tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5448657.post7006096312229062523..comments2023-09-30T08:07:26.165-04:00Comments on Mystical Politics: It's spring boycott seasonRebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17626228106192215280noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5448657.post-37862477214176289152009-05-19T01:09:00.000-04:002009-05-19T01:09:00.000-04:00Thanks for your reply and I will now read some of ...Thanks for your reply and I will now read some of the articles you've suggested.<br /><br />But you have't addressed exactly how you believe the boycott is anti-Semitic. I know you believe some 'behind it' are anti-Semites, and others are simply bleeding hearts but can you explain what makes this boycott anti-Semitic? I understand that the effect on such fields as yours could be temporarily catastrophic (and it doesn't fill me with pleasure)... is it the effect of the action that makes it anti-Semitic? I can't see how this could be because any action which hurts your field such as cutting the funding due to budget issues would then be autmoatically anti-Semitic despite the intentions of the majority of people involved in the decision.<br /><br />You mentioned some alternative actions that could be done on behalf of the Palestinian education system, for example supporting and inviting Palestinian students to attend other universities. Well, those who care about academic freedom in Israel tend to show a stunning indifference to the situation facing Palestinian universities, which have been bombed, split in two by Israel's "security fence," and regularly shut down under Israeli military order. Checkpoints routinely prevent students and faculty from attending classes. Immigration and security officials deny visiting scholars their visa. Students winning scholarships abroad (in cases even to American universities) are denied permits to leave. And these are not universities under the control of Arab governments but under the control of Israel, the very country whose universities are supposedly the "freest in the Middle East."<br /><br />The last point is that in your blog you haven't mentioned the academic freedom of even American scholars who (probably in line with your political opinions) condemned the recent Gaza attacks. Would it not be fairer to mention the case of William I. Robinson who is facing hearings over alleged anti-Semitism for comparing the Gazan offensive to the Warsaw Ghetto. However unfortunate the analogy, is he not facing censure over his opinions? <br /><br />I enjoy reading your blog and I would enjoy continuing to comment. If you haven't the time to always reply, don't feel like I insist on it! And I will stop commenting completely if you ever request so.Galloping Hoganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11607785419212822661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5448657.post-23608583085448748812009-05-19T00:36:00.000-04:002009-05-19T00:36:00.000-04:00No one is attempting to silence individual profess...No one is attempting to silence individual professors? Are you serious? The academic boycott is intended to cut off Israeli academics from world intellectual life - it absolutely cuts off their freedom of speech. <br /><br />I would guess that you don't know much about Israeli academia, which in my experience is the home for many people who oppose the occupation and work against it, much more so than any other institution in Israeli life.<br /><br />And yes, I do believe the attempted academic boycott of Israel is anti-semitic, in effect if not sometimes in intent. I believe this especially for my own academic field, Jewish Studies, because if such a boycott were really to come into effect, it would strangle any effective cooperative work between Israeli scholars and those outside Israel.<br /><br />No, I do not believe that all criticism of Israel is anti-semitic. I myself often engage in criticism of Israel, and I am not a Jew-hater. <br /><br />I do believe that some of the people calling for the boycott are anti-semitic and are masking their anti-semitism with anti-Zionism. Others I believe are just fools, who imagine that they are bravely acting for the poor Palestinians by sitting in their comfortable professorial chairs and passing useless resolutions. <br /><br />Something far more useful would be organizing to support Palestinian universities, inviting Palestinian students to work in other universities, going oneself to teach in those universities, etc. Not passing resolutions whose only purpose is to alienate Jews in western countries from their non-Jewish colleagues, who so self-righteously believe that they are doing something for the Palestinian people.<br /><br />If you would like to know more about my opinions, check out any number of Engage or Harry's Place articles on this topic.Rebeccahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17626228106192215280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5448657.post-61342971411949457512009-05-19T00:24:32.193-04:002009-05-19T00:24:32.193-04:00I have also advocated such boycotts of Israeli aca...I have also advocated such boycotts of Israeli academic institutions in Irish universities and it isn't something I did lightly or without anguish.<br /><br /> If you are wondering what the point is of "passing a motion which will automatically be of no force" it can be seen to be a symbolic show of support for not just the Palestinian people, or of the Palestinian educational system under Israeli rule, but also of the Israeli academics who have been effectively muzzled from both holding top posts in Israeli universities and at the same time criticising many significant aspects of the state itself. (academic freedom in Israel is a large topic for debate itself so I won't explore this now).<br /><br />Indeed there are several well known figures in Israeili academic life who have criticised their government on the issue of the Palestinians, among them are Baruch Kimmerling, Tanya Reinhart and Israel Shahak. This boycott will 'punish' collectively persons who should not be held criminally accoutnable for the actions of their government. Criminally a populace cannot be held accountable for the crimes of their leaders but politically every citizen does have a political culpalablity when it comes to their nation. So while collective punishment of the families of suicide bombers, or of Israeli families suffering Hamas rocket attacks is to be utterly abhorred, political responsibilty must be assumed by the people in a society inbued with power (of the Bourdieu illustrated). I become involved in campaigning against my own state if Ireland were to commit unlawful acts. In other words, this boycott is designed, among other reasons, to push Israeli academics into acknowledging the problems their government creates in the Palestinian territories. I would ask you to recognise the constraints Palestinian scholars and students exist under for over a decade and how there seems to be less interest in rectifying this 'assault' on academic freedom. <br /><br />Basically my point is that any such boycott is being directed at institutions and now academics. No-one is attemtping to silence individual professors and no other university, no matter tha opinions of a scholar, is being targeted in this boycott push. And as seen under the Apartheid boycott of the mid 20th century, academic discourse on the political issues actually, and counter-intuitively, flourish.<br /><br />My question for you would be how such a boycott is anti-Semitic? do you believe anyu such criticism of the state of Israel is inherently anti-Semitic, or do you believe anti-Semitic professors are using this boycott as a facade over their dislike of Jewish people?<br /><br />Thanks.Galloping Hoganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11607785419212822661noreply@blogger.com