The Immoral Hypocrisy of the Left

The December 8, 2018 Los Angeles Times reported that the faculty of Pitzer College voted to suspend a study abroad program at the University of Haifa in Israel. Pitzer is a small liberal arts college in Southern California, and is highly regarded academically. The motion to suspend the study abroad in Israel program was brought by Professor Daniel Segal, who is Jewish. Segal claims he brought the motion to counter Israel's restriction on academic exchanges, with the Times citing a 2017 law which the paper says "bar(s) entry (to Israel) to those who support boycotts, divestment or sanctions against the Jewish state." Segal was also disturbed by restrictions to Israel based on "ancestry..." Jews do have a right of return, with some exceptions. Why just Jews? From a religious viewpoint, the land of Israel was promised to the Jews by G-d. From a historical viewpoint, no other people have been as persecuted throughout history as much as the Jews. From a legal viewpoint, the UN, having been granted control of the British Mandate in Palestine, voted to partition the land into a Jewish state (which became Israel) and an Arab state, which the Arabs declined.

Earlier this year, on 3/25/18, Pitzer issued a press release announcing "Pitzer College Professor Daniel A. Segal has been accepted to participate in the Palestinian American Research Center (PARC) US Faculty Development Seminar on Palestine this summer." The press release tells us that there will be "visits to Palestinian universities, research institutes and cultural institution(s) as well as roundtable discussions, tours of historic cities and meetings with Palestinian colleagues."

We further learn from the press release that seminar participants will "deepen their knowledge of their fields of interest in Palestine and build relationships with Palestinian colleagues and institutions." The good news is, from a historic point of view, the Palestinians have nothing in their past or present that would disqualify them from interaction with American academics - or that would deter Professor Segal.

June 5, 1968. Palestinian Sirhan Sirhan assassinates US Senator and Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy. Sirhan specifically chose the date of June 5, 1968 as it was the one year anniversary of the start of the Six Day War, in which Israel miraculously defeated the Arab armies massed at their borders. Sirhan: "My only connection with Robert Kennedy was his sole support of Israel..."

September 5, 1972. At the Munich Olympic Games, Black September, a front for the Palestinian Fatah group, took 11 Israeli athletes hostage. In the ensuing rescue operation, 9 athletes were killed, including American-Israeli David Berger.

May, 1974. Palestinians took 115 people, mostly teenagers, hostage in the town of Ma'alot. Utimately, 25 people were killed; 22 were teenagers. 68 were injured. Prior to what became known as the "Ma'alot Massacre," the terrorists murdered a young couple and their 4 year old boy in their home. The 5 year old daughter was injured.

October 7, 1985. The Palestine Liberation Front hijacked the cruise ship Achille Lauro. During the hijacking, the Palestinians brutally murdered American Leon Klinghoffer. Disabled and in a wheelchair, Klinghoffer's body was then thrown overboard.

2000-2005. The Second Intifada. These numerous terrorist attacks on civilians began after Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat walked out on President Bill Clinton, Clinton having brokered a deal in a meeting in DC with Arafat and then Israeli leader Ehud Barak. Arafat chose to return to Ramallah and begin the Second Intifada rather than make peace. Palestinian terrorists blew up innocent Jews of all ages on buses, in cafes, shopping malls, and, of course, at what came to be known as the Passover Massacre. During the 3/27/02 attack on Jews at a Passover Seder, 30 people were killed and 140 were injured.

More recently, of course, were all the stabbings of Jews; and the multiple attacks from Gaza, with Palestinians firing their rockets and missiles at civilian targets. At least 54 Americans have been murdered by Palestinian terrorists. Needless to say, the above list constitutes a small portion of all the terrorist attacks carried out by Palestinians against innocent Israeli Jews. The good news is that there is nothing the Palestinians have done that disturbs Professor Segal enough to consider a boycott of Palestinian universities. PA leader Mahmoud Abbas has repeatedly said that not a single Jew may live in a future Palestinian state. Apparently, that also is not a problem for Professor Segal. The problem for Professor Segal? His fellow Jews and the State of Israel. Then again, Israel denying entry to a few people who want to stir up anti-Israel sentiment and even anti-Israel activity within the country is worse than the countless murders carried out by Palestinian terrorists. Right?