The New Republic

The Observer has an interesting article about the Israeli boycotts: http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,2099 497,00.html A couple of points: 1. It is interesting to note that in an editorial the Observer came out AGAINST such a boycott. So much for a monolithic Anti-Semitic British press. 2. The article has a rather bizarre motive for the boycott. Money quote: "...fed by the enormous disparity in the fatality figures (in 2006, 27 Israelis were killed while more than 650 Palestinians, 120 of them children, died) the question being posed to unions, churches and individuals has become: boycott or not?" Not really sure how a disparity of death justifies either sides position. Maybe if more Israeli's were dying the boycott wouldn't be necessary? Bizarre. 3. Boycotting goods made in the occupied territories seems the most reasonable course of action. 4. The advertisement in the Financial Times from the US Anti-Defamation League poses an interesting question: '38 journalists arrested in Iran; 700 activists detained and tortured in Zimbabwe, 400,000 murdered in Darfur - but British unions have singled out Israel for boycott. That's anti-Semitism.' I can see how this is a valid concern for some Israeli's and a profitable attack for the Israeli right. There is a valid reason for highlighting Israel. It receives huge investment from the US. Indeed, it also receives state of the art military technology. Iran doesn't, Zimbabwe doesn't and neither does Darfur. This is not to say that Israel is equivalent to those regimes but it is a democracy and does receive massive aid. Therefore, its actions become the West's actions. Hence the focus. 5. Finally, it is always illuminating to see a map of the situation. Even one as badly printed as the one in the hard copy. The degree of Israeli settlement in the West Bank is extensive and deep. Makes a mockery of the official Camp David map that was supposed to be offered to the Palestinians.

- The Ignorant Populist

June 10, 2007 at 12:48pm

Check out the op-ed by Fouad Ajami: http://opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?i d=110010185

- rishy

June 10, 2007 at 3:54pm

http://tinyurl.com/2v4pg4

- rishy

June 10, 2007 at 3:55pm

From The IHT: "French overwhelmingly favor president's camp in parliamentary vote" By Katrin Bennhold Sunday, June 10, 2007 "PARIS: President Nicolas Sarkozy's center-right camp was on course to win a landslide victory in Parliament after the first round of France's legislative elections Sunday, cementing his power to implement reforms in Europe's third-largest economy. The Union for a Popular Movement won about 40 percent of the vote, according to preliminary results released by the Interior Ministry. That score could give Sarkozy's party as many as 470 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly after the second round of voting on June 17, projections by pollsters suggested. The president's party, which has set itself the unofficial goal of winning 400 seats, had been widely expected to obtain a comfortable majority, but the preliminary results Sunday exceeded even optimistic forecasts. Such an overwhelming majority would make Sarkozy one of the most powerful presidents in France's recent history. "Today you have given a good boost to the presidential majority," Prime Minister Fran

- jacksondyer

June 10, 2007 at 7:07pm

For the record, where I sat, with the Ph.D.s, next to the undergrads, there was a loud cheer from the undergrads, and mostly polite applause from the rest of the graduating students.

- jmehta

June 10, 2007 at 7:26pm

Not only for his stance on academic standards, but for his efforts to help provide opportunities for students who might have the grades to get into Harvard, but whose families lacked the resources to send them there. Also for being willing to walk the walk. He wasn't asking the ivory tower set to do anything he wasn't prepared to do himself.. actually teach classes instead of passing the buck to graduate assistents.

- MaryM

June 10, 2007 at 8:02pm

Summers acclaim from undergrads will serve him as much as a peasant's acclaim in the middle ages. Universities are big feudal domains. In the Harvard one, Keohane's crowd cut Larry's head and shit on his neck. Next academic celeb you'll see, courtesy of eminence grise Keohane, is Houston Baker, of Penn-buffalo and Duke-lacrosse fame. For now, Baker is drinking his time at Vanderbilt, but watch out for him at Harvard, he won't tard long.

- sleepyavl

June 10, 2007 at 11:10pm

Where were these graduates when Larry Summers was in trouble? Why did they essentially stand aside and do nothing? It is obvious that these cowards did not dare do anything that might harm their budding careers. The Harvard cultural milieu encourages putting up a wet finger to see which way the wind blows.

- thomsondavid

June 11, 2007 at 10:38am

thomsondavid, you don't understand the dynamics. Both now and during my PhD I have been (doing science research) at an Ivy League university which has had Jewish problems. I and other students have protested vigorously. I have been personally threatened by anti-Semitic humanities faculty. Do you think anything happened to the thugs? No after it became clear that the accusations were anti-Semitic calumny, the provost informed me I should be glad he didn't consent to the demands that I be expelled. How's that for student power? Short of occupying the university, nothing would have convinced the feudal overlords of the university. (It's like in Enron - could popularity of a whistleblower have helped her? Let's not joke.) Moderate democratic students do not tend to be violent, or at least have enough violence for occupying the university - just about the only thing the feudal overlords understand. That's what you see at Harvard: noblemen have cut the head of a king popular with the peasants. The peasants? Noblemen shit on them a daily basis.

- sleepyavl

June 11, 2007 at 10:52am

- teplukhin2you

June 12, 2007 at 12:41pm

sleepyavl writes

No after it became clear that the accusations were anti-Semitic calumny, the provost informed me I should be glad he didn't consent to the demands that I be expelled.

Having read here the vile and vicious thuggery that passes for commentary from sleepyavl I am not surprised the provost said sleepyavl should be glad he was not expelled. That does not sound like a ringing endorsement of sleepyavl to me.

- ndmackenzie

June 12, 2007 at 2:04pm

The provost was heavily involved in covering for the boycott Israel people. He was a pal of several faculty who routinely persecuted Jews. I would have been embarrassed to be praised by him. No wonder you like him, ndmackenzie, you like the mafia style. It was always clear who you are, a wolf. I personally think you are an Al Qaeda member and/or a neo-Nazi. I'm quite sure we'll hear more of you. People who support murder as strongly as you do often don't stop at words.

- sleepyavl

June 13, 2007 at 3:59am

I always know you liked people who persecute Jews. Your post just proved it the nth time.

- sleepyavl

June 13, 2007 at 4:07am