By Steven Plaut
Breaking News – Ben Gurion University loses multi-million dollar contribution because of the anti-Israel activities of Neve Gordon conducted under BGU’s auspices.
Maariv June 23, 2012 reports that Ben Gurion University’s cabbagehead president Rivka Carmi has just announced that the university lost a multi-million dollar contribution that was intended for development of the university library and other infrastructure investment because the donor was outraged at the treasonous activities being conducted by Neve Gordon, a lecturer in political science at the University, including his open calls for world boycotts of Israel. According to the story in Maariv, the donor conditioned his or her contribution on Gordon being dismissed. Carmi refused to initiate dismissal proceedings against Gordon.
Carmi claims there is no “legal basis” for firing Gordon. She failed to note the academic basis for doing so, namely, that Gordon’s “academic record” consists largely of Bash-Israel hate propaganda. She also failed to note that Gordon’s track record of law breaking, including his illegal interference with the IDF’s anti-terror operations, is itself sufficient legal justification for his being fired. Gordon is also a serial violator of the new Israeli law prohibiting calls for world boycotts against Israel.
In an interview with Maariv, Carmi discussed the stigma that has been attached to Ben Gurion University as being a center for anti-Israel radicalism and sedition. She expressed sorrow that this has become Ben Gurion University’s public image. She noted that the leftist extremists are “a very small group,” failing to note that every single member of the politics department is a radical leftist, and other departments at the university are not much less extremist.
How would you feel if the shoe were reversed and rich leftist donors demanded the dismissal of Zionist professors?
Muslim Student Association Call for Resignation of Jewish Professor at Pacific Union College
Purdue University Calumet: Terminate Professor Maurice Eisenstein
Professor Eisenstein was accused of being anti-Muslim.
I am not criticizing or defending anyone here.
But Academic Freedom is near sacred, and one goes down an ugly path when one recommends academic censorship … and firing professors for their views is censorship. A better proposal is to hire a professor with a countervailing opinion and let the students decide.
I won’t criticize those who ask for the dismall of Professor Gordon, since Muslims seem equally disposed to stifling free speech; but do you want to be no better than Muslims?
Carni has been President of Ben Gurion university since 2006. Plaut has been lambasting Carni for years for her tolerance towards the university’s left wing Israel bashing academic contingent.
I expect the university has a board of directors that appointed Carni in the first place. I presume Carni has the support of that board of directors.
Perhaps Plaut is unfair to single out Carni for his umbrage. Rather he should broaden his barrage against Carni to include the university’s board of directors each by name.