Below is a statement released by the AMCHA Initiative regarding the upcoming conference at
NYU (above) devoted to delegitimizing Israel.
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AMCHA INITIATIVE OUTRAGED OVER “SECRET” ANTI-ISRAEL CONFERENCE AT NYU
Santa Cruz, CA, February 26, 2014 – AMCHA Initiative cofounders, Tammi
Rossman-Benjamin and Leila Beckwith, released the following statement
today about the upcoming anti-Israel, pro-boycott conference at New
York University (NYU):
“Far from the “academic conference” it was touted to be, “Circuits of
Influence” will be nothing more than a platform for 21 anti-Israel
activists to spew their hatred of the Jewish state and promote a
boycott intended to hasten its elimination. All of the conference’s
participants are anti-Israel, pro-boycott activists and the schedule
is a compilation of workshops on how to boycott Israel, given by
representatives of virulently anti-Zionists. No wonder Professor
Duggan wants to hide this event from public scrutiny. It is an
unscholarly, antisemitic, politically-motivated and directed
conference.”
“Wrapping themselves in the mantle of “academic freedom,” the
organizing professors are abusing their scholarly privilege and
brazenly using their academic credentials and university funding to
advance their purely activist agenda. University administrators must
not allow these anti-Israel activist professors like Duggan to exploit
NYU’s resources and reputation and hijack NYU to advance their
antisemitic agenda.”
The event is being organized by NYU professor Lisa Duggan, an anti-
Israel activist who has repeatedly promoted academic, cultural and
economic boycotts of Israel and is the President-elect of the American
Studies Association, a group that recently voted to boycott Israel.
The conference is closed to the press and public. In fact, Duggan
wrote on Facebook, “PLEASE DO NOT post or circulate the flyer. We are
trying to avoid press, protestors and public attention.”
AMCHA Initiative is a non-profit organization dedicated to
investigating, documenting, educating about, and combating
antisemitism at institutions of higher education in America. AMCHA
Initiative's efforts are bolstered by a network of more than 5,000
members and supporters of the Jewish community -- including university
alumni, parents and grandparents, rabbis, religious school principals
and synagogue members -- who have joined together to speak in one
voice to ensure the safety and well-being of Jewish students on
college and university campuses across the country.
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Not for nothin', but should not universities, who proudly proclaim that they expose students to all sides of
issues, be putting on events that examine all side of the Israel-Palestinian conflict, with differing voices,
debates, and free exchange of ideas?
Silly me.
Instead, what we get at universities are events like these with 21 speakers all of a like
mind, all providing only side of a most complex issue. Result? One big echo chamber. It's kind of like
MSNBC, you know?
As I say all the time, this is not education; what this is is indoctrination.
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