[Marxism] No academic left behind!

["Carl Webb" <carlwebb@xxxxxxxxx>]

Viewpoint: No academic left behind

Academic freedom just got a little less free.

Last Friday, the president of DePaul University denied tenure to
Norman Finkelstein, a political science professor, after a protracted
and public battle over his academic credentials and the political
nature of his scholarship. Finkelstein, author of "The Holocaust
Industry" and "Beyond Chutzpah: On the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the
Abuse of History," is a fierce critic of Israel's treatment of
Palestinians as well as the cynical use of the Holocaust to silence
such critiques. Supporters of the decision called it a victory against
"[Finkelstein's] hateful and bigoted ideas," but his termination is
instead the result of an effort to silence scholars critical of Israel
who speak vociferously for the embattled Palestinian people.

Critics of Finkelstein call him a "Holocaust denier," a "self-hating
Jew," and "celebrated by Neo-Nazi groups." But his supporters see his
critiques of Israel as a necessary contribution. For instance,
Finkelstein first rose to prominence when he coherently discredited
Joan Peters' book "From Time Immemorial," in which she dismissed
Palestinian claims to land expropriated in 1948, to the point that it
is now regarded as intellectual tripe on both sides of the
Palestinian-Israeli divide.

Although both the political science department and the College
Personnel Committee voted overwhelmingly in favor of tenure, the
administration voted 4-3 to deny Finkelstein job security. The board
praised Finkelstein as "an excellent teacher, popular and effective
with his students in the classroom," but condemned "his inflammatory
style and personal attacks."

Indeed, Finkelstein frequently makes personal attacks against his
antagonists, but his cantankerous nature is wholly secondary to his
scholarship and never should have factored into whether or not he may
continue research and publication. Outside reviews from experts in his
field were all positive, and Finkelstein even received public praise
from Jewish Holocaust scholars Raul Hilberg and Avi Shlaim. However,
outside influence from another scholar may have had an effect on the
tenure process.

 Finkelstein's greatest enemy, who some say is his perfect foil, is
Alan Dershowitz, a law professor at Harvard University and an ardent
defender of Israel. In 2006, Dershowitz sent unsolicited packets of
"Finkelstein's most egregious academic sins ... lies, misquotations
and distortions" to members of DePaul's political science department.
This unheard-of maneuver led DePaul's Faculty Governance Council to
write a letter to Harvard administrators, expressing "dismay at
Professor Dershowitz's interference in Finkelstein's tenure and
promotion case." In May, Dershowitz wrote an op-ed column in the Wall
Street Journal calling for the dismissal of the DePaul professor.

It is not an exaggeration to say that Finkelstein's academic career
was sunk by a very public, very heated campaign to discredit his
intellectual work by scrutinizing his personalistic foibles.

The social and educational value of Finkelstein's claims, not the
internal politics of his career track, should be debated publicly.
Thanks to this decision, DePaul has effectively put a gag order on
critical research on Palestine and Israel. No scholar, especially one
involved in this conflict, is neutral, nor should they be.
Finkelstein, the son of Jewish Holocaust survivors, works to draw
attention to injustice and he has, in that sense, performed
responsibly.

On Tuesday, DePaul shockingly denied tenure to Mehrene Larudee, a
professor who publicly supported Finkelstein's tenure bid. About to be
made director of DePaul's international studies department, Larudee is
convinced that her participation in a committee to defend Finkelstein
is what turned the administration against her.

If Finkelstein and Larudee can no longer contribute to political
scholarship, then American universities have lost important voices.
The battle of ideas must be waged in the classrooms constructed for
free inquiry. But if an idea is silenced before it can enter the
building, the battle cannot be fought at all.

http://media.www.dailytexanonline.com/media/storage/paper410/news/2007/06/13/Opinion/Viewpoint.No.Academic.Left.Behind-2914608.shtml?reffeature=htmlemailedition

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