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Jewish Center at UC Irvine Hosting Anti-Zionist Panel




Gary Fouse
fousesquawk
http://garyfouse.blogspot.com


This article first appeared in Times of Israel Blogs.




Hat tip Mike Report



The recently-established Center for Jewish Studies at the University of California at Irvine will be hosting a panel discussion on April 16 on, "American Jews and Israel: The next 30 years". The announced discussion is about the relationship between American Jewry and Israel. The announced panelists are Liora Halperin (Benaroya Chair in Israel Studies, University of Washington), Noam Pianko, (Samuel N. Stroum Chair in Jewish Studies, University of Washington) and Hasia Diner (Paul and Sylvia Steinberg professor of American Jewish History, New York University). This event will coincide with the 70th birthday of the State of Israel.
    First of all, I am not questioning the academic credentials of the panelists in any way. Nor do I question the right of these people-or anybody else working in Jewish studies- to be a supporter or opponent of  Zionism and/or Israel. I have learned long ago that feelings about Israel are divided among American Jews and that within US academia, many Jewish professors have differing points of view. For example, UCI professor Mark LeVine, who is listed as associated faculty within the center, is an outspoken critic of Israel, which is his right. As for the others in the Center, I don't know who they are or where they stand on Israel. Nor do I much care.


    My point is this: Checking into the backgrounds of the three panelists, it is safe to say that they are not supporters of  Zionism. Again, that is their right, and I have no desire to debate the issue with them. My concern is that what we have looming here is yet another academic one-sided bashing of Israel in which all the panelists are of a like mind. It would be safe to predict that they will tell their audience that Israel is losing support among American Jews due to "its oppressive treatment and occupation of Palestinians".


    First of all, Diner is no supporter of Zionism, as this article she wrote for Haaretz in 2016 illustrates.


    As for Pianko, he serves on a regional advisory council for the New Israel Fund, an organization which often takes more progressive and pro-Palestinian positions as opposed to Israel. 

    Nor would one infer from this  Middle East Forum report that Halperin is pro-Israel. Just the fact that she was part of a Middle East Studies Association panel pretty much says it all.


    My question is, "Where is the balance?" Who would tell the audience that most American Jews still support Israel? Who would say that most Americans support Israel? Who would point out that support for Israel is strong with Evangelical Christians? Who would defend Israel's defensive policies? I know for a fact that a request was sent to the Center's director, Matthias Lehmann, to add a couple of pro-Israel panelists to provide some sort of balance. As of this writing, nothing has changed.


    Of course, there is no academic requirement that any event give voice to both sides of an argument. I have attended a few events at UC Irvine put on by students who support Israel (which are usually disrupted by the pro-Palestinian side). It is hard to recall one-sided pro-Israel or conservative events sponsored by academic units, which often give credit to students who attend and often carry the imprimatur and weight of professors, as opposed to events sponsored by student groups.  


    It is frustrating to work within the academic community (I taught part-time at UC Irvine for 18 years.) and constantly see the non-stop academic bashing of Israel while any effort to bring in pro-Israel speakers is met with disruption. Many of the figures and speakers I have observed and heard speak at UCI and other universities are people I consider to be Jew haters. Now the UC Irvine Center for Jewish Studies puts on a one-sided event against Israel and Zionism. To me, it casts suspicion on the agenda and ideological purpose of this Center. I also note that the Center's advisory board consists of prominent leaders from the Orange County Jewish community, people who are active in major Jewish organizations. Are they paying attention to what's going on? I wonder. Donors and potential donors should pay close attention to what the UC Irvine Center for Jewish Studies is doing.



    Who Is Hafiz Kazi?




    Gary Fouse
    fousesquawk
    http://garyfouse.blogspot.com


    On Wednesday, a 51-year-old man named Hafiz Kazi, originally from India, plowed his car through the gate at Travis Air Force Base north of San Francisco, and ignited it with propane tanks, killing himself in the process.

    As you will see from the below three news reports, investigators cannot state (or will not) what the motive was.


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xmz45tkq3eE&feature=youtu.be


    http://www.kcra.com/article/fbi-identifies-man-killed-in-fiery-crash-at-travis-air-force-base/19580976


    https://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article206625114.html

    Jihad Watch, however, identifies Kazi as a Muslim.

    https://www.jihadwatch.org/2018/03/man-who-exploded-car-loaded-with-propane-tanks-at-travis-air-force-base-identified-as-a-muslim-named-hafiz-kazi

    But what is the basis for concluding that Kazi is a Muslim? India though not predominately Muslim, has a large Muslim minority, in the tens of millions. Here is a clue:

    Hafiz is a Muslim name, meaning one who has completely memorized the Koran. This is not to say that Kazi has memorized the Koran, only that he was given that name at birth. Gates of Vienna elaborates.


    http://gatesofvienna.net/2018/03/place-travis-afb-action-suicide-method-propane-and-gasoline-motive-mystery/

    Before this case is forgotten, the authorities (and the media) need to clear this issue up. Was this a case of Jihad?

    Student Suspended for NOT Walking Out of Class




    Gary Fouse
    fousesquawk
    http://garyfouse.blogspot.com


    I remember when I was a college student at Cal State Los Angeles back in the 1960s when the Kent State shooting happened. My French teacher, a liberal gal, came running breathlessly into the classroom telling us about the shooting and that we were not going to hold class while students in Ohio were being shot down. She then walked out leaving us sitting there.

    Hey Lady! How about this class I'm paying for?

    But now it has come to this. A high school student in Ohio (Coincidence? We don't think so) has been suspended because he chose to remain in class "National Walkout Day"..

    http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/03/16/ohio-student-suspended-for-staying-in-class-during-national-walkout-day.html

    I don't want to delve too deep into all the politics going here with the NRA and all that stuff. Suffice to say, why don't they walk out over all the gun violence going on in Chicago with all the young lives being lost? The last thing we need to hear is a bunch of kids telling us they have the answer to these problems. If we adults don't have the answer either do the kids.

    But when a teacher tells kids they have to leave class and make some sort of statement (that some  may not agree with) and the school backs it up with a suspension, something is terribly wrong in our educational system.

    And something is wrong in our educational system once they decide to teach kids what they are supposed to think about the world to fit their own agendas. In this case, someone needs to lose their job.