[Peace-discuss] Israel Studies Programs

[David Green]

This excerpt is from "Justice Goldstone at Brandeis", http://www.counterpunch.org/clark11162009.html
 
It is relevant to those interested in attending the event tomorrow evening (Tuesday, 7:30) sponsored by the Israel Studies Program, at the Music Room at Levis Faculty Center.
____________________
 
Ambassador Gold was introduced by Professor Ilan Troen of the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies, founded in 2007 with a grant from the Schusterman Foundation. Lynn Schusterman of the foundation “said concerns over anti-Israel sentiments and anti-Semitic tendencies on college campuses motivated her to establish several Israel Study Centers at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Oklahoma.” English professor Mary Campbell feared that the “‘these centers are openly centers for advocacy, that is they are not there to study the country of Israel.’” We “‘have a lot of study going on that is related to the Jewish mission of Brandeis…and rightly so.’” “‘I’m not sure who at Brandeis would have solicited a center for Israel Studies.’” To Campbell it seemed that “‘from various events, public statements, donations, solicitations and so on, as though the University is coming to see itself in an ideological
 way, and this will take us off the map.’” Sociology professor Gordon Fellman stated: “‘My concern is that it may be yet another effort to do positive PR for Israel.’” He wondered “whether the new center was trying to avoid or deal with problems facing the Jewish community.” Another troublesome English professor, Susan Lanser, stated during the Carter uproar: “‘I know many, many faculty who do not feel that they can speak freely about the Middle East,’” and felt that “intellectual discussions and debates seem to be determined by donors’ wishes,” which the administration firmly denied. Professor Troen, the founding director, disputed this view at the time, but his statements at the event confirmed it. 


      
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/archive/peace-discuss/attachments/20091116/21518056/attachment-0001.html