Solomonia Archive: What were they thinking at Brandeis -- An Award for a Sabeel Activist

Monday, June 26, 2006

What were they thinking at Brandeis -- An Award for a Sabeel Activist

Between the hiring of controversial Palestinian Arab pollster Khalil Shikaki, the granting of an honorary degree to Tony Kushner, and the showing, then removal of an anti-Israel children's art exhibit, Brandeis University had a sometimes rocky '05-'06 academic year in the eyes of the public at large.

Here's another one to add to the "What were they thinking?!" pile.

In May of '05, Brandeis bestowed a "Social Justice" award upon Catherine Nichols for her work with the World Council of Churches' Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI). The WCC's far-leftist proclivities are well known, and as for the EAPPI, well, this photo from their main web page should give some hint as to where their concerns lie:

From their overview:

The EAPPI is an initiative of the World Council of Churches under the Ecumenical Campaign to End the Illegal Occupation of Palestine: Support a Just Peace in the Middle East. Its mission is to accompany Palestinians and Israelis in their non-violent actions and concerted advocacy efforts to end the occupation. Participants of the programme are monitoring and reporting violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, supporting acts of non-violent resistance alongside local Christian and Muslim Palestinians and Israeli peace activists, offering protection through non-violent presence, engaging in public policy advocacy and, in general, standing in solidarity with the churches and all those struggling against the occupation...

At the time of the award, Nichols had returned full time to...wait for it...the Sabeel Ecumenical Center for Liberation Theology, a "local partner" of the EAPPI.

Nichols is a member of the Disciples of Christ denomination -- one of the Protestant groups who have passed resolutions opposing Israel's security fence -- along with the United Church of Christ (UCC) through their shared Common Global Ministries. Here is Nichols sharing a stage with Peter Makari [PDF]. Makari is one of the prime behind-the-scenes movers of divestment.

Again, we must ask, what were they thinking at Brandeis?

Posted by Solomon at 6:55 PM on Monday, Jun 26, 2006 | Comments (4)
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4 Comments

#1 Anonymous | June 26, 2006 11:01 PM

A Rule of Thumb for Brandeis:

Don't Feed The Dhimmis.

#2 Yehudit | June 27, 2006 12:10 AM

Speaking of Sabeel . . . . I was just writing about their many tentacles today . . . .

#3 mal | June 27, 2006 12:37 AM

http://www.chroniclesmagazine.org/cgi-bin/newsviews.cgi/The%20Middle%20East/The_Peace_Process_I.html?seemore=y

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1150885858215&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

#4 Jonathan | June 27, 2006 11:15 AM

This sort of thing absolutely boggles the mind. As one still partly enmeshed in Upper West Side liberal Jewish circles, I've seen it time and again. And, time and again, I've had to ask: When do empathy and self-criticism cross the line into suicidal pathology? When does open-mindedness shade into a death wish? "If I am not for myself, who will be for me?"