Ted Belman. When reading this hit piece, keep in mind who wrote it and who published it. The Palestinians have no national rights and no right to a state, no matter who much advocates claim otherwise. And the Palestinians living in Israel or Judea and Samaria, have more civil rights that any Arab living in an Arab country.
And don’t let them mislead you as to what the BDS movement is doing. It is not about calling for “divesting from a handful of U.S. companies that directly support the occupation and settlements, which are illegal under international law”.
Its about using the call for sanctions and divestment as a platform for demonizing Israel. Its victories are measured, not in how much economic harm they do Israel, but in how much damage they do to Israel’s reputation. It specializes in using propaganda and false claims to delegitimate and smear Israel. A prime example it to reiterate as the author does here, that settlements are “illegal under international law.” No court of competant jurisdiction has ever held held this to be the case.
President Donald Trump’s recent nomination of Kenneth Marcus to the important post of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education constitutes a direct threat to academic freedom and freedom of association on college and university campuses.
A rightwing ideologue, Marcus abuses civil rights law by using it to suppress student criticism of Israeli policies on college campuses, particularly those involved in the campaign for boycotts, divestment, and sanctions. The founder, director, and general counsel of the ironically named Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, Marcos sues colleges and universities for not suppressing pro-Palestinian activism.
These lawsuits claim that allowing supporters to advocate for Palestinian rights creates an anti-Semitic climate for Jewish students. Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley and renowned First Amendment scholar, has said that “any administrator in a public university who tried to follow Professor Marcus’s approach would certainly be successfully sued for violating the First Amendment.”
Every one of Marcus’s “Title VI” lawsuits have been thrown out by the courts, but not until professors and administrators have been forced to spend countless hours gathering the necessary documentation and other materials to defend themselves. Combined with the bad publicity such litigation brings to the targeted universities, his threats have led administrators to take unprecedented actions to discourage activities by student groups supportive of Palestinian rights.
The vast majority of boycott, divestment, and sanctions campaigns at American colleges and universities simply call for divesting from a handful of U.S. companies that directly support the occupation and settlements, which are illegal under international law. But Marcus makes no distinction between those who oppose the existence of a Jewish state of Israel and those who support Israel’s right to exist but believe Israeli occupation forces and settlers should return to Israel and allow the Palestinians of the West Bank to have their own state as well.
In Marcus’s view, for example, campaigning against Caterpillar’s sales of bulldozers—used by Israeli occupation forces to demolish thousands of Palestinian homes—somehow constitutes discrimination against Jewish students. This defies credibility, particularly since many Jewish students at American universities actively oppose such human rights abuses by Israel’s right-wing government.
He has called on the University of Wisconsin to take “necessary disciplinary action” against the Associated Students of Madison for what he labeled “anti-Semitic” and “anti-white” speech in regard to a resolution calling on the university system to divest from private prisons, arms manufacturers, and fossil fuel corporations. He has made inflammatory and demonstrably false claims that Arab and Muslim students are threatening and that they support terrorism and has called on the federal government to withhold funding from Middle Eastern Studies programs that include faculty and speakers he considers to be “anti-Israel.”
Marcus’s work has almost exclusively focused on discrediting opponents of Israel’s Netanyahu government. There is almost no evidence that he has ever focused on racism, homophobia, Islamophobia, and other forms of discrimination—including sexism and sexual harassment—that his new position is supposed to address. In 2004, while working in the Bush administration, Marcus wrote a letter to college and university administrators regarding what he considered to be discrimination against white male Christian students.
Even worse, Marcus’s false accusations of anti-Semitism will make it far more difficult to go after real acts of anti-Semitism, the vast majority of which comes from the far right rather than left-leaning college students. This may explain this appointment. To avoid focusing on the dangerous bigotry of right-wing elements emboldened by the Trump presidency, he is giving this important civil rights post to someone who instead goes after the free expression of pro-Palestinian student activists.
In one recent legal action, Marcus filed a complaint against the University of California, Berkeley, describing student activities opposing Israeli policies in the West Bank and calling for divestment from companies supporting the occupation, “reminiscent of Nazi Germany.”
Marcus has also been caught falsifying incidents. A formal university investigation of his claim that an “angry mob” of pro-Palestinian activists terrorized Jewish students at the University of California at Irvine revealed that the activists were simply chanting outside an auditorium after having been locked out of what had been advertised as a public screening of a controversial film. Similarly, Marcus’s website claims that the University of California at Santa Barbara had agreed to his demands that outside observers moderate speakers and classes addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He also said the university agreed that students and staff would be required to take a “training” by an organization supportive of Israel’s rightwing government.
According to the university’s chancellor Henry Yang, however, “we did not sign any agreement to implement any new programs or practices.” He reiterated the university’s commitment to supporting and strengthening already-existing trainings addressing anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, racism, gender and/or gender identity or expression, and citizenship status.
Marcus has also promoted legislation on both the state and national level which would equate criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism, a move essentially censoring pro-Palestinian advocacy. Every one of his efforts has failed due to constitutional concerns.
In his new position at the Department of Education, however, Marcus will be able to pursue his attacks on campaigns for human rights and corporate responsibility with the full force of the federal government behind him.
Stephen Zunes, a professor of politics and coordinator of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of San Francisco, serves on the board of California Scholars for Academic Freedom.
@ Felix Quigley:
I don’t have this close communion with all living creatures as you do, although ignorant I am not, having known several “tree-huggers” “very” intimately in past life. I just have more important (to me not to you) things in my life. If Buddhism is your metre, I’m all for it…for you.
I have regarded as positively being not ignorant, and during a very long life-so-far T.G. having had lots of mental, physically dangerous, and other experiences not generally available to others .
And must say that the preservation of the house fly, or the Iberian Lynx have never even touched me. I am all wrapped up in preserving that historical oddity, The Jewish People.
To me you just sound like a silly enthusiast who takes up issues that are outside the uttermost fringes of human concern. I know that you are not just that but a lot more, in a cerebral way, but you hide it well.
As far as bringing in Conversos and Auto-da Fes, I was trying to lighten up the post, although with too gruesome a choice. I don’t think the Iberian Lynx was Anti-Semitic, nor ever lit the match to a bonfire. The Spanish “foxes” now they were a different matter.
So perhaps we should close this subject….eh..?
This is to Martin Sherman…You can see from these posts the kind of backwardness being expressed about living creatures like in this case the Iberian Lynx, really is in great danger of extinction. If this backwardness is not challenged inside the Jewish movement it is in great danger, and one of the main reasons for this is the following…
I said above that 99 per cent of the youth in Spain feel very strongly on this issue. That is not everything I know but it is also something too.
But here is the big thing for you Martin…If you take the Israeli youth you would find the exact same thing, maybe even more, because it gets to the centre of real Judaism…that is real Judaism as opposed to the kind of stuff shown up here.
I pointed out a week ago that even regular contributor Francisco Gil White has joined the “Hate Trump” movement and he did not answer me. Number one he was calling Trump a con man and Number two he has not uttered one word in defence of Trump over the past two years.
Sebastien
Old Left New Left who cares about such things
Let us just speak our minds about the things that are happening
The Dems were never ever ever socialist in the slightest way. They are the worst representatives of cut throat American capitalism.
In contrast at least the Republicans kept a connection to the Great American Revolution.
But how corrupt they too have become is taking people by surprise. This is the essence of the struggle of Bannon and of course Trump.
Your mistake which is really stupid is to write off the traditions of socialism and communism because of these tiny groups and isolated individuals like in the “Occupy” crowd and the “Feminazi” crowd.
That is just so stupid.
It shows you have no understanding of history. We have always had to fight these types.
You also write off the likelihood of infiltration like Sinn Fein was and is.
That is a terrible mistake and disarms us all. Do you think Israpundit is not infiltrated?
Fascism is coming out of the hate Trump movement. Defend Moore in Alabama is a priority this morning!
@ Felix Quigley:
I certainly agree wholeheartedly with your last sentence about clearing all the Arabs out of Israel.. They lost their opportunity in 1967, when they were the world’s darling, and could have done anything, even blown up the Kaaba, with little more than either a shrug or a tut-tut.. Takes the Jew to “snatch defeat out of the Jaws of Victory”.
I don’t know who first said it but I’ve seen a similar comment in one of Thackeray’s books, can’t remember which nor in what context. May have been old Major Pendennis, or from the Book of Snobs, or maybe a comment of the Marquis of Steyne, in Vanity Fair..but somewhere in that vast array of novels, skits, and etc.
Hey what has the Iberian Lynx to do with conversos?
And your “joke” about the Iberian Lynx going extinct and the Spanish Fly going extinct is really not funny in any way. It misfires totally and only a really ignorant person would take it as funny.
You probably do not know what I am talking about and certainly how 99 per cent of the youth in Spain have this issue very close to their hearts.
In one fell swoop you have really run yourself into the muck.
Finally shame on you as a Jew for writing such stuff.
I appeal to Martin and Ted to see and understand my points. If Jews are tainted with such backward views it will do Jews and Israel much harm
@ Sebastien Zorn:
Sebastien, welcome back…… The only way to deal with a blind, deaf and unfortunately not dumb (he posts his drek) ideologue like Felix is to use ridicule. Otherwise I feel that he’s a nice guy.
Has something happened to your “funny” bone that you are
stringent with me…..???
This is a ridiculous conversation. I’m out.
@ Edgar G.:
I said Yamit alone in error, I changed it to Bear Klein but the computer has a mind of it’s own…… unlike dear old Felix.
Felix, I sympathise with you about the Iberian Lynx, but have you ever given thought to the Spanish Fly…I read somewhere that it’s on the verge of extinction through overuse. Maybe you could start up a Society, for the “Preservation of Old Spanish Customs”, like the Auto-da Fe, forced conversion and baptism. Another Society for Friday night watchers, you know the guys who look out for conversos’ chimneys to make sure they’re smoking.
My remarks are just about as ridiculous as yours, although mine are based on history,and yours are based on your inner feelings of superiority and communion with the animals. (do they talk to you”) By “animals” I presume you mean dogs, cats, lynxes, reptiles etc. although reptiles come into the Arab category, on a little higher scale. I hear that trees also “talk”…
@ Felix Quigley:
Just butting in here, sorry but couldn’t resist. …..No it doesn’t make you superior to anyone, except in the asylum you escaped from-at least you escaped…. it makes you just a pure nut-case. O.K. now back to your discussion with Bear Klein.
@ Felix Quigley:
Just butting inhere, sorry but couldn’t resist. …..No it soesn’t make you superior to…. it makes you just a pure nut-case. O.K. now back to your discussion with Yamit.
Do Israpundit readers not notice…there is very much really deep antisemitism coming out in comments unchallenged on Infowars and Breitbart…this is tending to eclipse the “left” antisemitism…in my opinion.
What do the Iberian Lynx and Communists have in common? They are both on the endangered species lists.
The major difference is however that the Lynx is a beautiful creature unlike the communist.
yamit
You are indeed a very corrupt person. You spew out figures but say nothing about actual history.
Rather than being an addition to Zionism your method would drag Zionism into the mud.
I hesitate to deal with your figures because it is your whole attitude to scientific historicity that is the problem.
I am not a pacifist. The Jews needed to have driven every Arab out of their country at the very beginning.
@ Bear Klein:
Whatever about the death of communism, certainly physically Stalinism has rendered massive damage, but it is capitalism that is the real issue, which is why I brought it to the concrete situation of the Iberian Lynx. After all this very endangered species of cat is unable to articulate.
Rajoy and Spain represent the continuation of Francoism but that is only half of it. Francoism and Fascism is being carried on inside of Globalism which is the urge to destroy all nation instincts and create a supra national ruling class with its rules and regulation. That in the end is what is ganging up against Israel. People are not aware of this but that is the forces which are forming.
This is why I am very certain in my belief that the great Martin Sherman must somehow change, spread his wings, and see underneath the surface of these massive movements.
Yamit…The Iberian Lynx is threatened with extinction. It existed long before man. Now man has driven it to extinction. The Lynx like all animals cannot plan but is at the mercy of man.
But it is capitalism in Spain and Portugal that has caused this. Nothing else. It has not happened except through capitalism. I have the figures to prove this.
The difference between us is that I am not an ideologue, not into dogma, not into clever answers but look the evidence in the eye and reach my conclusions straight and true.
I refuse to believe that you represent true Judaism.
My position as a communist is far superior to your position. I refuse to see man as centre of life. There is a life outside of man. I am concerned about the effects of capitalist man on life. I am a communist and I have a communion with living things, animals and plants alike. That makes me superior to you who obviously from what you said above have no idea of what I am talking about concerning The Iberian Lynx.
@ Felix Quigley:
Where does Catalan fit in this commentary about the article posted? How does Trotsky fit into an article about the posted article. Then in your upside down psychotic world everything is about communism, as you fail to realize its death.
The article was about:
@ Felix Quigley:
Did I say you were a menace? Does criticizing you for putting me down, personally, constitute a put down? Your remarks read like a parody of the Old Left, which, I might add, almost nobody takes seriously anymore, and with good reason.
Today’s Left is merely a shill for Islamism and the Globalists and has no independent existence anymore. They openly scoff at workers! The Soros funded “Progressive” movement, having taken over the Democratic Party, has absorbed all the ultra-Left factions, and operates in a monolithic top-down fashion. It’s a different era.
@ Felix Quigley:
I support Catalan independence not because I give a hoot about them but because if they ever were to succeed which has a probability of zero, it would start a domino effect that would finally destroy the EU and most of Europe and that’s a welcome outcome….. at least for me.
Felix Quigley Said:
Was Trotsky a democrat or autocrat ??? Did he or any of the Commie Bolsheviks broke freedom of speech, assembly or any other freedoms a liberal democracy permits? Millions who died in Soviet Gulags would say Nope they didn’t…. Millions the Commies starved to death might take issue with your scientific reading and understanding of history……No liberal democracy prohibited freedoms of speech, life and property as the Commies. The Commies murdered more people under their banner in fifty years than Hitler. You support a belief and personage who were the worst mass murderers in history….. You have to be a real ignorant ignoramus and a sicko to advocate today what you do……
20th Century Death, communism was the leading ideological cause of death between 1900 and 2000. The 94 million that perished in China, the Soviet Union, North Korea, Afghanistan, and Eastern Europe easily (and tragically) trump the 28 million that died under fascist regimes during the same period.
During the century measured, more people died as a result of communism than from homicide (58 million) and genocide (30 million) put together. The combined death tolls of WWI (37 million) and WWII (66 million) exceed communism’s total by only 9 million.
It gets worse when you look at the The Natural World—which includes animals (7 million), natural disasters (24 million), and famine (101 million). Curiously, all of the world’s worst famines during the 20th century were in communist countries: China (twice!), the Soviet Union, and North Korea.
Communism is a killer. And yet some still say they support the idea:
3 hardliner Commie countries still exist today Cuba, Venezuela and North Korea. How are the Commies doing today? Do U know anyone who wants to go and live there from any of your so called decadent Western Democracies? Why don’t you try any of those Commie Countries they would welcome such an advocate as you 🙂
Felix Quigley Said:
You don’t know the difference between a rock and a tree each of which has better vision than you do,
@ Felix Quigley:
If I recall you ranted and raved how we and Israel must support Assad… We didn’t Assad now with the help of Ruusia, Iran and Trump has won… Now we have Ruusia and Iran and their proxies on our northern border bringing the next war an inevitability but now we will need to contend with your bosom bud’s the Ruskies and Iran along with Assad. How did that work out you idiot??
Felix Quigley Said:
If he is what you call a “small minded little person” How would u describe Felix Quigley??? 😛
@ Felix Quigley:
The Iberian Lynx is smarter and more adaptable than stupid Commies & deserve to survive which I am sure they will….. You may be the last of the demented Crazies who still support and advocate ideas that belong with the dinosaurs…
There was no reason for their existence and they ruled long and Puff just like Commies they died out all except on notable Commie reprobate.
@ vivarto:
vivarto Said:
Same thing can be said of Spanish government in Madrid as well as most of the EU….. I back Catalan independence … for no other reason than it sticks a finger in the eye of even more anti Israel long established Jew hating proponents of a Palis State (The Spanish gov in Madrid),… and always their proforma acts and votes against us.
I also support Jew hating Basques for the same reasons…. The more we support the Catalan and Basque independence movements, with uncomfortable Geopolitical positions against Spain and the EU that are similar to their positions against us, then it shows them up for their Jew hating hypocrisy
Sebastien Zorn Said:
Sebastien you speak in riddles. Let me help you by bringing it down to a specific and ask you a question to answer, remembering that this question is not a riddle.
How has it come about that in our time and in our world the Iberian Lynx may soon be no more?
@ Bear Klein:
Bear Klein try to concentrate please!
I have no idea where your comment fits in to this thread.
In fact the opposition of Humphries to Irish Republicanism has never been a model of Zionism. MH does not see the wood for the trees. he has lost it!
vivarto Said:
And there is a perfect example of a political amateur, a small minded little person, who can never emerge from his prison shell, and he carries this prison on his back wherever he goes. Smug too!
The form of advocacy of Palestinian rights is left and democratic
But the content is Fascism and Antisemitism
It is fascist in that it seeks to deny the real story of the Jews being told. So the said groups will band together to shout down Israeli Ambassadors speaking in ordinary meetings, as happened to the Israeli Ambassador in Galway a few years ago.
It is Antisemitic and it hides the history of the Palestinian Arabs and especially hides the role in the Palestinian Arab movement of Hajj Amin el Husseini
The labels of right and left are too diffuse and meant to confuse. These are antisemitic and are rooted in antisemitism with fascist overtones.
The ideology in these colleges is emotionalism with antisemitic and fascist overtones.
The ideology in these places is anti scientific and areaimed at keeping youth, students and workers in backwardness.
There needs to be an alternative created which is what I stand for.
Long live true Trotskyism and hoping a new generation can learn the real history
I am unfamiliar with this person, the appointment by Trump and all I can say is I stand for full freedom to discuss and against administrative measures. The rights of free discussion must not be destroyed no matter how well meaning it is presented
@ Sebastien Zorn:
Sebastien…my tone is much better than yours because I do not try to answer a complicated situation by means of two sentences! Your answer is no more than a put down!
Sinn Fein and the IRA’s support for tyranny
Sinn Fein / IRA have a remarkable record.
They supported all three of the great enemies of the free world in the last century – fascism, communism and Islamism. http://markhumphrys.com/sfira.nazis.docs.html
What do they think of Catalonian independence?
@ Felix Quigley:
The entire Progressive movement constitutes today’s Left. The old divisions are currently obsolete. And I take exception to your tone. Ad hominem attacks are fallacies by definition.
The Catalans have not been supportive of Israel and Zionism, why should we go out of our way to support them?
Catalonia is severely infested with Muslims and political correctness.
Every college and or university NOT protecting free speech must be defunded.
Dear Martin Sherman and all through Ted Belman
Why on earth is Zionism not addressing Catelonian Independence because shrugging their shoulders in distain is such a crime to the Zionist cause…please give this your thought which I respect highly
Sebastien
This tells me more about you than them
First of all you describe these fascists correctly as far as their behaviour goes. Good for you.
But hen you say
They are not the left and for you to say so means you are a terrible liar.
They are fascist and certainly led by the state…look at Sinn Fein and how it was taken over by the Brit Intelligence
Youa re now becoming a complete menace Sebastien
The fact that Nunes and the Progressive are angry at this appointment proves that it is an excellent one!
According to the article from the pro-BDS site in the link provided, the University of California at Irvine Office of Student Conduct ruled that merely trying to keep the film sound track from being audible by chanting outside as a mob did not constitute terrorizing Jewish students.
Really? Pro-Israel students should try the same thing at their events to see how that office rules.
The report also implied that it was justfied because the pro-BDS students were locked out of the event.
Really?
How were they identified unless they came in as an intimidating identifiable mob?
Considering how ultra-sensitive the Left is to real and imagined implied slights of every sort — If you look at the news in Left/Liberal/Progressive papers, it’s mostly about hurt feelings on account of Trump — their hypocrisy and double-standards need to be exposed.
There should also be a little transparency about the views and backgrounds of the individuals in positions of power who are making these pro-BDS calls.
Who is supervising the supervisers? And on what basis? And with what transparency and accountability? And to whom? Any?
What about the Deep State within Universities?
I cannot resist taking a look at a couple of these statements by yet another anti-semitic, pro-Islamist Professor of guess what? – Muddle East studies. (that is not a spelling mistake).
Marcus’s false accusations of anti-Semitism will make it far more difficult to go after real acts of anti-Semitism, the vast majority of which comes from the far right rather than left-leaning college students.
Far right? What nonsense in a US University context. Yes white supremacists are pretty anti-semitic but they are from a significant influence in US Universities. The majority of US Universities’ anti-semitism comes from students that have been mis-educated and deceived by ideological propagandists such as Zunen with their Pro-Islamic, Liberal, Communist, Socialistic and Globalist bias. These ideologies are riddled with false narratives, false promises of freedom with Utopian outcomes (that have never materialised anywhere ever) and the usual anti-semitic blood libel and false accusations against Israel such as “Illegal” Occupation, so called “Illegal” settlements and breaches of non-existent International laws.
He also states that “There is almost no evidence that he has ever focused on racism, homophobia, Islamophobia, and other forms of discrimination—including sexism and sexual harassment”.
When did you Professor speak out against BDS which is by definition a racist organisation, being focused on only Israel whilst ignoring the rest of the Middle East that is a Hell on Earth for anyone who is not a Muslim and contains countries that are the worst human rights violators in the World. I won’t even go into detail on sexual harassment in the Middle East.
Islamophobia is not a breach of civil rights it is firstly not “irrational” fear (the Dictionary definition of a phobia) it is a natural and very legitimate human reaction to an ideology that, when followed to the letter, calls for Jihad (Holy War for Allah) and has resulted in dozens of terrorist attacks by its dedicated followers and millions of deaths since the warlord Mohammed invented it in the 7th century.
Homophobia? Someone should remind Professor Zunen that In the Western World people who simply quote the Biblical view on homosexuality are accused of this yet the term is never used in the Middle East where homosexuality carries the death sentence and homosexuals are hung fro cranes or thrown from buildings. Did you Professor, ever condemn murderous homophobia in the Middle East?
And you object to those that oppose the BDS movement. Well here is an extract from a recent article on the BDS,
The BDS movement, initiated by Omar Barghouti in 2005, with the support of 171 pro-Palestinian, (anti Israel) NGOs.
The BDS campaign attempts to delegitimize and isolate Israel in an effort to advance Palestinian interests, and many of its leaders have publicly affirmed that they seek Israel’s destruction. BDS co-founder Omar Barghouti, an opponent of the two-state solution, said in 2014 that Palestinians have a right to “resistance by any means, including armed resistance,” while leading activist As’ad Abu Khalil acknowledged in 2012 that “the real aim of BDS is to bring down the state of Israel.”
I just wish these Universities would fire these biased, racist, terrorist supporting (one-tune only) so-called Professors and get some unbiased honest historians teaching Middle East History.
He’s merely a reflection of the liars and hypocrites who make up our academic population. Good for him!
Give them all a taste of their own medicine… Or is it poison?
That’s some of the best news I’ve heard for a while. I wonder where the “Thousands” of Arab homes that Caterpillar destroyed were located. I’d love to read all about it. My recollection was that the first protests against Caterpillar were during the excavations for building Jewish homes in YESHA. I could be wrong, but that came into it.
Marcus is just what we need, a buzz-saw to keep the Anti-Semites guessing and unbalanced. I hope he’s properly funded to file as many law cases as he possibly can.
In Canada I’ve read recently that a student;s union director, a Jewish girl, was forced to resign, the reason given was that being Jewish she’ favour Jewish items which might be up for discussion.
They know no shame those mamzerim. If the modern climate for Jew persecution is not publicly favourable, they continue it by other means and always coming up with something new. It has never stopped, even though forced underground for a year or two after the War….except in Poland and a few similar barbaric Anti-Semitic populations…………!!!