Monday, April 20, 2009
Yes, it's been known for some time that Omar Barghouti, a leader of the international effort to boycott all things Israel, including and especially Israeli universities, has been pursuing a PhD at Tel Aviv University. It's good to see someone is finally doing something about it. Academic Watchdog Works to Expel Anti-Israel Activist from TAU
IAM, the Israel Academia Monitor organization, has set itself the goal of alerting the public to outspokenly anti-Israel professors and others in Israeli universities.
Its top project at the moment: A drive to have the positions of Tel Aviv University doctoral student Omar Barghouti - "clearly an enemy of Israel," IAM says - exposed and publicized.
IAM has initiated a petition against Barghouti, a member of the same clan that includes convicted terrorist murderer and Palestinian Authority leader Marwan Barghouti. The petition is addressed to the Rector, President, and supporters of Tel Aviv University, and states:
"Literally thousands of people all over the world are working very hard to demonize and de-legitimize Israel. An especially strident and persuasive voice is that of Omar Barghouti, whose devastating accusations against Israel can be found on dozens of internet sites, newspapers all over the world and even at international conferences. What makes his work especially repugnant is his wide use of half-truth, selective omission and outright lie. He is clearly an enemy of Israel.
"...Omar Barghouti is a founding member of The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel and has personally called, on countless occasions, for an international boycott of all Israeli universities as well as [cutting off] trade and cultural ties.
"...We can't help wondering at the logic of Tel Aviv University [providing] this enemy of Israel with the means to obtain a doctorate in Ethics. Can this indeed be true? Ethics!!! As Israeli citizens we are also deeply dismayed that an academic institution, which gets part of our hard-earned taxes to keep it going, is enabling such a person to use its facilities. We are sure a lot of Jews around the world who donate generously to academic institutions in Israel would be quite devastated to learn how their monies are used..."
Thus far, over 16,000 people have signed the Hebrew petition, including nearly 4,000 in the past 18 hours. The lesser-known English version has been endorsed thus far by more than 300 signatories...
Wait a minute, so he's working for a boycott of his own university? A boycott of himself? What does he think his degree, for which he'll pursuing for many years, will be worth if his boycott succeeds?
He should be expelled, not only for his attempts to damage his own university, but for his demonstrated stupidity.