Out-going UC President Mark Yudof read some prepared remarks about Jewish issues at a recent (undisclosed by source ) meeting. It is about 6 minutes long. See if you can figure it out.
http://cloudminder.blogspot.com/2013/08/yudof-im-president-but-i-rarely-feel-in.html
The opening made perfect sense, especially about not feeling like he is in charge. That system is too big for anyone to do more than set very general policies. Inevitably, the day to day reality is determined by each campus leadership, schools within campuses, etc.
ReplyDeleteThe next couple of minutes were rambling fluff.
But then he got directly to the matter of delegitimizing Israel. First, he stated that there is a campaign to do that. You ought to be pleased he said so. You should also be please he made a forthright statement that the UC system is not going to to divestment from Israel.
It's perfectly true, as he said that this hasn't prevented commotion on campuses. And its legitimate that he said IC is not going to be able to silence these people nor should we. If they engage in violence or stop people from going to class that's a different matter.
He was a little clumsy saying we won't burn Islamist books, we will build up Jewish studies. He could have made the analogy to, we won't protect Jews by using the methods Nazis used to suppress Jews a lot more clear, but it was quite possible to see he intent after a minute or so.
Now you may be disappointed that he didn't say, there is violence against Jewish students, they are being prevented from going to class, jumped, assaulted, intimidated... Perhaps he should have said, I've gotten letters saying this is happening and here's what we did about it. Or perhaps he would have said, I've gotten long-winded letters from Tammi R-Benjamin, but never have they pinpointed actual criminal assault or obstruction.
Anyway, I could tell what he was saying, and I could tell that oratory is not his strong suit. As a lawyer, he probably wrote briefs or gave lectures more than he argued before a jury.
excellent. made perfect sense to me, can't imagine what could be hard to understand about that; I particularly like his Constitutionalist stance on hate speech, that demanded censorship doesn't help Jews - ER
ReplyDeleteMr Fouse, I propose that you apply for a faculty/staff "chaparone" position for next year's trip to Israel and Palestine.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.olivetreeinitiative.org/our_story
Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteNow that would be cool. Talk about taking the skunk at the garden party with you on a two-week trip.
In addition, I am only a part-time teacher at UCI, not a regular faculty member.
Finally, I am not interested.
Gary's afraid if he saw the real situation on the ground he might come back with a different estimation of Israel, and of Palestine.
ReplyDeleteInstead, he will continue to bemoan that students who go to see the real situation on the ground come back with a different understanding.
Siarlys,
ReplyDeleteI am also afraid that if I step foot in the West Bank someone might google my name. Not a good situation for anyone near me.
Go incognito... get a passport in the name of Greg Berlin.
ReplyDeleteSiarlys,
ReplyDeleteYou mean I should say I am Greta Berlin's brother? That wouldn't fly. I am not that ugly.