Tag Archives: printonline

Electronic Intifada: University of California and Carleton “free speech” battles: the hidden agenda

Posted on November 3, 2012 by Seriously Free Speech Committee| Comments Off on Electronic Intifada: University of California and Carleton “free speech” battles: the hidden agenda

Electronic Intifada, Nov 3, 2012 by Abraham Greenhouse

While the ongoing debate over efforts to silence or stigmatize criticism of Israeli policies on University of California campuses has received a great deal of outside attention, a similar confrontation has been unfolding, somewhat more quietly, at Ottawa’s Carleton University.

On 10 October 2012, Carleton’s President, Roseann Runte, released a report by the University’s Commission on Inter-Cultural, Inter-Religious and Inter-Racial Relations on Campus. The Commission, launched in 2010, has the mandate to “to examine the status quo and to provide positive recommendations to contribute to a better context for dialogue and understanding on the Carleton campus and in the surrounding community.”  Continue reading →

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cbc.ca: Canada, Israel call for UN investigator’s resignation

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Seriously Free Speech Committee| Comments Off on cbc.ca: Canada, Israel call for UN investigator’s resignation

October 26, cbc.ca

The UN special investigator on human rights in the Palestinian territories called Wednesday for a boycott of all companies that have dealings with Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem until they adhere to international rights standards and practices.

Israel, the U.S. and Canada all rejected Richard Falk’s report, accusing the UN special rapporteur of bias against Israel and calling for his removal.  Continue reading →

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Electronic Intifada: The full story behind the war against free speech in Israel’s universities

Posted on October 22, 2012 by Seriously Free Speech Committee| Comments Off on Electronic Intifada: The full story behind the war against free speech in Israel’s universities

Jonathan Cook, The Electronic Intifada – 22 October 2012

A sustained battle by the Israeli right to stifle academic freedom at the country’s universities is close to claiming its first major scalp.

In an unprecedented move last month, officials from Israel’s Council for Higher Education (CHE) — a government-appointed body overseeing universities and colleges — recommended the effective closure of the politics department of Ben Gurion University, based in the Negev/Naqab city of Beersheva.  Continue reading →

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Richard Silverstein: Israel Lobby Threatens Church Groups With Congressional Investigation Over Call for Restricting U.S. Military Aid

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Seriously Free Speech Committee| Comments Off on Richard Silverstein: Israel Lobby Threatens Church Groups With Congressional Investigation Over Call for Restricting U.S. Military Aid

by RICHARD SILVERSTEIN on Oct 18, 2012

A coalition of U.S. church groups recently made public a letter which called upon the U.S. government to condition future military aid to Israel on its fulfillment of obligations under U.S. law.  The statement was intended to express criticism of Israel’s use of U.S. weapons like cluster bombs in violation of our law and noted that U.S. military assistance provided Israel a buffer against undertaking any actions to advance a just and lasting peace.  For example, its settlement policy, refusal to return to 1967 borders, and refusal to share Jerusalem, all directly contradict international law and stated U.S. policy.

Though these church groups have been critical of Israeli policy in the past, threatening to lobby for withholding military aid would really cut the Israel lobby to the quick,  as it’s a position held by a number of anti-Zionist groups that are much farther to the left.  The fact that mainline Christian denominations, who generally support liberal Zionist positions, would be moving in a more critical direction has to be deeply concerning to the lobby.  Continue reading →

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University World News: Official move to close Israeli politics department threatens academic freedom

Posted on October 7, 2012 by Seriously Free Speech Committee| Comments Off on University World News: Official move to close Israeli politics department threatens academic freedom

By Helena Flusfeder, University World News Global Edition, Issue 242, 07 October 2012

“I thought academic freedom in Israel was very certain,” said Professor Rivka Carmi, president of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and chair of the Committee of University Heads. But Israel is treading a fine line on academic freedom following a controversial move by the Council for Higher Education to close the university’s politics and government department.

The council recently recommended that the department of politics and government at Ben-Gurion should not be allowed to register students for the 2013-14 academic year, a move that would virtually close the department, some of whose faculty have been accused of being left-wing.

Continue reading →

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Electronic Intifada: Israel lobby uses discredited anti-Semitism definition to muzzle debate

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Seriously Free Speech Committee| Comments Off on Electronic Intifada: Israel lobby uses discredited anti-Semitism definition to muzzle debate
Ben White, The Electronic Intifada. 28 September 2012

Top administrators at the University of California are considering what action to take against speech and activities alleged to be anti-Semitic. As part of their discussions, the university may endorse a seven-year-old document, which — despite not having an official status — is often called the European Union’s“working definition” of anti-Semitism.

Although the administrators have indicated that their motive is to protect Jewish students, a careful examination of the definition indicates that the real agenda may be to stifle Palestine solidarity activism and criticism of Israel in the classroom.  Continue reading →

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UCSA: UC Student Association opposes all racism, whether anti-Semitism on campus or racism of Israeli human rights violations

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Seriously Free Speech Committee| Comments Off on UCSA: UC Student Association opposes all racism, whether anti-Semitism on campus or racism of Israeli human rights violations

by Adam Horowitz, Mondoweiss, September 19, 2012

Below is the full text of the landmark resolution that was passed last weekend by the The University of California Student Association. The resolution is in opposition to California Assembly Bill HR 35 which sought to stifle Palestinian solidarity activism on UC campuses under the guise of combating anti-Semitism.

A Resolution Regarding California Assembly Bill HR 35

Approved by the University of California Student Association,

9/15/2012 (12 for, 2 abstain, 0 against) Continue reading →

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Muzzlewatch: No Free Speech in Canada? Banning “Israeli Apartheid” at Toronto Pride

Posted on September 13, 2012 by Seriously Free Speech Committee| Comments Off on Muzzlewatch: No Free Speech in Canada? Banning “Israeli Apartheid” at Toronto Pride

Muzzlewatch, Sept 13, 2012
Canada’s Gay and Lesbian Newspaper, Xtra reports on 9/11/12:

“Toronto City Council’s executive committee has asked the city manager to rewrite the city’s anti-discrimination policy to prohibit criticism of Israel, which would directly affect funding for Pride Toronto.

“Council requested the review in June because some councillors say Pride Toronto’s $123,807 city grant should be contingent on the participation of Queers Against Israeli Apartheid (QuAIA) in the Pride parade.”

The executive committee vote was a stunning 9 to 1.  Continue reading →

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Al-Jazeera: Assange Case – Sweden’s Shame in Violating Human Rights

Posted on September 9, 2012 by Seriously Free Speech Committee| Comments Off on Al-Jazeera: Assange Case – Sweden’s Shame in Violating Human Rights

by Mark Weisbrot,  Al-Jazeera, September 9, 2012

It was like a scene from a Hollywood movie, where the kidnapper walks up from behind, with a gun protruding from his trench coat pocket. “Keep walking, and don’t say anything,” he warns.

Such was the U.K. government’s threat three weeks ago to Ecuador, that British police could invade the Ecuadorian embassy if necessary to arrest WikiLeaks’ founder, Julian Assange. But Ecuador’s foreign minister didn’t keep walking, and said something, to the great embarrassment of the U.K. Foreign Office. The Foreign Office tried to say it wasn’t a threat—although it was now available to the world in writing – and then took it back. Continue reading →

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Mondoweiss: California passes resolution equating criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Seriously Free Speech Committee| Comments Off on Mondoweiss: California passes resolution equating criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism

Mondoweiss, August 29

School’s out, but that didn’t stop California’s state assembly from passingResolution HR35 buttressing a controversial report commissioned by the University of California that accuses students and faculty of contributing to an environment fostering anti-Semitism on campus.

The report’s recommendations, which seek to limit criticism of Israeli state policies as a form of “hate speech”, have been criticized as an assault on academic freedom and an attempt to limit student and faculty’s first amendment rights to free speech.  Continue reading →

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