by Akber Choudhry
First, a British professor refused to write for an academic journal funded by Israeli universities, saying that he was taking part in a boycott of Israel.
"Alas, I am unable to accept your kind invitation, for reasons that you may not like," wrote Professor Richard Seaford, from the University of Exeter in England. "I have, along with many other British academics, signed the academic boycott of Israel, in the face of the brutal and illegal expansionism and the slow-motion ethnic cleansing being practiced by your government."
Then, on May 29, 2006, the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (NATFHE) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland voted for a proposal in favor of an academic boycott against Israel.
In March, the London Jewish Chronicle reported that the British magazine Dance Europe refused to publish an article on Israeli choreographer Sally Ann Freeland and her dance company. The magazine conditioned the publication of the article on an explicit declaration by Freeland against the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands, which she refused to make.
The tireless work of the the "Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, an umbrella organization for dozens of Palestinian NGOs. PACBI
The impeccable academic credentials of John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, the authors of a paper on the influence of the pro-Israeil lobby on US politics, have been attacked. Mary-Kay Wilmers, editor of the London Review of Books (published the article), was on the defensive immediately after the publication of the article. Now she is striking back: Wilmers defended their article, saying: "I know Israel thinks it is a monstrous presumption. But then I don't think that the way that Israel behaves is terribly helpful. The article doesn't talk about a 'Jewish Lobby' or a 'Cabal.' I feel very clear about that. We were very conscious of that risk."
Peter Beaumont of The Observer writes: "Wilmers believes, too, that the angriest denunciations of anti-Semitism -- while designed to serve the purpose of censorship by those attempting to forestall criticism of Israel -- may actually encourage anti-Semitism in the long run," and quotes Wilmers: "Really, one of the most upsetting things is the way it can contribute to anti-Semitism in the long run just by making so many constant appeals and preventing useful criticism of Israel. No one can say Israel's posture does not contribute to anti-Semitism, yet charges of anti-Semitism are used to justify that policy."
You are clearly not an intellectual, and the "intellectuals" are also anti-intellectual. I find what the British non-intellectuals are doing to be deplorable and despicable, and the fact that you are furthering this hatred to mean you clearly also are a hater.
A) Israel does not practice apartheid. So that is a base LIE. (which means you perpetuate lies)
B) This attack on Israeli academic journals is nonsensical because of how prejudiced it is. Are Iranian academic journals being attacked? Egyptian? Saudi? I think not. Clearly, the attack on ISRAEL'S academic journal shows exactly how racist these non-intellectuals are, given they refuse to apply their standards across the board. As stated earlier, they practice the soft bigotry of low expectations. Clearly, they hate Muslims even more than they hate Jews!
C) Ironically, many intellectuals within Israel are quite leftist, and vote repeatedly for parties that are pro-Palestinian statehood. So the British are actually taking away support from those whose views are closest to their's!
D) Given this stupidity is being applied to the one Jewish state in the world, which has an exemplary and laudatory human rights record, it does not take a rocket scientist to wonder exactly why this one Jewish state is being attacked - if not for anti-semitism.
You, Akber, are a latent anti-semite, though even more than that, you hate Muslims. You hate them by thinking them incapable of reaching the same human rights standards of Israel. As I said before, you practice the soft bigotry of low expectations.
(not to mention spreading filth and lies about "apartheid" in Israel)
To "anonymous" who replied a cowardly and dishonest rant to a well-considered article:
Who are you to give or take the label "intellectual"? An intellectual is someone who uses their intellect, whereas the defensibility of your statements indicates clearly that you are one neuron short of a synapse, one soul short of being human. Your lack of clarity, your crystal clear racism and hatred, and your absolute inability to assimilate or address simple facts as presented in the article recommend that you spend less time writing and more time reading.
Israel practices apartheid as mentioned in the preceding article, so egregiously that it has been cited for more human rights violations than any other country in modern history, save for Turkey, by the United Nations. In fact, I would recommend that you read the UN's resolution on racism from 2004 (found here: http://tinyurl.com/fbbx4) and then be very very quiet and ashamed about what you have written.
My best
The fact that Israel has been cited for the number of human rights violations it has is a major reason why the UN has no credibility anymore.
It is made up of antisemitic nations, with Sudan on the Human Rights Council, and they have the gall to label ISRAEL as the worst human rights violator in the world - a world that includes Sudan, China, Saudi Arabia, and Iran.
And I have a question for you: what do you consider apartheid?
It is easy to scream "APARTHEID" at the top of your lungs and rant and rave. It's harder to actually back such a comment up with facts. Please define "apartheid" for me, because I guarantee you that Israel will not fit into that or ANY definition of apartheid.
The human rights within Israel are some of the greatest in the world - that's right - the greatest in the world.
It is because I am pro-Muslim that I am pro-Israel. But more than anything else, I am pro-thought, which you clearly are not.