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| By israelinsider staff April 6, 2007 |
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A controversial anti-Israel academic, reportedly emigrating from Israel to England, has lashed out at British Jewish students ahead of his arrival in the UK.
Dr. Ilan Pappe, on his way out at Haifa University, has been trying, unsuccessfully, to arrange anti-Israel boycotts. Now he is set to leave Israel and assume a position as chair of history at the University of Exeter, where he reportedly plans to set up a "center for Palestinian studies."
An article in the Times Higher Education Supplement (THES), entitled 'Historian hits out at Jewish student lobby,' quoted Pappe as complaining that UK Jewish students have become de facto "ambassadors of Israel" and had formed a "lobby" aimed at quashing open debate on the Middle East.
The THES article quoted several British Jewish students. Mitch Simmons, the Union of Jewish Students campaigns officer, was quoted as saying: "We are worried that he will use his position to influence debate and that his views will gain more legitimacy." Michael Harris, president of Manchester Jewish Students' Society, said that it was "extremely worrying" that a man with such views had been appointed.
The THES article concluded that "Professor Pappe may find that Britain is not the haven of peace and tolerance he seeks. Jewish students' groups have already complained about his appointment, saying he is anti-Zionist," the article said.
"Jewish student organizations have ceased to care for the interests and concerns of Jewish students but have become a front for the Zionist point of view. They act as an arm of the Israeli embassy," Pappe said.
But Pappe's allegations were dismissed by Jonathan Levy, Chairperson of the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) in Britain, ynetnews reported. "His allegations are factually wrong," Levy told Ynetnews. "We take every opportunity to have a balanced debate and have a conversation. I'd like to see evidence to the contrary," he said.
"We are the only national representative of Jewish students, and we have democratic processes. Our actions represent the majority of students in this country," Levy added.
"We are not acting on behalf of any embassy. And it happens to be the fact that the vast majority of Jewish students in this country support the State of Israel, the freedom of Israeli academics to practice their profession in this country and in any country they want to, and to be able to act as Jewish students in a way that is free," he said.
Levy added that Pappe's presence in Britain "will be used to promote the boycott issue, which is ineffective, and which goes against the freedom of speech that he thinks is so important. This will do nothing but create a hostile atmosphere."
According to Wikipedia, Pappe ran in the 1996 Knesset elections as number seven on the Hadash [Communist] party list. He supported the boycott of Israel in 2005, including the academic boycott because of what he described as the "need to apply external pressure on Israel as the best means of ending the worst occupation in recent history". As a result, University of Haifa President Aharon Ben-Ze'ev called on Pappe to resign, saying: "it is fitting for someone who calls for a boycott of his university to apply the boycott himself." He said that Pappe would not be ostracized, since that would undermine academic freedom, but he should leave voluntarily. In the same year, Pappe initiated the annual Israeli Right of Return conferences, which called for the unconditional right of return of the Palestinian refugees who left of their own volition or were expelled in Israel's War of Independence in 1948.
Pappe, in the THES article, was quoted as rationalizing attacks by UK Muslims on Jews: "Muslim anger is directed at them not because they are Jews but because of their unqualified support for the state of Israel, which Muslims see as an oppressive country." He added: "Jewish students are not taken away by MI5 for questioning," he said. "Muslims are feeling real pressure from the state organ, whereas Jewish students are on the winning side. The Semites who suffer racism today are Muslims, not Jews."
Simmons, Campaign Director of the UJS, said: "Jewish students are not against free speech in any way. We are for proper robust debate and dialogue and not diatribes from one side to demonize the other."
"You have to expect to get as good as you give," Simmons added, saying: "People who disagree with you are going to say it clearly. Pappe has extreme views, abhorrent to much of British academia, and to Jewish and non-Jewish students. They have every right to say they disagree with him. This is a free society, as it is in Israel. If you're a strong academic, you can deal with it, and stop whining about it."
'Pappe trying to silence Jewish students'
A British-Jewish academic, who asked to remain anonymous, said Pappe's allegations were themselves an attempt to silence opposing voices, ynetnews reported. "This is not a defense of free speech, but a suppression of it," he said.
"Pappe and others of his view confuse disagreement with lobbying. They appear to be incapable of accepting the fact that many Jewish students as well as non-Jewish students do not accept their opinions. When these students express disagreement, they are accused of lobbying," he added.
The unnamed academic also attacked the nature of the Times' reporting of Pappe's comments, saying: "The coverage in the Times Higher Education Supplement -- which is celebrity coverage -- provides him with a platform for attacking Jewish students. They are responding to extreme anti-Israel activity on campus."
"Talk of Jewish lobbies - even if not intended as such -- is little more than an instrument for traditional bigotry. The THES has decided to promote this toxic discourse," he added.
Some of Pappe's colleagues in Israel are glad to see him go, said Menachem Kellner, Professor of Jewish History at Haifa University.
"He is not a popular man in Israel. I'm very pleased," Kellner told Ynetnews, adding: "He's done his best to blacken the name of his university, and misrepresented it. I can't be help but be happy about this. Let's hope he stays there." |
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