My Letter to Hampshire President Hexter

Dear President Hexter:

Hampshire has now done the right thing. It has made it unequivocally clear that it did not and will not divest from Israel. Indeed, it will continue to hold stock in companies that do business with Israel as well as with Israeli companies, so long as these companies meet the general standards that Hampshire applies to all of its holdings.

As I previously wrote to President Hexter, if Hampshire did the right thing and made its position crystal clear I would urge contributors to continue to contribute to this fine school. I now do so. Indeed, I plan myself to make a contribution to Hampshire and to urge that my contribution, and perhaps others, be used to start a fund to encourage the presentation of all reasonable views regarding the Middle East to the college community.

Debate about the Middle East is essential and criticism of any of the parties, when warranted, is healthy. What I condemned and continue to condemn is the singling out of Israel for divestment, unwarranted condemnation or any other sanction.

I look forward to working together with Hampshire to assure that the marketplace of ideas remains open to all reasonable views on this important issue, and that students feel comfortable expressing views that may not represent the majority view on the campus.

Alan Dershowitz

Comments

[pmorlan]

After Dershowitz advocated that we make torture legal I no longer pay much attention to what he writes.

[Tyrone Krawetz]

Then you are obviously not familiar with his arguments for torture. He doesn't just support 'legalising torture' its a very complex argument which actually discourages torture in most situations! Further, if you insist on not paying attention because for your uninformed opinion of his arguments, then you can also insist on being close minded and ignorant, because this well respected professor has many great things to say, what he says should be carefully considered!

[Fein]

Great!

Everyone's happy ; special interests groups got a letter and Hampstead is still divested of the fund that they find objectionable.

[martin2]

Alan was a cheer leader for the attack on Gaza, they are not happy

[Fein]

Thus, the necessity of this 'Pyrrhic victory.'