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Senate says no to anti-Israeli resolution
Rhodes University’s Senate last Friday rejected a resolution to cut any ties with academics who hold Israeli citizenship, or official representatives from Israel, unless they “make a statement renouncing the use of lethal military force” by the IDF. Rhodes’ Registrar, Dr Stephen Fourie, confirmed this to Jewish Report on Wednesday. It took three days of pursuit by SAJR Online before Rhodes would admit that the matter had in fact been tabled before the Senate.
ANT KATZ
The ORIGINAL MOTION asked the Senate to endorse the following: “We now call on members of the Rhodes University academic community to support the position that academics holding Israeli citizenship, as well as official representatives from Israel, in advance of an invitation to visit Rhodes University, be requested to make a statement renouncing the use of lethal military force by the Israeli government against unarmed civilians in Palestine the Occupied Territories and the forcible displacement of Palestinian from their homes.”
The original motion was prepared by Prof Larry Strelitz (who is Jewish) and Prof Robert van Niekerk – who is at the forefront of anti-Israel activity at Rhodes.
Dr Fourie said that the Senate had rather resolved to define Rhodes’ position as follows: “Rhodes University upholds the constitutionally enshrined rights of academic freedom and freedom of speech. Rhodes is an intellectual space for all, and a home for all. We encourage academics and students to debate vigorously on any issue without excluding others from the process of creating knowledge and uncovering truth.
“Rhodes respects the rights of individuals and/or groups of individuals to freely and openly express their opinion, views and disapproval of countries and/or individuals involved in the violation of human rights, propagating war and violence against humanity,” said the Registrar, “ and is committed to ensuring that the campus is a safe space for the unfettered pursuit of truth and knowledge, and the exchange of views in the form of reasoned debate, including those topics that are controversial or uncomfortable.”
Related reads:
RHODES VC ACCUSED OF ‘HATRED OF JEWS’ published on 3 September which has links to various past anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish behavior at the once venerable University.
FRIEDMAN, GORDON & USERS FIGHT IT OUT published over the past week, Victor Gordon and Prof Friedman have been exchanging letters in SAJR and users have piled in with comments too.
RHODES IS HOTBED OF ANTI-ISRAEL ACTIVITY the once-venerable campus is losing Jewish students and donors – little wonder when you read how the anti-Israel and anti-Semitic lines are blurring.
ORIGINAL MOTION the complete text of the petition and motion put before the Rhodes Senate last Friday. It was rejected and Senate replaced it with a ‘parev’ resolution.
Gary Selikow
September 10, 2014 at 2:17 pm
‘Barring academics based on their nationality? that is called RACISM. Something the left always falsely claim to be gainst’
Myron Robinson
September 12, 2014 at 12:02 pm
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This is addressed to Prof Larry Strelitz. Larry I was at
school with you. You are obviously entitled to your opinion on Israel but when I asked your Mom at one of the many Shabbos Dinners we shared together that I
had heard that Rhodes is Anti-Semitic she said that she had spoken to you and told her that this was incorrect. From what I have read of Rhodes treatment of
Jews vis-à-vis Israel in particular it is quite clear that you misled your mother.
Whilst you are entitled to your opinion why not launch a resolution condemning Hamas for its Human Rights abuses or Like Prof John Dugard, Steven Friedman & Dr Calis the Palestinian Goebbels do you not understand
International Law or are merely approbating & reprobating. I suggest you go
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xdy0UxlrdZc
In this video, Brigitte Gabriel (a Maronite Christian Arab born in Lebanon) talks against Global Anti-Semitism at UN conference. Brigitte Gabriel ( who is the founder and president of ACT! For America, decried Anti-Semitism including its new form, Anti-Zionism. Brigitte also talks about personal experience of being used as a Human Shield by Hezbollah and about the similarity between Hamas, Hezbollah & ISIS as well as their calls for their destruction of all Jews & in particular Israel.
Regretfully you now fall into that category who condone Muslim on Muslim violence in the Arab World (Syria 200 000 dead. Darfur 600 000 dead Arab Spring 300 000 dead). Your condemnation thereof is deafening by your silence.
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