academic freedom

Two open letters have been published this week in defense of UCLA professor David Shorter, who was recently the target of an attack by Israel lobby groups because of his endorsement of the BDS movement.

The California State University (CSU) system has sent a letter to a Zionist group rejecting their claim that Ilan Pappe, an Israeli historian and a frequent contributor to The Electronic Intifada, should not receive CSU sponsorship during his upcoming campus tour.

The US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has dismissed a complaint against Barnard College – which is a partner of Columbia University – that a student was “steered” away from taking a class by Professor Joseph Massad because the student is Jewish.

In an oped published Friday, Commentary magazine, the leading journal of neoconservative political analysis, offered advice to anti-Palestinian activists on “how to handle” professors who criticize Israeli policies.

Professor Terri Ginsberg spoke out to her students about Israel’s policies in Palestine, and lost her job. Seeking justice from the university and the state court system is proving to be an uphill battle, but she’s determined to fight for free speech on US campuses.