Columbia President - Boycott US
The President of Columbia University has issued a surprisingly strong statement against the UCU Boycott. Surprising because this is the same guy who rigged an investigative committee to ensure that Columbia Professors would be exonerated on charges of anti-semitism.
Any statement against the boycott is a good thing but in Bollinger's case its impossible not to be cynical as to his motives. It's transparent posturing - he isn't actually proposing any concrete steps in support of his stance. Given the antipathy in US academic circles toward boycotting Israel, it doesn't take much bravery to issue a toothless press release.
Lets see Columbia deal with its problems in the department of Middle East and Asian Language and Cultures where supporters of Israel have been intimidated and threatened. Then we might believe that Bollinger is serious about "fostering scholarly and cultural exchanges that lead to enlightenment, empathy, and a much-needed international marketplace of ideas".
Any statement against the boycott is a good thing but in Bollinger's case its impossible not to be cynical as to his motives. It's transparent posturing - he isn't actually proposing any concrete steps in support of his stance. Given the antipathy in US academic circles toward boycotting Israel, it doesn't take much bravery to issue a toothless press release.
Lets see Columbia deal with its problems in the department of Middle East and Asian Language and Cultures where supporters of Israel have been intimidated and threatened. Then we might believe that Bollinger is serious about "fostering scholarly and cultural exchanges that lead to enlightenment, empathy, and a much-needed international marketplace of ideas".
- sheikh X at 10:09 PM
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