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Prof Under Attack for Criticisizing Israel
Adjunct Political Science Professor Leighton Armitage
of Foothill College is being targeted by the
Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and other pro-Israel
groups for comments he made in an interview in the
student newspaper The Sentinel. According to the San
Jose Mercury News article below, Armitage said the
following:
of Foothill College is being targeted by the
Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and other pro-Israel
groups for comments he made in an interview in the
student newspaper The Sentinel. According to the San
Jose Mercury News article below, Armitage said the
following:
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
San Francisco Bay Area Chapter
522 Valencia St San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 861-7444 adcsf [at] hotmail.com
http://www.adcsf.org
Please Act and Forward:
Professor Under Attack at Foothill College!
Take action to defend free speech!
Adjunct Political Science Professor Leighton Armitage
of Foothill College is being targeted by the
Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and other pro-Israel
groups for comments he made in an interview in the
student newspaper The Sentinel. According to the San
Jose Mercury News article below, Armitage said the
following:
"Armitage said, of Israeli treatment of Palestinians:
'And what are they doing with Palestinians, every day?
They're killing them. They're
walling them in, they're essentially doing the same
thing that was done to them. . . . It's exactly what
Hitler did to the Jews.'"
This valid critique of Israeli government policy is
being labeled by the ADL as "anti-Semitic" and
Armitage could be subject to disciplinary action, or
possibly termination.
Foothill College and Professor Armitage have been
receiving hundreds of phone calls and emails
condemning Armitage and demanding Foothill to take
action against him. They are under tremendous
pressure and need to be urged to uphold the values of
the freedom of speech and the right of academics, and
everyone else, to present criticism of any
government's policies. This is just one instance in a
string of attacks on college professors by groups such
as the ADL and Daniel Pipes' CampusWatch.
Please contact the President and Vice President of
Foothill College, supporting Armitage's right to
freedom of speech and urging them not to cave in to
those who wish to silence academic debate about the
Israel/Palestine conflict.
President Bernadine Fong:
fongbernadine [at] foothill.edu
650-949-7425
Vice President of Technology and Instruction Penny
Patz:
patzpenny [at] foothill.edu
650-949-7070
Please also send letters to the editor of the Mercury
News regarding
this issue:
letters [at] mercurynews.com
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/7917724.htm
Posted on Tue, Feb. 10, 2004
Remarks spur college probe
ANTI-ISRAEL: FOOTHILL INVESTIGATES PUBLICATION OF
PROFESSOR'S
COMMENTS
By S.L. Wykes
Mercury News
Two weeks after a newspaper interview with a professor
prompted a furor over what some on campus believed
were anti-Semitic comments, Foothill
College administrators are investigating how the story
came to be published and are scheduling a meeting with
the Anti-Defamation League.
In a letter about the situation, college President
Bernadine Chuck Fong called the interview with adjunct
political science Professor Leighton
Armitage "regrettable." Neither she nor other
administration officials could be reached for comment
beyond her letter, and it was unclear whether Armitage
would be subject to disciplinary action.
In the question-and-answer style interview, published
Jan. 28 in the student-funded paper The Sentinel,
Armitage said, of Israeli treatment of Palestinians:
"And what are they doing with Palestinians, every day?
They're killing them. They're walling them in, they're
essentially
doing the same thing that was done to them. . . . It's
exactly what Hitler did to the Jews."
Fong's letter apologized to those offended by the
article and said it "includes various allegations
regarding the Israeli people and the state of Israel
that are of serious concern to me and many members of
the Foothill community."
She continues, "Our goal as a higher education
institution is to ensure proper dialogue takes place."
Faculty newspaper adviser Paul Starer could not be
reached for comment.
Fong has agreed to meet with the Anti-Defamation
League's Central Pacific regional director Jonathan
Bernstein in about two weeks, something she would not
do in October 2002 when the ADL wrote her a letter
with another complaint. A student had dropped out of a
class after the teacher opened the semester with
remarks that Israel was engaging in ethnic cleansing,
adding, something it had probably learned from the
Nazis.
After the first incident, Fong sent an e-mail to the
ADL saying Foothill had "policies in place that
protect everyone, not just students, of their First
Amendment rights."
Bernstein said the ADL had recently conducted a
workshop on hate speech for students and faculty
members at De Anza College in Cupertino. "We were
asked to do that because there'd been a problem," he
said. But, he added, "these same issues exist at most
schools, and what ends up happening is that generally
administrators don't want to acknowledge the problems.
. . . As a result the problem festers and you have
this."
Foothill student Tatyana Povolotsky, president of
Foothill's Jewish Student Union, was very upset by the
Sentinel piece. "It wasn't just him attacking the
political issue of the Israeli government. Instead he
was attacking the Jewish people in general," she said.
"I think this is a hate thing."
Armitage would not comment beyond saying, "I'm so
disgusted with the whole thing." He also said that
none of the people "giving me flack" have been his
students.
He teaches an introductory political science course at
Foothill and also teaches at the College of San Mateo.
Bernstein said that the ADL was very concerned about
the atmosphere Armitage might be creating in his
classes. "Every instructor has opinions, and we all
have our own biases," he said. "The key is to be
open to differing viewpoints in the classroom so you
don't shut people down."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mercury News Staff Writer Thaai Walker contributed to
this report.
Contact S.L. Wykes at swykes [at] mercurynews.com or
(650) 688-7599. Fax
(650) 688-7555.
San Francisco Bay Area Chapter
522 Valencia St San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 861-7444 adcsf [at] hotmail.com
http://www.adcsf.org
Please Act and Forward:
Professor Under Attack at Foothill College!
Take action to defend free speech!
Adjunct Political Science Professor Leighton Armitage
of Foothill College is being targeted by the
Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and other pro-Israel
groups for comments he made in an interview in the
student newspaper The Sentinel. According to the San
Jose Mercury News article below, Armitage said the
following:
"Armitage said, of Israeli treatment of Palestinians:
'And what are they doing with Palestinians, every day?
They're killing them. They're
walling them in, they're essentially doing the same
thing that was done to them. . . . It's exactly what
Hitler did to the Jews.'"
This valid critique of Israeli government policy is
being labeled by the ADL as "anti-Semitic" and
Armitage could be subject to disciplinary action, or
possibly termination.
Foothill College and Professor Armitage have been
receiving hundreds of phone calls and emails
condemning Armitage and demanding Foothill to take
action against him. They are under tremendous
pressure and need to be urged to uphold the values of
the freedom of speech and the right of academics, and
everyone else, to present criticism of any
government's policies. This is just one instance in a
string of attacks on college professors by groups such
as the ADL and Daniel Pipes' CampusWatch.
Please contact the President and Vice President of
Foothill College, supporting Armitage's right to
freedom of speech and urging them not to cave in to
those who wish to silence academic debate about the
Israel/Palestine conflict.
President Bernadine Fong:
fongbernadine [at] foothill.edu
650-949-7425
Vice President of Technology and Instruction Penny
Patz:
patzpenny [at] foothill.edu
650-949-7070
Please also send letters to the editor of the Mercury
News regarding
this issue:
letters [at] mercurynews.com
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/7917724.htm
Posted on Tue, Feb. 10, 2004
Remarks spur college probe
ANTI-ISRAEL: FOOTHILL INVESTIGATES PUBLICATION OF
PROFESSOR'S
COMMENTS
By S.L. Wykes
Mercury News
Two weeks after a newspaper interview with a professor
prompted a furor over what some on campus believed
were anti-Semitic comments, Foothill
College administrators are investigating how the story
came to be published and are scheduling a meeting with
the Anti-Defamation League.
In a letter about the situation, college President
Bernadine Chuck Fong called the interview with adjunct
political science Professor Leighton
Armitage "regrettable." Neither she nor other
administration officials could be reached for comment
beyond her letter, and it was unclear whether Armitage
would be subject to disciplinary action.
In the question-and-answer style interview, published
Jan. 28 in the student-funded paper The Sentinel,
Armitage said, of Israeli treatment of Palestinians:
"And what are they doing with Palestinians, every day?
They're killing them. They're walling them in, they're
essentially
doing the same thing that was done to them. . . . It's
exactly what Hitler did to the Jews."
Fong's letter apologized to those offended by the
article and said it "includes various allegations
regarding the Israeli people and the state of Israel
that are of serious concern to me and many members of
the Foothill community."
She continues, "Our goal as a higher education
institution is to ensure proper dialogue takes place."
Faculty newspaper adviser Paul Starer could not be
reached for comment.
Fong has agreed to meet with the Anti-Defamation
League's Central Pacific regional director Jonathan
Bernstein in about two weeks, something she would not
do in October 2002 when the ADL wrote her a letter
with another complaint. A student had dropped out of a
class after the teacher opened the semester with
remarks that Israel was engaging in ethnic cleansing,
adding, something it had probably learned from the
Nazis.
After the first incident, Fong sent an e-mail to the
ADL saying Foothill had "policies in place that
protect everyone, not just students, of their First
Amendment rights."
Bernstein said the ADL had recently conducted a
workshop on hate speech for students and faculty
members at De Anza College in Cupertino. "We were
asked to do that because there'd been a problem," he
said. But, he added, "these same issues exist at most
schools, and what ends up happening is that generally
administrators don't want to acknowledge the problems.
. . . As a result the problem festers and you have
this."
Foothill student Tatyana Povolotsky, president of
Foothill's Jewish Student Union, was very upset by the
Sentinel piece. "It wasn't just him attacking the
political issue of the Israeli government. Instead he
was attacking the Jewish people in general," she said.
"I think this is a hate thing."
Armitage would not comment beyond saying, "I'm so
disgusted with the whole thing." He also said that
none of the people "giving me flack" have been his
students.
He teaches an introductory political science course at
Foothill and also teaches at the College of San Mateo.
Bernstein said that the ADL was very concerned about
the atmosphere Armitage might be creating in his
classes. "Every instructor has opinions, and we all
have our own biases," he said. "The key is to be
open to differing viewpoints in the classroom so you
don't shut people down."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mercury News Staff Writer Thaai Walker contributed to
this report.
Contact S.L. Wykes at swykes [at] mercurynews.com or
(650) 688-7599. Fax
(650) 688-7555.
For more information:
http://www.adcsf.org
Add Your Comments
Comments
(Hide Comments)
When are the Zionist organizations like the ADL going to protest and picket the latest Hollywood garbage on the Jesus story, the Passion, promoting anti-Semitism and glorification of the death penalty?
Already on the job, in a law office, where by definition the Jewish community has a large presence, I was subjected by a Christian lawyer to"joking" commentary that not only did the Jews kill Christ (a lie) but the Jews killed everyone (another lie), with the Christian lawyer knowing full well that I am of Jewish descent.
The Zionists get hysterical about the correct and just criticism of Israel, a US military base that exists to maximize the profits of the oil companies in the MidEast and is a death trap for both Jews and Arabs, but when it comes to opposing the latest anti-Semitic campaign, they have nothing to say. Therefore, they are not concerned about fighting anti-Semitism; they in fact are promoting anti-Semitism, and they are promoting the death penalty, which is what Passion is all about.
The capitalist movie industry is the mouthpiece of US imperialism, and this reactionary garbage, Passion, is the latest attack on everyone who opposes anti-Semitism and the death penalty.
As to the existence of a Jewish Student Union on any campus, something unheard of 30 years ago in this area, this is a sign of petty bourgeois nationalism being allowed to flourish like a festering sore, and it stinks.
Already on the job, in a law office, where by definition the Jewish community has a large presence, I was subjected by a Christian lawyer to"joking" commentary that not only did the Jews kill Christ (a lie) but the Jews killed everyone (another lie), with the Christian lawyer knowing full well that I am of Jewish descent.
The Zionists get hysterical about the correct and just criticism of Israel, a US military base that exists to maximize the profits of the oil companies in the MidEast and is a death trap for both Jews and Arabs, but when it comes to opposing the latest anti-Semitic campaign, they have nothing to say. Therefore, they are not concerned about fighting anti-Semitism; they in fact are promoting anti-Semitism, and they are promoting the death penalty, which is what Passion is all about.
The capitalist movie industry is the mouthpiece of US imperialism, and this reactionary garbage, Passion, is the latest attack on everyone who opposes anti-Semitism and the death penalty.
As to the existence of a Jewish Student Union on any campus, something unheard of 30 years ago in this area, this is a sign of petty bourgeois nationalism being allowed to flourish like a festering sore, and it stinks.
"Armitage said, of Israeli treatment of Palestinians:
'And what are they doing with Palestinians, every day?
They're killing them. They're
walling them in, they're essentially doing the same
thing that was done to them. . . . It's exactly what
Hitler did to the Jews.'"
This valid critique of Israeli government policy is
being labeled by the ADL as "anti-Semitic" and"
The above calims are not valid critique...war is hell...intifada is the direct cause. And no, the Israelis are not doing to the palis what the Germans did to them. Jews did not attack germans as the palestinians have been doing for 55 years.
'And what are they doing with Palestinians, every day?
They're killing them. They're
walling them in, they're essentially doing the same
thing that was done to them. . . . It's exactly what
Hitler did to the Jews.'"
This valid critique of Israeli government policy is
being labeled by the ADL as "anti-Semitic" and"
The above calims are not valid critique...war is hell...intifada is the direct cause. And no, the Israelis are not doing to the palis what the Germans did to them. Jews did not attack germans as the palestinians have been doing for 55 years.
Israel, as a pawn of US imperialism, has been attacking Palestinians for over 56 years, most notably in 1948, with the murdering of Palestinians and theft of Palestinian land, chasing 750,000 Palestinians from their homes to refugee camps, where they and their descendants continue to barely live, and ongoing since then, armed by the US, with our tax dollars, to murder, torture, and steal from Palestinians so as to establish a US military base in the Mideast which is all the stinking hellhole called Israel is. It did not start with any Intifada and is not caused by the Intifada, which is a reaction to the evil deeds perpetrated by Israel as a pawn of US imperialism. Today, Israel is building an apartheid wall with our tax dollars, strangling the remaining Palestinian villages and starving Palestinians to death, just like the Warsaw Ghetto of the Nazis.
Those of us from Holocaust families know the Zionists as Nazi collaborators, just as today they are collaborators with the historical heir of Nazi Germany, fascist USA. See:
Lenni Brenner's Zionism in the Age of Dictators at:
http://www.marxists.de/middleast/brenner/index.htm
and Ralph Schoenman's Hidden History of Zionism at:
http://www.marxists.de/middleast/schoenman/
Since a stinking Zionist has chosen to show up on this website, tell us, stinking Zionist, what are you and your fascist Zionist outfits doing to protest the anti-Semitism and pro-death penalty politics of the latest capitalist garbage, the movie "Passion?"
Those of us from Holocaust families know the Zionists as Nazi collaborators, just as today they are collaborators with the historical heir of Nazi Germany, fascist USA. See:
Lenni Brenner's Zionism in the Age of Dictators at:
http://www.marxists.de/middleast/brenner/index.htm
and Ralph Schoenman's Hidden History of Zionism at:
http://www.marxists.de/middleast/schoenman/
Since a stinking Zionist has chosen to show up on this website, tell us, stinking Zionist, what are you and your fascist Zionist outfits doing to protest the anti-Semitism and pro-death penalty politics of the latest capitalist garbage, the movie "Passion?"
For more information:
http://www.marxists.de/middleast/brenner/i...
"starving Palestinians to death, just like the Warsaw Ghetto of the Nazis. "
LOL!!! Hows's Suha doing? It is a crime against humanity that she only can live on $10 million a year! Don't the evil Zionists know that she is starving!!!? LMFAO...
It's nothing like the Warsaw Ghetto...The fence, is to keep palestinian murdrers out, not to keep them IN...
LOL!!! Hows's Suha doing? It is a crime against humanity that she only can live on $10 million a year! Don't the evil Zionists know that she is starving!!!? LMFAO...
It's nothing like the Warsaw Ghetto...The fence, is to keep palestinian murdrers out, not to keep them IN...
"Socialist"
I am not sure what rock you have been living under but the ADL has been protesting Gibosn's flick for qute a while. All you need to do is visit their website and there is tons of info. on it.
http://www.adl.org
Man, for being "activists" you people are so lazy. Get out of your self-imposed political isoloation and take a breath in the real world. You may be surprised what you find...
Also, I would take Schoenman and Brenner's work with a BIG grain of salt. As you are probably aware, these texts are not used in university courses dealing with the history of the ME or the Zionist movement. This is not due to any "Zionist conspiracy" as Benner and others make reference to. Simply stated, Brenner's warped interpretation of Zionist ideology based on 51 documents, is hardly comprehensive or convincing. And with Schoenman, man where to start. I listen to his show "Taking Aim" on accasion and the guy is a complete loon who blames the "Zionists" for practically every ill facing humanity! It's like going to Pat Buchanan for a nuanced and complex perspective on Mexican immigration and border controls...
As far as Jewish Student Unions, get used to them. There are Muslim Student Unions and Christian Student unions as well. I would not be surpised if Hindu and Sikh student unions are developed in the near future, if they are not here already.
You see, unlike your "socialist" self, most people in the United States identify with some form of religion. You may see that as a reflection of false-consciousness, or, in your words, "petty bourgeois nationalism" but most religious folks come from the working-class and the lumpen proletariat. Political organizers (Zapata, MLK Jr., Gandhi) have used religiosity to mobilize working-class (and rural) constituencies with great success.
You self-righteousness and snobbery shows--like most on the extreme left in the US--you understand little about the class you claim to represent. What a surprise!!! And that's why your movement is so strong and has so much resonance with the working-class this country. (SARCASM)
Anyway, here is a letter I wrote to the President of the University and others. If anyone feels similar to me on this issue, feel free to cut and paste the letter and send it on to President Fong et al.
Dear President Fong,
The Foothill Sentinel claims it is a "guardian of truth" but little truth can be found in Professor Leighton Armitage’s recent anti-Zionist rant. I must tell you, after reading Professor Armitage's comments I was disappointed by his lack of professionalism and reliance on jingoism. To compare the anti-terrorist actions of the Israeli government in any way, shape, or form to Nazi policies and specifically to Hitler is irresponsible, inaccurate and obscene.
I have come to expect these comparisons from extreme leftists and xenophobic right-wingers like David Duke but not from a member of the academic community. Professors are protected by the First Amendment like all U.S. citizens. However, when teachers use their position of authority to present a blatantly biased view of historical events, they need to be called on it.
It would be bad enough if the professor remarked that there were some similarities between the two regimes but Professor Armitage is even more explicit:
"It's exactly what Hitler did to the Jews."
The Professor also repeated some common anti-Semitic canards including:
Israel is “buying our elections, which pisses me off”
and
"Israel has a hammer lock on America."
I am surprised the professor did not make reference to the "Zionist Occupied Government" of the United States!
Professor Armitage is clearly not a professional academic but a disturbed man with an axe to grind. Academics are professionals trained to view history and human events as nuanced and complex, not black and white. Unfortunately, Professor Armitage has disdained academic discourse and embraced the rhetoric of fanatics.
Truth and accuracy are not the stock and trade of the anti-Zionists. Instead they rely on blatant misinformation and outright lies to dupe the less informed members of our polity into aligning themselves with the forces of hate. Taking advantage of the liberal atmosphere of college campuses, radical organizations that support the destruction of Israel constantly make an analogy between Israeli democracy and the apartheid of the South African regime and even fascism. This lie, consistently repeated, eventually is believed by some students who see themselves as part of larger struggle against Zionism defined as “racism.”
I am a firm believer in freedom of speech and would never call for a professor’s dismissal based on her or his political beliefs. But college is supposed to be a place where critical discourse is embraced, critical thinking taught, and critical thoughts expressed. Professors are supposed to encourage the development of their students intellects not dumb them down with jingoism, whether of a left or right-wing persuasion.
Sincerely,
Please...
I am not sure what rock you have been living under but the ADL has been protesting Gibosn's flick for qute a while. All you need to do is visit their website and there is tons of info. on it.
http://www.adl.org
Man, for being "activists" you people are so lazy. Get out of your self-imposed political isoloation and take a breath in the real world. You may be surprised what you find...
Also, I would take Schoenman and Brenner's work with a BIG grain of salt. As you are probably aware, these texts are not used in university courses dealing with the history of the ME or the Zionist movement. This is not due to any "Zionist conspiracy" as Benner and others make reference to. Simply stated, Brenner's warped interpretation of Zionist ideology based on 51 documents, is hardly comprehensive or convincing. And with Schoenman, man where to start. I listen to his show "Taking Aim" on accasion and the guy is a complete loon who blames the "Zionists" for practically every ill facing humanity! It's like going to Pat Buchanan for a nuanced and complex perspective on Mexican immigration and border controls...
As far as Jewish Student Unions, get used to them. There are Muslim Student Unions and Christian Student unions as well. I would not be surpised if Hindu and Sikh student unions are developed in the near future, if they are not here already.
You see, unlike your "socialist" self, most people in the United States identify with some form of religion. You may see that as a reflection of false-consciousness, or, in your words, "petty bourgeois nationalism" but most religious folks come from the working-class and the lumpen proletariat. Political organizers (Zapata, MLK Jr., Gandhi) have used religiosity to mobilize working-class (and rural) constituencies with great success.
You self-righteousness and snobbery shows--like most on the extreme left in the US--you understand little about the class you claim to represent. What a surprise!!! And that's why your movement is so strong and has so much resonance with the working-class this country. (SARCASM)
Anyway, here is a letter I wrote to the President of the University and others. If anyone feels similar to me on this issue, feel free to cut and paste the letter and send it on to President Fong et al.
Dear President Fong,
The Foothill Sentinel claims it is a "guardian of truth" but little truth can be found in Professor Leighton Armitage’s recent anti-Zionist rant. I must tell you, after reading Professor Armitage's comments I was disappointed by his lack of professionalism and reliance on jingoism. To compare the anti-terrorist actions of the Israeli government in any way, shape, or form to Nazi policies and specifically to Hitler is irresponsible, inaccurate and obscene.
I have come to expect these comparisons from extreme leftists and xenophobic right-wingers like David Duke but not from a member of the academic community. Professors are protected by the First Amendment like all U.S. citizens. However, when teachers use their position of authority to present a blatantly biased view of historical events, they need to be called on it.
It would be bad enough if the professor remarked that there were some similarities between the two regimes but Professor Armitage is even more explicit:
"It's exactly what Hitler did to the Jews."
The Professor also repeated some common anti-Semitic canards including:
Israel is “buying our elections, which pisses me off”
and
"Israel has a hammer lock on America."
I am surprised the professor did not make reference to the "Zionist Occupied Government" of the United States!
Professor Armitage is clearly not a professional academic but a disturbed man with an axe to grind. Academics are professionals trained to view history and human events as nuanced and complex, not black and white. Unfortunately, Professor Armitage has disdained academic discourse and embraced the rhetoric of fanatics.
Truth and accuracy are not the stock and trade of the anti-Zionists. Instead they rely on blatant misinformation and outright lies to dupe the less informed members of our polity into aligning themselves with the forces of hate. Taking advantage of the liberal atmosphere of college campuses, radical organizations that support the destruction of Israel constantly make an analogy between Israeli democracy and the apartheid of the South African regime and even fascism. This lie, consistently repeated, eventually is believed by some students who see themselves as part of larger struggle against Zionism defined as “racism.”
I am a firm believer in freedom of speech and would never call for a professor’s dismissal based on her or his political beliefs. But college is supposed to be a place where critical discourse is embraced, critical thinking taught, and critical thoughts expressed. Professors are supposed to encourage the development of their students intellects not dumb them down with jingoism, whether of a left or right-wing persuasion.
Sincerely,
Please...
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