AM: Some have even claimed that such an academic boycott would actually enhance academic freedom of Israeli academics. Could you elaborate on that a little bit?
Omar Barghouti : Professor Oren Ben-Dor, who is an Israeli-British philosopher who supports the boycott, argued this in an article early on a few years ago. He said that in Israel, there's actually no academic freedom when it comes to the taboo issues such as the history of the conflict: the ethnic cleansing, the Nakba [catastrophe], the different sets of laws for Arabs and Jews inside the State of Israel. There are certain taboos that are untouchable in Israeli academia. Oren Ben-Dor's argument was that the academic boycott would force Israeli academics and institutions to discuss those taboo issues -- and finally they are discussing them. So in a way the boycott actually promoted a certain level of academic freedom in Israel that was missing.
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Oh please, there was no Nakba, silly professor man! Otherwise, why would the great, wise, benevolent, democracy of Israel have outlawed any mention of it?
ReplyDeletePALESTINE STREET, THE LOST BRIDE
ReplyDeletehttp://ia301511.us.archive.org/2/items/Nakba61/PalestineStreet-1-The_Lost_Bride.wmv
I oppose sanctions on Israel and Hamas.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Obama that Hamas and Fatah should form a national unity government for the welfare of the Palestinian people.