Tensions Mont Over Another BDS Panel At UMass, by Faris K. Barhoum

UMass Communications Professor Sut Jhally.

                                                     



November 13, 2019





By Faris K. Barhoum






      This past Tuesday [November 12], the University of Massachusetts held an event titled, "Criminalizing Dissent: The Attack on BDS & American Democracy." The panel event was organized by UMass Professor Sut Jhally. Professor Jhally, who teaches communications organized the event for Tuesday night at UMass. The event was moderated by Palestinian-American activist Linda Sarsour, and the panel featured Harvard Professor Cornel West, journalist and activist Shaun King, anti-racism advocated and author Tim Wise; Palestine Legal director Dima Khalidi; and remotely from Skype, BDS co-founder Omar Barghouti.
  The event highlighted the "accelerating efforts by U.S. political leaders, pro-Israel lobbying groups, and college and university administrators to silence, smear, and criminalize" those who support the BDS movement (Christensen, 1). Those who are against BDS have called the movement "anti-Zionist and anti Semitic." It is vitally important to point out that the movement is not anti-Semitic, the movement is not against Jews or Judaism; but to be anti-Zionist has nothing to do with being an anti-Semite (Ibid, 1). Zionism calls for an ethno-religious state for Jews and Jews only. The BDS movement is vehemently opposed to this because it leaves no room for the Palestinian people, who are the indigenous population of Palestine. The BDS movement would like to see a state that allows for Palestinians to live in a secular state alongside Israeli Jews with full equality and human rights for all.
   Hillel at UMass, held a counter event. The Hillel students organized a "peace walk," in opposition to the panel organized by Professor Jhally. The UMass administration got involved as well. As stated by Dusty Christensen of The Daily Hampshire Gazette: "Ahead of the panel, Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy released a statement distancing the university from the event, criticizing it as 'polarizing' and stating that UMass is 'firmly opposed to BDS'" (Ibid, 2). In response to Chancellor Subbaswamy's statement, Jewish Voice for Peace sent an open letter stating that Subbaswamy's rhetoric "contributes to racist and Islamophobic harassment and intimidation that Palestinian students and community members routinely face for speaking out in favor of BDS" (Ibid, 2).

UMass Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy. 

   According to Christensen, Professor Jhally and other faculty at UMass wrote an open letter criticizing Chancellor Subbaswamy's statement as falling "far short of the robust defense of academic freedom...that we expect of our chancellor." The open letter has been signed by over 130 faculty members according to Professor Jhally. In addition, "the university chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine [at UMass], also has written a letter condemning the chancellor's remarks, as have academics and activists outside the university--including dissident and linguist Noam Chomsky and University of California professor and activist Angela Davis" (Ibid, 1). It is quite clear that there is real resistance to hearing a debate that is not supportive of Israel and highlights the plight of the Palestinian people. We should be able to hear a differing viewpoint on the subject of Israel/Palestine.


Article,

Christensen, Dusty. "Tensions Mont Over Another BDS Panel At UMass."
    https://www.gazettenet.com/Supporters-critics-speak-out-ahead-of-BDS-event-at-UMass-Amherst-
    30273539. 11/13/19.