud
1, September 6, 2012 at 12:27 pm
Many of you are missing the point as you’re not giving any consideration to why this non-binding resolution was even necessary. There have been numerous incidents on various CA campuses in which outright hate crimes have been committed against Jewish students. A plethora of terrorist-supporting groups have openly called for the killing of Israelis and nothing has been done by the so-called “liberal” academics.
————————————————————————-
You mean like LIBERAL Politicians trying to pass legislation for TOUGHER Penalties for Hate Crimes…. that would DIRECTLY benefit the Jewish community, if indeed these hate crimes are happening…..
Sorry, That is NOT meant as a slight…. I really have not read that these hate crimes having been going on against the Jewish Community… THO, I have heard of hate crimes against other religions and races….. So, please forgive my ignorance….
Justagurl, wow, all that? I’d rather see people deal with the fact that there IS a country named Israel whether they like it or not. I mean, that’s the only realistic way of moving forward here and regardless of what anybody believes, beseeches, or besmirches, to quote a friend of mine who used this sentence in about 1969 in a much different context: “Well hayell, she’s GOT IT and it’s REAL so that’s all I got to SAY about it.”
While I TOTALLY agree with you…. by the way… you can call me JAG…. 🙂
I just posted those links, to ward off any attacks of being Antisemitic….
quite FRANKLY…. I get rather pissed being called antisemitic, being that, if I MUCH prefer the company of Jewish people, over MOST Christians….. as Jewish people tend to be far MORE respectful of OTHERS Views…. ONE of the MORE tolerant religions…
My best friend has NEVER stood in judgement of me, even tho, I am Atheist…
—————————————————————-
Now, as for what happened the other night at the DNC…..
I find it troubling… for one… No NEED to make GOD a platform….
There are many religions in the USA… and NOT all worship a god….
secondly…. Israel is a state… HOWEVER… The wanting to call Jerusalem the Capital…. that is still being worked out…. and I think that we need to let Palestine and Israel dictate these terms…. ON their OWN soil…..
It should NOT be politicized…..
Reality being, Christians have an agenda, where Israel is concerned….
What I DO NOT LIKE…. are the Settlements……. Bulldozing of Palestinian homes…… NOT trying to work out a peace deal….
That said…. I think it is ridiculous to say that any criticism of Israel is ANTI-Semititicism …..
Being I have met many people FROM Israel who have been VERY critical of the things I mention above….. It just seems very WRONG to me to put forth the argument that Criticism is somehow racist/ anti-semiticism……..
The People of Israel oppose the so-called “State of Israel” for four reasons:
FIRST —
The so-called “State of Israel” is diametrically opposed and completely contradictory to the true essence and foundation of the People of Israel, as is explained above. The only time that the People of Israel were permitted to have a state was two thousand years ago when the glory of the creator was upon us, and likewise in the future when the glory of the creator will once more be revealed, and the whole world will serve Him, then He Himself (without any human effort or force of arms) will grant us a kingdom founded on Divine Service. However, a worldly state, like those possessed by other peoples, is contradictory to the true essence of the People of Israel. Whoever calls this the salvation of Israel shows that he denies the essence of the People of Israel, and substitutes another nature, a worldly materialistic nature, and therefore sets before them, a worldly materialistic “salvation,” and the means of achieving this “salvation” is also worldly and materialistic i.e. to organize a land and army. However, the true salvation of the People of Israel is to draw close to the Creator. This is not done by organization and force of arms. Rather it is done by occupation to Torah and good deeds.
SECOND —
Because of all of this and other reasons the Torah forbids us to end the exile and establish a state and army until the Holy One, blessed He, in His Glory and Essence will redeem us. This is forbidden even if the state is conducted according to the law of the Torah because arising from the exile itself is forbidden, and we are required to remain under the rule of the nations of the world, as is explained in the book VAYOEL MOSHE. If we transgress this injunction, He will bring upon us (may we be spared) terrible punishment.
THIRD —
Aside from arising from exile, all the deeds of the Zionists are diametrically opposed to the Faith and the Torah. Because the foundation of the Faith and Torah of Israel is that the Torah was revealed from heaven, and there is reward for those who obey it and punishment for those who transgress it. The entire People of Israel is required to obey the Torah, and whoever doesn’t want to, ceases to be part of the congregation of Israel.
FOURTH —
Aside from the fact that they themselves do not obey the Torah they do everything they can to prevent anyone they get under their power from fulfilling the commands of the Torah, the claims to freedom of religion are lies. They fight with all of their strength to destroy the Faith of Israel.
@Malik,
Ooops, I gave you the examples without the definition. A pun is a joke based on wordplay, known also as “paranomasia.”
There are single word puns, such as some store names (Cycology for a bicycle repair shop name, American Hair Force for a beauty salon, Aesop’s Tables for a Greek Restaurant, you get the picture).
There are big long jokes that are puns by the meaning of their punch lines: “Abscess makes the farts go Honda” — etc.
Like that.
LOL..
Malisha- The Typo- Correctional Queen.
You can not give up not looking at your shattered inner mirrors of arrogance. I guess it has become your second nature.LOL.
As, now you have understood the meaning of SEMITE, well explained by many in here, time to move on. Stop chewing your nails till your cuticles.:-)
Next topic?:-)
Mr. or Ms. Malik:
You say, “Why it was a pun was explained,” so let me explain to you the meaning of “pun”:
Get your reading comprehension shtick on, Malik
1. Two vultures board an airplane, each carrying two dead raccoons. The stewardess looks at them and says, “I’m sorry, gentlemen, only one carrion allowed per passenger.”
2. Did you hear that NASA recently put a bunch of Holsteins into low earth orbit? They called it the herd shot ’round the world.
3. Two boll weevils grew up in South Carolina. One went to Hollywood and became a famous actor. The other stayed behind in the cotton fields and never amounted to much. The second one, naturally, became known as the lesser of two weevils.
4. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, but when they lit a fire in
the craft, it sank proving once again that you can’t have your kayak and
heat it, too.
5. A three-legged dog walks into a saloon in the Old West. He slides up to the bar and announces: “I’m looking for the man who shot my paw.”
6. Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused Novocain during a root
canal? He wanted to transcend dental medication.
7. A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel and were standing in the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories. After about an hour, the manager came out of the office and asked them to disperse. “But why?” they asked, as they moved off. “Because,” he said, “I can’t stand chess nuts boasting in an open foyer.”
8. A woman has twins, and gives them up for adoption. One of them goes to a family in Egypt and is named “Amal.” The other goes to a family in Spain who name him “Juan.” Years later, Juan sends a picture of himself to his birth mother. Upon receiving the picture, she tells her husband that she wishes she also had a picture of Amal. Her husband responds, “They’re twins! If you’ve seen Juan, you’ve seen Amal.”
9. Three friars were behind on their belfry payments, so they opened up a small florist shop to raise funds. Since everyone liked to buy flowers from the men of God, a rival florist across town thought the competition was unfair. He asked the good fathers to close down, but they would not. He went back and begged the friars to close. They ignored him. So, the rival florist hired Hugh MacTaggart, the roughest and most vicious thug in town to “persuade” them to close. Hugh beat up the friars and trashed their store, saying he’d be back if they didn’t close up shop. Terrified, they did so, thereby proving that: Hugh, and only Hugh, can prevent florist friars.
10. There was a man who sent ten different puns to friends, in
the hope that at least one of the puns would make them laugh.
Unfortunately, no pun in ten did.
OK, Malik, THOSE are puns. No, “No, I am not an Arab” is not a pun.
http://www.jewsagainstzionism.com/zionism/zanda.cfm
ZIONISM AND ANTI-SEMITISM
We implore and beseech our Jewish brethren to realize that the Zionists are not the saviors of the Jewish People and guarantors of their safety, but rather the instigators and original cause of Jewish suffering in the Holy Land and worldwide. The idea that Zionism and the State of “Israel” is the protector of Jews is probably the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the Jewish People. Indeed, where else since 1945 have Jews been in such physical danger as in the Zionist state?!
Jews are enjoined by their religious laws to be loyal to the country of which they are citizens. Ever since the destruction of the holy Temple in Jerusalem and the exile of the Jewish People some two thousand years ago, we have been enjoined to be scrupulously loyal to the countries we reside in. One of the great biblical prophets, Jeremiah, in chapter 29 of his book proclaimed G-d’s message to all the exiled; verse seven reads, “Seek out the welfare of the city to which I have exiled you and pray for it to the Almighty, for through its welfare will you have welfare.” This has been a cornerstone of Jewish morality throughout our history to this very day.
Torah-true Jews wish to live in peace and harmony with their neighbors in every country among the community of nations, including in historic Palestine. They deplore acts and policies of violence carried out by those who, misusing the name of Israel our forefather, have substituted the ideal of chauvinist nationalism for the eternal values of the Torah, the eternal divinely bestowed inheritance of the Jewish people.
WHAT IS ZIONISM?
One of our most oft-asked questions is “what is Zionism?”
Theodor Herzl Zionism is a movement founded by Theodor Herzl in 1896 whose goal is the return of Jews to Eretz Yisrael, or Zion, the Jewish synonym for Jerusalem and the Land of Israel.
The name of “Zionism” comes from the hill Zion, the hill on which the Temple of Jerusalem was situated.
Supporters of this movement are called “Zionists”.
The purpose of this website is to explain why traditional Jews do not support Zionism (the return to the land called “Israel”) and why the Zionist idealogy is totally contrary to traditional Jewish law and beliefs and the teachings of the Holy Torah.
http://www.jewsagainstzionism.com/zionism/whatis.cfm
So, I guess that these Jewish people are also ANTISemites????
Gurl,
The site you linked to is run by a small cult of Jews who believe that until the Messiah returns the Jews should not return to Israel. The best analogy is to compare them to the extreme right wing of Judaism. For instance if I were to show up at one of their Synagogues they would try to keep me from enterring and I’m a Jew born and bred. They do not by any means represent any but a miniscule percentage of Jews.
As usual, the Leftists on this message board, or any, cannot refute the facts that I’ve stated. They know deep down that I speak the truth. So, what can they do? Nothing of substance, of course. So, they attack the speaker of the truth; in quintessentially subcretinesque, jejune, and ultimately mindless retorts. They feel better about themselves for a minute, having indulged in the attacks, but the sinking feeling returns. They cannot escape from the truth. However, they can take comfort in posting lies and attacks on the truth. That is the Leftist way.
Ralph….
Who has time to refute all your claims?????
hahahahaha… YOU call all the liberals here, ANTISEMITIC…..
Then get your feelings hurt, cuz we point out that you are full of HATE????
“Jewish people thrive, of course, in environment[s] that are civilized and where liberty is cherished. Not only do they thrive in such environment[s], but they excel. That is why Jews had such a prominent role in helping to establish the United States of America.”
OK, Ralph, this is not rocket science. ALL people thrive in environments that are civilized and where liberty is cherished.
That does not explain anything about either those environments OR about people, among those who are thriving, who “excel.”
Furthermore, among the problems that challenge the conclusion that during its establishment, the “United States of America” actually qualified as an environment that was “civilized and where liberty [was] cherished” is a little LEGAL matter called slavery. So that won’t explain very much about excellence either, in the long run.
Lets just leave it at: People are free to say what they want to say even if it is, in someone else’s opinion, wrong. OK?
pete9999
1, September 8, 2012 at 2:12 am
know a lot about hate don’t ya, ralphie
————————-
I suspect so….
Hey Taji, although I’m a Jew I don’t do that kind of obsessive all-night analysis of every word of a document that is so well known as the habit of scholarly rabbis in the middle ages. So I won’t go into everything you said, most of which I just don’t understand, but I see that you are set on setting some matters straight. For that purpose I address one sentence in your last comment:
“My saying, “I am not an Arab”, was a pun.”
Taji, no it wasn’t!
Oh, and another thing, I did not say that the Congresswoman was not a Jew; I said I had not checked it because I don’t care what the Hell she is. Thanks for your information about her (YOU checked; I could not care less) but frankly, who cares? It’s not like the Jews have any patent on being either wrong OR foolish; many people do it regardless of religious, national, racial, geographical, or ethnic origins. Some do it persistently.
Hi Melisha- The Typo-Correctional Queen,
The name is Teji NOT Taji but I am not offended by that. We all make typos. You wanted to show that you were a smart arse in writing properly and corrected me because I missed something in my smiley. Now, you have got the taste of your own medicine.:-).
Arrogance can be our worst enemy. It can shatter our inner mirrors that we so proudly look at to find faults in others.:-)
Once again, I have to say that English Comprehension is not your forte. Why it was a pun was explained, without any typos.:-). Give it another go for your own understanding.
Now, let’s get to the original point that I made and caused you to froth. I said, “The Jewish Assembly woman is an idiot because she does not understand the meaning of Semite, her own history”. And neither did you.But, now as it has been explained by many, I hope you get it. This was my only point of the original post about the meaning of the word SEMITE.
End of story. We can move on to other topics.:-)
http://www.nkusa.org/AboutUs/Zionism/opposition.cfm
WHY ORTHODOX JEWS ARE OPPOSED TO A ZIONIST STATE
First some introductions:
1) What is “The People of Israel” ?
The People of Israel have existed for thousands of years.
They have their own particular, essential nature.
The Torah is the source of their essential nature.
Without Torah and Faith there is no People of Israel.
Whoever denies the Torah and the Faith is no longer part of the People of Israel.
The purpose of the People of Israel in this world is Divine Service.
Their salvation is occupation in Divine Service.
2) What is Zionism?
Zionism is a relatively new thing.
It has only existed for a century.
Zionism redefines the true essential nature of the People of Israel, and substitutes for it a completely contradictory and opposite character – a materialistic worldly nation.
Their misfortune is lack of what other nations possess, i.e. a state and army.
Their salvation is possession of a state and army etc.
This is clearly spelled out in the circles of Zionist thought, and among the leaders of the Zionist State, that through changing the nature and character of the People of Israel and by changing their way of thinking they can set before the People of Israel “their salvation” — a state and an army.
Mike, I am fairly sure the word “semitic” was in use before the 19th century. It was used to describe a language family which also changed to encompass the culture of those in the language family.
It was not meant to be a derogatory term. Nor was it used as such when it first coined.
In any case if Jewish people identify themselves as Semites than who are we to say that such a term is an insult?
Sharon,
you are correct as to “semitic’s” original origin which was as to related to a specific language group:
“The term Semite means a member of any of various ancient and modern Semitic-speaking peoples originating in southwestern Asia…….(32 distinct languages mentioned)……….It was proposed at first to refer to the languages related to Hebrew by Ludwig Schlözer, in Eichhorn’s “Repertorium”, vol. VIII (Leipzig, 1781), p. 161. Through Eichhorn the name then came into general usage (cf. his “Einleitung in das Alte Testament” (Leipzig, 1787), I, p. 45). In his “Geschichte der neuen Sprachenkunde”, pt. I (Göttingen, 1807) it had already become a fixed technical term.”
However, though I didn’t include all the languages/peoples due to length (you can check the link below). It specifically became attached to Jews in the following manner:
“The term “anti-Semitic” (or “anti-Semite”), owing to the circumstances of its coining, and as established by longstanding usage, refers exclusively to hostility or discrimination directed at Jews.(This remains true, even though the word “Semite” and most uses of the word “Semitic” do not make specific reference to Jews, but speak much more broadly to any people whose native tongue is, or was historically, a member of the associated language family. “Anti-Semitic” was coined in 1879 by German journalist Wilhelm Marr in a pamphlet called Der Weg zum Siege des Germanenthums über das Judenthum (“The Way to Victory of Germanicism over Judaism”). Using ideas of race and nationalism, Marr argued that Jews had become the first major power in the West. He accused them of being liberals, a people without roots who had Judaized Germans beyond salvation. In 1879 Marr founded the “League for Anti-Semitism”.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semitic
Eugenics was a term coined and then turners into a “pseudo-science” by Sir Francis Galton in 1883. It became popular among many, including american Progressives. The idea was to use selective breeding to improve the human race and its assumptions were that certain “racial” types were more highly evolved than others. Anglo-Saxons for instance were more evolved than Africans, Asians and low and behold Semites. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics
As someone who is proud to be Jewish I refuse to allow the hatred of my people to be defied by a phrase that was coined by someone who hated Jews.
That many Jews accept the appellation Semite, reflects the widespread misunderstanding of the origin of the term and its negative implications. To me the correct description of people who hate Jews is then Anti-Jewish.
I can’t decide whether Ralph is real or a caricature. Either way, I got a good laugh out it. Well done sir!
Jill:
>> This is just disturbing. It is wrong. People in Israel’s peace
>> movement would be banned from speaking at any CA college.
Where’s the surprise in that? Ask Norman Finkelstein why he can’t get a job or tenure at the US university. Telling the truth about Israel and its past isn’t kosher, so to speak.
This is nothing new. For years I’ve dealt with raving loons who call it “anti-semitism” when I, for example, point out that the Israeli military dropped cluster bombs on Lebanon in 2006, or used white phosphorus on Gaza in January 2009, or doctored the tape to say “go back to Auschwitz”. It doesn’t matter that all such things are true, in the mind of the rabidly pro-Israel (RPI), it equates to calling for the death camps to be reopened. This “ruling” is as stupid as a Canadian university banning the use of the term, “Israeli Apartheid”.
What really galls and amazes me is the disconnect from reality by the RPI. The RPI demand protections for the rights of jews, yet call for the violation of the rights of Palestinians, and they see their position as “consistent”. (Yeah, it’s consistently pro-jewish, as well as hypocritical.)
My position, on the other hand, is that all nations and all peoples are deserving of the same rights and protections such as the UN Charter. The RPI cannot grasp how I can speak against neo-nazis and in the next breath speak against the demolition of Palestinian homes. To a sane person, those two things are the same.