Israel Matzav

Outrageous: Harvard sends eviction notices to Jewish students

As you can see above, this isn't the first time it happened, but apparently, this time the culprit is the university itself. In honor of 'Israel apartheid week' Harvard University - the place that didn't admit my uncle as an undergrad because he was a Jew in the 1930's - sent eviction notices to all undergraduate Jewish dormitory residents.

The campaign, organized by the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee, distributed notices at the beginning of March which read, “We regret to inform you that your suite is scheduled for demolition in the next three days”, a reference to the group’s views regarding Israel’s treatment of the Arab population.

The Anti Defamation League (ADL) expressed outrage over the prestigious university’s latest attempts to daunt Jewish students and demonize the state of Israel saying, “This tactic is designed to silence and intimidate pro-Israel advocates at Harvard and campuses around the country.”

“Free expression has a place on campus; however targeting the dorms of Harvard students lends itself to creating tension, isolating students and fomenting hostility,” said Robert Trestan, ADL Acting New England Regional Director. 

The organization also voiced its concern regarding the underlying anti-Israel message being propagated by academic institutions of higher education in the name of “intellectual pluralism,” and “free speech.”

“We recognize and support free speech, but condemn the anti-Israel views expressed in the eviction notices as factually incorrect and intolerant,” Trestan said.  “This is an example of how anti-Israel activism on campus can cross the line by causing supporters to feel isolated and intimidated.”

“Efforts like these only seek to delegitimize Israel and prevent opportunities for meaningful dialogue on campus,” said Jeffrey Robbins, ADL New England Regional Board Chair.  “It is morally disgraceful to label Israel as an apartheid state because it constructed a security barrier to keep innocent Israeli civilians from being targeted with terrorism.  This tactic of mock eviction notices is more calculated to mislead and offend than to shed light.”

As to the apartheid charge, a new Miss Israel was named last week. She's a 21-year old black woman from Ethiopia. Some apartheid.

Shabbat Shalom.

Labels: Harvard University, Israeli apartheid week

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 5:07 PM