Academia, meet Earth. Earth, academia. It would seem you two have been estranged for quite some time. What has puzzled me most recently is the bizarre disconnect between what goes on in the Middle East and the larger world and what we are told is going on in endless symposiums, teach-ins, awareness initiatives ad nauseam by our omniscient tenured overlords.
The latest example comes from our Ivy-encrusted comrades over at Columbia University. Columbia professor Joseph Massad spoke at a discussion on just how apartheid Israel is (presuming black South Africans could vote, speak freely, and even hold office, the parallels are indeed striking) as part of “Israeli Apartheid Week,” in New York City. Beyond the usual litany of Israel killing babies etc., one comment stood out as particularly ludicrous in its nature. According to Israeli linguist Tanya Reinhart, Israel is a “rogue state” because of — wait for it — “lack of health care and hospitals for Palestinians in the occupied territories.”
Um. What?
Let’s see here.
This is one for the kindergarteners: Which of these is not like the others?
The scary thing is that this carnival of the unhinged was described as merely the “penultimate” event in “Israeli Apartheid Week” Those of you who have read Orwell might know it better as “Hate Week”. What, pray tell, is the ultimate event in this week of unbalanced criticism of the Jewish state? Kristallnacht? Newsflash, New York — that’s in November.
It is times like this when I am the most glad I go to Penn. I don’t know whether it is our pre-professional apathy, the benevolent presence of our jew-normous Hillel, or the long capitalist shadow cast by Huntsman Hall scaring the radical left away, but whatever the cause, I am most grateful that Penn has maintained at least a surface impression of sanity when it comes to Israel.
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February 20th, 2007 at 6:23 pm
Jumping on people for jumping all over Israel isn’t a thought out response. Yes, there are worse states in the world, but most of them we don’t consider rational (read: democratic and having a certain level of respect for human rights) enough to listen to argument and change their ways (ex. every state other than Israel you listed)
It’s the same reason that yes, people get carried away when they attack America, Britain, etc. for being uber evil because of a few bad policies. At the same time, presuming that we should never discuss states that are mostly on the up and up because they have their shit together more than other states is pointless.
One of the reasons people criticize Israel is because they earnestly believe Israel might listen. No one thinks it’s worth the trouble to write out a list of terrible things despotic regimes do and ignore all else in the world until the very worst civilizations change.
February 21st, 2007 at 8:01 am
Once again the jewish community shows that it has to invoke the holocaust in every single argument.
February 21st, 2007 at 10:18 am
It is unprofessional journalism to generalize all of academia from one conference - and all of one conference from one statement.
February 21st, 2007 at 11:21 am
Sweeping generalizations are fun, aren’t they? Especially when they are intended to make you appear somehow better than your ivy league peers.
February 21st, 2007 at 2:53 pm
If you make it so obvious that you refuse to take an unbiased view of Israel, why bother writing a column about it?
February 22nd, 2007 at 12:30 am
You appear to imply that simply because SOME Arabs behave in an inapproriate manner that NONE of them are worthy of health care, or the support of others in their pursuit of basic human needs. It takes two to fight, and both Israelies and Arabs are contributing to the “hostile” conditions that you mention. Not everyone at Penn shares your racist opinion of the Arab population. Some of the Penn community would advocate for a fair solution that would best help EVERYONE involved in this battle, Arabs and Israel. THAT is why I am glad I go to Penn. I am not proud of the Penn individuals who are close-minded and only seek to “prove” what they want to be true.
February 22nd, 2007 at 2:02 am
Healthcare is not a universal human right, arabic upenn student. You are stupid.