Free Speech in Israeli Democracy & US Academia?
These snatches of Prophetic Vision sometimes agree and sometimes disagree with each other. For not even prophetic vision can adequately express the Infinite ways to seek deep healing and justice inherent in the Breath of life. For instance, among people who accept the duty to protect innocent lives of both Israelis and Palestinians, some affirm an immediate cease-fire of all parties as the best or only way to achieve that result, and others counsel a “humanitarian pause“ as the best or only way to that end. We think both views may have elements of Truth. On the other hand, while we understand the all-too-human response of some people in all communities to respond to grievous wrongs with vengeful willingness to kill, maim, imprison, or otherwise damage innocent members of another people, we think that impulse is not rooted in the Justice and Healing affirmed by the Breath of life and cannot be treated as prophetic vision.
Dear Companions,
The “Elephant in the Room” letter that this email refers to affirmed that the Israeli pro-democracy mass movement that went by hundreds of thousands into the street for more than eight months to resist the anti-democratic, racist, and corrupt Netanyahu regime was ignoring or hiding the Truth that anti-democratic energy was closely tied to the Occupation’s racist theory and practice. Now it is responding to growing numbers of incidents in which professors or students in in Israeli colleges — and at least students in US colleges — have been fired or otherwise penalized for disagreeing with the conduct and theory of Netanyahu’s war.
The letter below asks for contributions to “Academia for Equality.” Among small non-profits like The Shalom Center, it is extremely unusual to encourage donors to other non-profits. But we think protecting the right to speak Truth is so important — the Talmud teaches that Truth, Justice, and Shalom are the three pillars that uphold the world — that we do encourage you to do just that.
— AW, ed.
We write to see if you will support Academia for Equality (A4E), a members’ organization for the democratization of Israeli academia and society, representing over 800 scholars and researchers working in Israel/Palestine and abroad.
Faculty and students in Israeli universities and abroad are facing unprecedented suspensions, threats, arrests, harassment, and other repercussions for expressing support for peace and justice for Palestine.
We need your help:
Join us at the BRISMES Gaza War and Academic Freedom webinar on Tuesday November 14, where Dr. Areej Sabbagh-Khoury (Hebrew University) will discuss the persecution of students and faculty on Israeli campuses.
Share our Guidelines for Universities with your academic community: Campus At War: Tolerate, Deliberate, Educate.If your campus is witnessing a spike in islamophobia, antisemitism, or the weaponization of these to silence dialogue, please send this document to your administration.
Join A4E’s international solidarity network to help us support threatened academics. This network is open to all, regardless of nationality or affiliation.
Donate to A4E using this PayPal link. It will support our hotline for students in Israeli universities and our solidarity activity. At this moment, donations to A4E are not tax exempt. OR if you want tax-exemption, send the donation to The Shalom Center and write “A4E” in the “HONOR OF”” slot. We promise to send every penny so marked to them.
Thank you,
Dr. Shira Klein (Elephant in the Room & Academia for Equality)
Dr. Smadar Ben-Natan & Dr. Karin Leovy (Academia for Equality)
With blessings of Truth
— Arthur