Just a few weeks ago, Professor Neve Gordon, head of Ben-Gurion University’s department of politics and government, was again challenged for continuously engaging in initiatives calling for a global boycott of Israel including his own University.
The Rector of the University, Professor Jimmy Weinblatt, once more rejected efforts to discipline Gordon, insisting that he would retain his position despite the fact that he was using the University as a launching pad to demonize Israel. To do otherwise, he said, would be an infringement on academic freedom. Weinblatt was conscious of the problems he would face from faculty if he acted against Gordon.
On a previous occasion when this issue had arisen, the head of the Sociology and Anthropology Department, Professor Uri Ram warned:
Should he be fired as head of the Political Science department due to his political opinions, I shall call on all department heads in the University to resign as well, in support of Gordon and in protest of the violation of his rights, civil freedom and the University establishment in Israel.”
A few days ago, an extraordinary event occurred at Ben Gurion University which barely caused a stir amongst the public or the media. Dr Yeruham Leavitt, a professor emeritus who has conducted a bio-ethics course over many years, was sacked from the University for having opined at a lecture, that homosexuality could be “contained”, and that children of same-sex couples were being deprived of a “normal” upbringing.
One may of course dispute such an assertion. Yet the remark was not intended to offend. In fact, Dr. Leavitt stated:
I have nothing against the gay and lesbian community. Moreover during my years at the university, I always instilled the values of tolerance and liberalism.”
However, Professor Riad Agbaria, head of the clinical pharmacology department, insisted that Leavitt’s employment be terminated. “There is no room for personal opinions that offend some of the students”, he wrote. The university responded with a statement emphasizing that “Ben-Gurion University sanctifies freedom of expression, but the lecturer blatantly crossed the red line.” News reports also noted that Dr. Leavitt was a settler who resides in Kiryat Arba, presumably implying that this had relevance to his dismissal.
The firing of Dr. Leavitt exemplifies the absurd and obscene double standards being imposed by Israeli academic institutions. Universities are willing to sack a lecturer for expressing a view not considered politically correct by dominant academic establishment. Yet the same authorities insist on retaining tenure for a senior academic like Gordon, described by Alan Dershowitz as a man “who has gotten into bed with neo-Nazis, Holocaust deniers, and anti-Semites… a despicable example of a self-hating Jew, and a self-hating Israeli.”
Gordon has actually endorsed terrorist attacks, described a convicted Fatah terrorist as a role model for his children and called for a boycott of Ben-Gurion University as well as “apartheid” Israel. Yet the university administrators repeatedly reiterated that even if Gordon continued to use his position to undermine the state and collaborate with those seeking to boycott his own university, he would not be disciplined because that would represent a breach of academic freedom. Whilst the University did not consider that “red lines” were being crossed by Gordon, Dr Leavitt was sacked for having made a remark about problems facing children growing up in a homosexual household - surely a legitimate viewpoint worthy of consideration.
This episode demonstrates how a cabal of post-Zionist and far left academics have succeeded to create an environment in which tenured staff are conscious that they have a license to debase the State - and even call for the destruction of their own University in the name of academic freedom - whilst suppressing any views that are politically incorrect from their bigoted perspective. It is truly reminiscent of the universities in the former Soviet Union approved by Stalin.
The government and donors to Ben-Gurion University and other academic institutions should have their heads examined if they continue providing funds which can be exploited in such a degenerate manner.
This column was originally published in the Jerusalem Post
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artcohn
There must be plenty of students offended by Neve Gordon’s hate-Israel statements. If the basis of expulsion is: “There is no room for personal opinions that offnd some of the students”; Why wasn’t Gordon sacked?
Malvina
FYI:many can sign this open letter from the USA.
————
DIVIDED we FALL-UNITED we STAND to WIN!
Rise And Rise Again Until Lambs Become Lions
——-
July 9, 2010
To: Gideon Sa`ar, Israel Minister of Education
Fax: +972-02-649-6578
E-mail: [email protected]
Dear Mr. Sa’ar
For a long time we have been following, from the USA, with much trepidation, the very unfortunate development of an Israeli academia 5th column phenomenon. This disastrous phenomenon appears to have no boundaries, until, as it appears, its participants see the demise of the Jewish state that pays their salaries.
We understand that following the organization Im Tirtzu report, you are going to take measures to fight, correct and even stop this phenomenon. We wish to support and applaud your stance.
You have made a public statement that it is “unacceptable” for Israeli academics to call for an academic boycott on their own country. We agree with you completely. You further stated that you have already spoken about this matter with the chair of the Committee for Planning and Budgets in the Council for Higher Education (CHE) and you will move on this issue with heads of institutions. We support this development as well.
In today’s news, 500 Israeli academics demand the right to boycott selves. We, the supporters of Israel, demand to eradicate any element in Israel that call to boycott the state, or deny the Jewish people the right to their land.
As Israel’s minister of education, it is your job to put order into what we see as acts of treason among Israeli academia.
Please do not cave in under the pressure of those who threaten to counter act your proposed measures.
Let those who oppose your actions resign. They can be replaced with good Israeli citizens of equal academia qualifications.
This type of 5th column must end before too many Israeli young minds lose the perspective of what is good citizenship, nationalism and know right from wrong.
You have our full support to take all required measures to stop Israeli academia members from propagating, inside Israel and from abroad, to boycott the state. This is unheard of in any nation on earth.
Signed by:
David Zeldin
Shalom Isi,
I didn’t even hear about this Professor being let go in the news until I read your newsletter. As a proud and gay Israeli, I must say that I am in complete agreement with you. If the facts are as you put them, it doesn’t seem that Dr. Leavitt said anything offensive. I don’t agree with him, especially in today’s environment where many children grow up in single parent homes or other situations. From everything that I hear about what is happening, children growing up in gay-parent homes are quite well adjusted - no more or less than any other kids. I also feel that in Israel the gay community has rights that it doesn’t have in other countries, but that we definately have a way to go. Case in point is a judge that prevented a gay father to have his own (biological) child tested for DNA in order to bring his own child into Israel. This is simply warped and unfair, and gays have definately been discriminated against for years, in most of the world, and here.
Since you touched on the subject here, I think that you should made aware, and may even want to write about the fact that the gay community in Israel is by no means monolithic in its political outlook. There are many proud gays who are also proud Israelis and proud of the fact that Israel is more open and tolerant than many other societies. At the most recent gay pride parade, flags that were both rainbow colored and with the Star of David or a partial Israeli flag were very popular, along with stickers that stated: “Enough of the hijacking of the gay parade for other (leftist) political agendas”. This was in reaction to “Stop the Occupation” and other political groups who have marched in the parade in the past, despite the fact that many gays do not agree with their politics. In short, Israeli gays make up the spectrum of Israeli politics, with more most likely on the left, as it was Meretz who pushed for much of the protective legistlation that exists, but there are gays of every color in the rainbow (like our flag) and in of every political persuasion. There were even a relatively large group of “Dati” gays marching.
I thought that you would find it interesting, and I am quite upset that they continue to let Prof. Gordon spew his poisonous lies. Unfortunately, like many organizations and people, they probabonly understand money. If wealthy potential donors are “warned” against donating to BGU and their dangerous agenda, and it starts to have some effect, like some major donors pulling out, I bet we would start to see some changes in attitutude over there.
Isi, I enjoy your collumns immensly. You are nearly always spot on! I am trying to figure out ways to get people like yourself and Alan Dersowitz and others beyond the “preaching to the choir” stage. Our country needs for the truth to be known and to win the “hearts and minds” of people out there. I am not sure that Facebook and all of the online media are enough, because people look at and reinforce want. Anyway, I don’t have solid answers, but I am trying to think of ways for us to get our story more out there.
Shavuah Tov,
David Zeldin
MARTIN lACKNER
Re: Stalinism at Ben-Gurion University - I am fearful that we are moving back to the early 20th Century. The Bolshevik revolution and the Nazis, who after WWI and WWII,and the cost of millions of lives on both sides, are today moving up the ladder, but his time call themselves, “Progressives”, and are rearing their ugly heads once again all over our globe. Obviously this generation of “do-gooders” has learned that they have to use a different approach in order to succeed, but their world-take over ideology has not fundamentally changed. First, infiltrate, then destroy all institutions, cultural, economic, social…that have been painstakingly created over thousands of years by thoughtful and some not so thoughtful people, but that are the best institutions we have to date in order to run a structured, relatively liveable and free world for us, our children and grandchildren. It is not to far fetched to think, that among Israeli, American, and around the world there are also Jews (fortunately not too many) who are not reluctant to join those “Progressives” who under erroneous assumptions and misguided ideology, are determined to leave behind them a “Scorched Earth”, convinced, very mistakenly and most of them unaware, that “they know” how best to “improve social justice” everywhere. They have a misdirected Utopian dream, their methods are crude, destructive and some bordering on the insane. But who is to stop them. If we accept, or cater to the Politically Correct attitude prevalent today in many quarters, especially institutions of education, governmental offices, and other organization, infiltrated by such thinkers, the world will soon find itself in total disarray. If we dismiss them as just misguided and nothing more, if we permit them to continue eroding our institutions and freedoms under the guise of “freedom of speech”, we will lose this battle and once again find ourselves under the tyranny of dictatorship. Long ago I was told by a very wise and politically moderate man, my father, that “Too much Democracy may one day destroy us”…And our children and grandchildren, may end up enslaved by a new terrorism, a cruel and murderous regime very similar to 20th Century Communism or Nazism, Socialism or Fascism…call it what you will, all of it newly instigated and brought about by “Progressives” who get away with it, because no one stops them, are allowed to infiltrate everywhere like a virus until they end up killing the patient. Only because many who may disagree with this thinking but chose to show how “Democratic and Politically Correct” they are and do not have the courage to stop the disease before it destroys them. If anyone thinks that freedom of speech is absolute and respected by all, they are mistaken, and undoubtedly History will repeat itself….
ronny
this is being looked at the wrong way. Instead of complaining about it, use it. Use this incident as a club to bludgeon Ben Gurion university, and the leftist doctrine in general. Explain that this is what leftists really think in private, that the rector of Ben Gurion University is not sacking this man, not because he’s intimidating or gutless, but because he actually privately approves of Prof Gordon’s views.