Professor Massad of Columbia, whose political views have led to a public campaign to get him fired, has now responded at some length to what increasingly appear to be bogus accusations about misconduct towards students and in the classroom. But there should be no mistake: all one need do is listen to the critics to realize that the allegations of misconduct are quite plainly secondary to the real complaint, which is directed at his moral and political views related to Israel and the Palestinians. (I wonder if those attacking Professor Massad are aware that Columbia's Joseph Raz, the great political and legal philosopher who is, himself, an Israeli Jew, has views on Israel, and its treatment of the Palestinians, not that different from Professor Massad's--at least as best I can tell from what has been reported so far.) In the current political environment, with the far right emboldened, this will no doubt be the first of many such naked assaults on academic freedom.
(By the way, the on-line petitition protesting this politically motivated attack is still available and, this time, working!)
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