Mearsheimer and Walt Petition
Mearsheimer and Walt’s reply to criticism and charges of anti-Semitism. (”The Israel Lobby and American Foreign Policy”). And while it’s at it, it also inadvertantly gives the Euston Manifesto a good kick in the trousers. Well worth a read.
Prof Cole is still accepting signatures of post-secondary teachers on this petition.
We fear that the real motive in the brandishing of the serious charge of “anti-Semitism” so readily at any discussion of the US relationship with Israel is an attempt to chill public debate and to discourage the critical evaluation of American Middle East policy and of Israeli policy in the region. Such a misuse of the word “anti-Semitic” is profoundly anti-democratic. Democracy requires free public debate of all issues affecting the public weal.
If you’re an academic, sign it! If not tell your academic friends.
May 11th, 2006 at 3:42 am
Good post. This is an important subject which surprisingly doesn’t seem to have gotten that much attention here - i’m guessing due to the various labour scandals than any aipac influence :p. In any case, I especially liked the deserved beating they gave Mr Dershowitz.
If you haven’t already check out the debates on Democracy Now between Finkelstein and Dershowitz and Finkelstein and Shlomo Ben-Ami. One is informative while the other informs of academic incompetence.