Hampshire Divests from Israel, So Contributors Should Divest from Hampshire

Several months ago, a rabidly anti Israel group on the Hampshire College campus began a campaign to try to get the college to divest from six companies that they claim helped "the Israeli occupation of Palestine." Those who came up with this formulation regard all of Israel, including Tel Aviv, Haifa and Ben Gurion Airport, as "occupied Palestine." In other words, their goal is to end the existence of Israel. This divestment effort is part of an international campaign against Israel. Until now, every American university administration has categorically rejected this attempt to single out Israel in a world filled with massive human rights abusers. But Hampshire caved in to student and faculty pressure and as Board of Directors agreed to divest from these six companies along with a series of others that did not meet the standards of Hampshire College. The student group, supported by many faculty members, claimed total victory, issuing a press release that boasted that Hampshire has become the first college in the United States to divest from Israel. It urged other universities to follow its lead.

Those supporting the petition include the notorious anti-Semite Cynthia McKinney, America and Israel basher Noam Chomsky and other Israel haters. The six companies include General Electric, ITT, Motorola and other corporations that employ thousands of American workers. The divestment campaign applies to Israel and Israel alone. Hampshire will continue to deal with companies that supply Iran, Saudi Arabia, China, Cuba, North Korea, Zimbabwe, Libya, Syria, Sudan, Belarus and other brutal dictatorships around the world that routinely murder civilians, torture and imprison dissenters, deny educational opportunities to women, imprison gays and repress speech. Indeed many of those who support divestiture against Israel actively support these repressive regimes. This divestment campaign has absolutely nothing to do with human rights. It is motivated purely by hatred for the Jewish state. As New York Times columnist Tom Friedman put it: "Criticizing Israel is not anti-Semitic, and saying so is vial. But singling out Israel for opprobrium and international sanctions -- out of proportion to any other party in the Middle East--is anti-Semitic and not saying so is dishonest."

The petition itself mentions nothing about terrorism directed against Israeli civilians, rocket attacks aimed at its kindergartens, and the unwillingness of Hamas even to recognize Israel's right to exist. It seeks to express "solidarity with Palestinian students whose access to education is severely inhibited by the Israeli occupation." It fails to add that Palestinian students have more and better access to education than Arab students in nearly every other part of the Middle East. It fails to mention that students are routinely arrested for expressing dissenting views in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria and other Muslim nations. It fails to mention that Israel has affirmative action programs for its Palestinian students. It fails to mention that when Israel ended the occupation of Gaza in an effort to trade land for peace, all it got in return was more than 6,000 rockets fired from Gaza at its children. It fails to present any balance concerning the Israel-Palestine conflict.

When protests over Hampshire action began, the administration issued a statement of clarification, which did not mention Israel but claimed, obliquely, that "the decision expressly did not pertain to a political movement or single out businesses active in a specific region or country." [To read the entire statement go here]

But Hampshire President Hexter acknowledged that "it was the good work of SJP" -- the virulently anti-Israel group called Student For Justice in Palestine -- "that brought this issue to the attention of the committee."

They can't have it both ways. They undertook no action based on alleged violations by any country other than Israel, which allowed the anti-Israel group to claim victory, as they have been doing even after the "clarification." Virtually every media report was headlined "Hampshire First College in United States to Divest From Israel."

Before writing this article, I spoke to the President and the Chairman of the Board. They denied that this divestment action was directed against Israel. I asked them to issue a statement which made that clear: namely, "Hampshire rejected an attempt by Students for Justice in Palestine to divest from companies supporting the occupation of Palestine, and instead applied existing principles, requiring them to divest from companies which failed to meet certain standards." They refused to issue any such statement, obviously because they didn't want to alienate the anti-Israel students. Like most universities, they do want to have it both ways. They want to appear to be saying one thing to the anti-Israel students and another thing to those who would be appalled at singling out Israel for divestment. But on an issue of this kind, they simply can't have it both ways: either they rejected efforts to single out Israel for divestiture, in which case they should say so, or they accepted these efforts, and covered it up with a cosmetically-broader divestiture, which appears to be the case.

It may well be that the anti-Israel student group has hijacked the voice of the college, but if so the hijacking has not been strongly resisted. The voice of the student group has become the voice of the college because it has been clearer and less ambiguous.

My son, who went to Hampshire College, has urged me to take this action. We have supported the college through tuition payments and occasional gifts. No more! I now call on all decent people -- supporters and critics of Israel alike -- to make no further contributions to a school that now promotes discrimination and is complicit in evil. There must be a price paid for bigotry, and the actions of Hampshire College in singling out only Israel for divestiture is bigotry plain and simple. Silence is not an option. Inaction is not an option. Fighting back against the likes of Cynthia McKinney is mandatory for all people of good will.

The goal is not to harm the students or faculty of Hampshire College, but the petition claims that sentiment in favor of this bigoted resolution is overwhelming among students and faculty. Students and faculty too must understand that bigotry has its cost.

Hampshire College will survive its self-inflicted wound, but decency cannot survive with the kind of double standard bigotry directed only against the Jewish state.

Hampshire is a small college without much influence. But those who are conducting the national campaign see their victory at Hampshire as an opening wedge with which to get other more influential universities to follow suit by adopting similarly bigoted proposals. This is a cancer that is threatening to spread around the world, and it must be stopped where it began--at Hampshire.

Until and unless the Hampshire administration clarifies its ambiguous "clarification" to make it unequivocally clear that it rejects any and all efforts to single out Israel for divestment, contributions to that otherwise fine school should be placed on hold.

Alan M. Dershowitz is a professor of law at Harvard. He is the author of many books, including, most recently, "The Case Against Israel's Enemies."

Comments

[Fein]

Sorry, but peaceful protest such as divestment from states that
perpetrate war crimes will never equate to 'bigotry', outside of a fanatic fringe.

Not any longer.

[FairTalk]

Collateral damage is the harvest Israle reaps now. One example of the collateral damage is Americans, especially young aAmericans reassesing what our policies toward Israel and Palestine should look like.

Alan may not like it, but this is caused, not by Hampshire College, but by a new awakening of what the right to exist really means, and our wider understanding that all people have a right to exist, not just Jews in Israel.

Israel, instead of creating fair and equal policies for both Jews, Christians and Muslims and others, practiced discrimination. Israel, instead of seeking a two state solution, created itself as an aparthide state. Israel, instead of resolving conflicts with its "enemies," chose hate.

[YankeeCanuck]

To recognise the collective suffering of the Jewish people and to recognise the rightness of the existence of the state of Israel is not to give that state license to practice apartheid.
A light of recognition has come on illuminating the everyday oppression and suffering of the Palestinian people in the West Bank and the overwhelming collective punishment of the people of Gaza for the criminal actions of a few.
Israel is practicing apartheid. This is beginning to dawn on the rest of the world. The Wall is called a Separation Wall-- in Afrikaans, separation is "apartheid."

[ideasmatter]

I hope many colleges, communities, and finally US states and foreign countries will follow Hampshire Colleges' example. Cynthia McKinney and Noam Chomsky are not anti-semites by the way. Prof. Dershowitz's position is doing more damage to Israel in the long term than anything either of those has said.

[alexa07]

Yes, & beware of trying to get in front of American tax-payers who are expressing how they DO or DO NOT want their tax dollars spent! I also say to our pols who are working so hard for this country (& I don't mean the USA!), get ready because a taxpayers' movement is beginning to heat up!

[demlake]

What exactly does Mr. Dershowitz want from Hampshire?

An end to the divestment re Israel?

Or that Hampshire adopt a policy requiring divestment from every company doing business in all those countries he mentioned as well?

I hope it's the latter. As he himself points out, all those countries, Israel included, should not receive any benefits from US companies.

And, logically and morally, that should extend to cutting off all US funding to those countries as well, including Israel.

Is that what he wants?

Or is it that he wants to stop the divestments entirely, as he's aware that US companies, and the US, provide a lot more benefits for Israel than they do for all the other countries he mentioned combined?

[Joeycascio]

I cant understand the logic of Mr. Dershowitz article - he admits Israel is nation on the level of other nations he has listed which all have horrible human rights records - but implores us to not criticize Israel unless we criticize the others as well. The difference in the list of countries that Mr. Dershowitz lists as being as bad as Israel is that the US isn't providing almost $3 billion in aid a year. As a result we have a special relationship with Israel and must implore Israel to act in accordance with our ideals and values or lose that support because as an American I dont want the world to think we agree with many of its actions.

With Bush as President we all struggled to keep saying "Not in My Name" - we as Americans must also do the same with countries that receive billions in US aid or we are all implicitly agreeing with Israel's conduct in Gaza, restricting Palestinians movements in the West Bank because of race, water allocations in the West Bank based on race, etc. I think its time we use our $ aid to entice Israel to act in accordance with our ideals or be cut loose. We can not hope to rebuild our standing and reputation in the world now that Bush is gone by continuing to support government's that violate the ideals that America must stand for!

[batguano]

"The United States and Israel love to throw around the word "terrorist." It's hard to name any of our enemies who we have not called a terrorist yet. I was led to believe that a terrorist was someone who killed innocent civilians for their military or political goals".

"Why is Israel allowed to take bold and aggressive military action (let alone the US) and no one is allowed to respond? If anyone has the nerve to fight back -- terrorists!

I wonder how many of us would be "terrorists" if we were attacked and occupied by a foreign country?

Was the resistance to German occupation in France during World War II a terrorist operation? Oh no, that's right, they were on our side, so they couldn't possibly be terrorists. They were freedom fighters. Has anyone in history ever been more right than George Orwell?

But put all that aside and just answer this one simple question: How many civilians do you have to kill before you become a terrorist"? -- Cenk Uygur - The Young Turks



I would like to add: why are none allowed to respond either verbally or, in Hampshires case, divesting of investments in companies deemed a part of Israeli oppression, occupation­&settlemen­t, or killing of Palestinians, without the immediate branding of them as "anti-Semites" or "Israel or Jew haters", or threatened with other actions, like boycotts, and denunciations by extremist supporters of Israel?

[randyjet]

I am glad to see that Alan at least will acknowledge that in criticizing Israel one is not necessarily anti-Semitic in theory. He misses the mark as pointed out by others that Israel proclaims itself as being one with US and democratic values, yet he refuses to see any problems with Israel. THAT is even worse than not making cause against other regimes that are as odious or worse.

I would be even MORE in favor of ending ALL US aid to Israel since they don't need it, and because if they wish to continue along the lines of keeping ALL the territory that they have taken, they can do it on their OWN dime. I support what Hampshire did for the reason that as more people take notice and action, Israel will have to modify its policies. This will not threaten the existence of Israel, but instead will make sure that Israel DOES live up to its agreements.

I support what Israel did recently in Gaza, since they are right in what they did in this specific case. So when they do right and act properly, I will support them.

[batguano]

Here are some very relevant words of Pat Buchanan, who I don't have much in common with, but this analysis and these essays on this topic are on the money. Both are well worth the read.


"They charge us with anti-Semitism—i.e., a hatred of Jews for their faith, heritage, or ancestry. False. The truth is, those hurling these charges harbor a “passionate attachment” to a nation not our own that causes them to subordinate the interests of their own country and to act on an assumption that, somehow, what’s good for Israel is good for America."

"Indeed, it is the charge of “anti-Semitism” itself that is toxic. For this venerable slander is designed to nullify public discourse by smearing and intimidating foes and censoring and blacklisting them and any who would publish them. Neocons say we attack them because they are Jewish. We do not. We attack them because their warmongering threatens our country" -- Pat Buchanan

http://www.amconmag.com/article/2003/mar/24/00007/
http://www.amconmag.com/article/2004/mar/01/00006/

[TerrapinCB]

I see that Dershowitz and BubbaC both have that affliction that makes them say "I reject reality and substitute my own"

[batguano]

Hampshire should be lauded for their integrity & courage to face the attacks that were sure to come by the rabid supporters of Israeli expansionism & collective punishment of Palestinians. The Israeli state has become a terrorist state, employing ethnic cleansing, "targeted" assassinations, home & infrastructure demolitions, encouraged settler violence against Palestinians, sniper killings, & numerous actions designed to delay a just peace for both people until any "two-state” solution is impossible. Israel is not "hated" for their "religion" it is rightly despised for their arrogance, for maintaining the brutal occupation and illegal colonization, killings, theft of Palestinian land, water, & other resources, making their own lives “better” while making the lives of all Palestinians intolerable. This treatment of Palestinians has finally become intolerable for much of the rest of the world as well, & thankfully to many Americans, who see through the pro-Israel at-any-cost AIPAC propaganda & subversion of our domestic politics, press, elected representatives & foreign policy to benefit Israel at the expense & de-humanization of the Palestinians. Only the most rabid supporters of Israeli occupation & racism still support their indefensible actions & continued death-dealing to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank & the Lebanese. Many of the claims Mr. Dershowitz makes in this post show his penchant for invention, exaggeration & omission, and his personal attacks on Cynthia McKinney & Noam Chomsky are out of line, ugly, & utter rubbish.

BRAVO HAMPSHIRE! STAND TALL! Only the first to divest from support of Israeli racism, expansionism, and

[Hdaryl01]

"Hampshire College will survive its self-inflicted wound, but decency cannot survive with the kind of double standard bigotry directed only against the Jewish state"....­"Hampshire Divests from Israel".

Once again, it's very convenient to have a RELIGIOUS STATE. Any criticism of state actions of the JEWISH state can be, and all too uniformly is dismissed as religious prejudice. No further discussion of the merit or justness of the state actions can, or does take place. To object to any such actions, is to object to the JEWISH state. Which is then extrapolated to be against JEWS, thereby making the objector anti-simetic Neat huh?

We disafree with the use of White Phosphorus bombs against the Palestinia­ns......we must be anti semitic bigots...........

[alexa07]

As an American tax-payer who is forced to support the actions of the Israeli govt because of the spinelessness of our leaders, I do have the right to join the movement to boycott, divest & sanction any corporation or institution that aids & abets what I consider to be immoral policies. The Israelis & their American friends need to be told that what they're doing on my dime is no longer tolerable. Sooner or later our leaders here will have to start listening & taking appropriate actions to cut off the flow of American monies to Israel. Personally, I'd like to see our roads, bridges & levees here in the heartland be shored up rather than building walls with watchtowers, roads for only persons of ONE particular religion or such other unconscionable entities in Palestine.

[BubbaC33]

When you call for an end to US aid for Israel I suppose you are also in favor of ending US aid to all Arab nations, right?

[InjunTrouble]

The US should only provide humanitarian aid to the countries in the middle east (Israel is a rich country - it does not need any humanitarian aid)

[lawguy]

And you, of course, are in favor of ending all military aid to both Israel and the Arab states, correct? Well...?

[skialethia]

At least 27 cities world-wide, please check with your local university:

http://apartheidweek.org/

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1233050211942&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[skialethia]

Ask your congressman to stop sending your tax dollars to Israel and accumulating debt on their behalf.

[BubbaC33]

This posting is factually suspect.