Brooklyn College vows to hold BDS panel

Feb 05

Web Only

Brooklyn College vows to hold BDS panel

New York City officials criticise university event discussing Israel boycott.

Pro-Palestinian supporters show a banner against Israel as they demonstrate, 28 March 2009. EPA/LUCAS DOLEGA

The controversy over a New York City college's plans to host a leading advocate of the campaign to boycott Israel reached a new level this week. Thursday's event will feature a discussion of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign with guests Omar Barghouti, a BDS leader, and philosopher Judith Butler. City officials in charge of public funding for Brooklyn College questioned the event, which has drawn criticism for what some are calling implicit support for the boycott.

The Stream recently featured a similar conflict between Palestinian solidarity groups and certain Jewish student organisations on University of California campuses.

View the story "Brooklyn College vows to hold BDS panel" on StorifyBrooklyn College vows to hold BDS panelNew York City officials criticise university event discussing Israel boycott. Storified by The Stream· Mon, Feb 04 2013 14:50:52Thanks to @yyousef for alerting us to this story:@AJStream The attempts to censor a #BDS event at Brooklyn College by NYC govt officials. Threats to cut off funding to a uni is chilling.yyousefThis letter from city councilman Lew Fidler lays out officials' concerns with the panel, adding, "We do not believe this program is what the taxpayers of our City -- many of whom would feel targeted and demonized by this program -- want their tax money to be spent on". Brooklyn College is part of the publicly funded City University of New York.
Letter from Lew FidlerLetter from Lew Fidler - Free download as PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. Fidler calls on Brooklyn College to ...The memo from Fidler follows a similar letter from a group of self-described "progressive elected officials from Brooklyn and city-wide leaders", who expressed the following reservations:We are, however, concerned that an academic department has decided to formally endorse an event that advocates strongly for one side of a highly-charged issue, and has rejected legitimate offers from prominent individuals willing to simultaneously present an alternative view. By excluding alternative positions from an event they are sponsoring, the Political Science Department has actually stifled free speech by preventing honest, open debate.nadler.house.govIn response to the letters, Karen Gould, the President of Brooklyn College, issued this statement:
As an institution of higher education, it is incumbent upon us to uphold the tenets of academic freedom and allow our students and faculty to engage in dialogue and debate on topics they may choose, even those with which members of our campus and broader community may vehemently disagree. As your president, I consistently have demonstrated my commitment to these principles so that our college community may consider complex issues and points of view across the political and cultural spectrum. Unfortunately, some may believe that our steadfast commitment to free speech signals an institutional endorsement of a particular point of view. Nothing could be further from the truth.thenation.comNetizens and activists debated whether the involvement of city officials constituted a threat to academic freedom and free speech:Oy. RT @Yair_Rosenberg Simply no way a letter from a city councilman constitutes coercion. If you believe in free speech, this is it!corey robin@JumaaneWilliams @KathaPollitt @CoreyRobin #1 issue: only time gov't officials exert pressure on college for "balance" is when it's IsraelAlex KaneI don't support the BDS movement even one iota, but the answer to objectionable speech is always more speech http://louisfishman.blogspot.com/2013/02/freedom-of-speech-at-brooklyn-college.htmlMichael KoplowBrooklyn College professors impose their anti-Jewish bigotry on captive students. Do not donate to Brooklyn College: http://is.gd/HxaW5U"Jubel FosterI'm inspired by commitment to free speech of BDS activists at Brooklyn College. Sure it'll be on hand next time Michael Oren comes to campusYair RosenbergMy advice to fellow moderates and liberals at Brooklyn College: don't get involved. You'll be considered an enemy by both sides.Abe Support free speech and academic freedom, but don't expect a rational debate about the Middle East on campus. It's not going to happen.Abe One major source of objection came from Harvard professor Alan Dershowitz, an ardent supporter of the state of Israel. He called the panel "Brooklyn College's anti-Israel hatefest" in the New York Daily News: On Feb. 7, the college will be hosting a “forum” at which speakers will call for Israel to be singled out among all the nations of the world for this form of delegitimation. There will be no one presenting any other position. Among the sponsors of this propaganda hate orgy are the usual anti-Israel groups, such as Students for Justice in Palestine. That is not surprising. What is shocking and wrong is that an academic department of a City University of New York senior college is also an official sponsor.nydailynews.comSome made light of Dershowitz's position in their tweets, including popular parody account @TheDersh:Unless we continue to bully & threaten professors & institutions of higher learning into accepting our insane demands, colonialism will die.Alan DershowitzBrooklyn College professor Corey Robin responded to Dershowitz's criticism by pointing out that a prior event featuring Dershowitz, also hosted by the college's political science department, did not feature any rebuttals.Oddly, when the department had him speak as our annual Konefsky Lecturer, he didn't insist that we invite someone to rebut him or to represent the opposing view.twitlonger.comBlogger Ali Gharib summed it up with this tongue-in-cheek tweet:
'Academic departments should not sponsor one-sided talks except when by Alan Dershowitz!' -Alan DershowitzAli GharibOthers pointed out that the furor had only served to draw attention to the BDS campaign, including from major US cable news network MSNBC. Two activists expressed optimism over the future of the movement, despite the controversy:Tearing dershowitz's point apart re: balance. #bds on msnbc. Pic of omar barghouti on national cable tv. Something's happening here.....Bekah WolfThis week, thousands of Americans learned about #BDS for the first time. Dershowitz and hysterical NY pols are largely to thank for that.Max BlumenthalWatch our recent episode, "The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, on campus":The Stream - The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, on campusAlJazeeraEnglish