April 23, 2013
http://wordfromjerusalem.com/?p=4584
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Visiting New York this week, I
sought to assess the broader implications of the recent “International
Peace Award” bestowed on former president Jimmy Carter by Yeshiva
University’s Cardozo Law School. This unsavory display of groveling by a
major Jewish institution to a committed foe of the Jewish people is not
merely a stain on the entire Jewish community but highlights a dramatic
erosion of Jewish values and Jewish dignity.
Many consider it a wake-up call
and believe that alarm bells should be ringing in the conference rooms
of major Jewish organizations.
Yeshiva University, created 127
years ago, is the crown jewel of America’s modern Orthodox
establishment. Its Rabbinical Seminary was headed by the revered Rabbi
Joseph Soloveitchik. Its Cardozo Law School has evolved into the one of
the most pre-eminent legal educational institutions. Although it caters
for all Americans, Cardozo prides itself on being a Jewish institution,
serves only kosher food and is closed on Shabbat and Jewish holidays.
Since his electoral defeat,
Carter has emerged as one of the most vicious opponents of the Jewish
state whose vile bias appears to stem from traditional Christian
anti-Semitism. His theological approach even retains the odium of Jewish
deicide and he is on record stating that Jews hate Christians because
they are “unclean, uncircumcised” and view them as “dogs”.
He was one of the principal
architects of the campaign to demonize Israel as an “apartheid state”
which led to14 members of the Carter Center including his former close
advisor, Kenneth Stein, resigning and unequivocally accusing him of
maliciously lying about Israel. Carter meets and embraces Hamas leaders,
urging the US to negotiate with them. He also opposes efforts to deny
Iran nuclear weapons.
Alan Dershowitz said that he
could not “imagine a worse person to honor for conflict resolution”. He
accused Carter of being “significantly responsible for the second
intifada… He just prefers terrorists to Israelis” and “encouraged
terrorism and violence by Hamas and Hezbollah”. He accused him of having
“more blood on his hands than practically any other president” and
could not understand how such a person who “never met a terrorist he
didn’t like” could become the recipient of such an award.
Yet the administrators of
Yeshiva University refused to rescind or even condemn the award to
Carter. Their principal concern was to display political correctness and
avoid being accused of restricting “academic freedom” or infringing on
the rights of their students.
Chancellor Richard Joel
declined to endorse the decision and unlike the Dean of Cardozo,
Professor Matthew Diller, Joel "courageously" announced that he would
absent himself from the proceedings. But he stressed that “Yeshiva
University both celebrates and takes seriously its obligation at the
University to thrive as a free marketplace of ideas, while remaining
committed to its unique mission as a proud Jewish University”.
Needless to say, it would have
been highly unlikely for Yeshiva University authorities to have stood
aside and mumbled clichés about academic freedom had one of their
student affiliates sought to honor a racist or right wing extremist.
The event was announced only
four days in advance because the organizers knew that honoring such an
inveterate anti-Semite would enrage many members of the Jewish
community.
There were major protests from
Yeshiva University alumni and students. But the Jewish leadership
establishment itself was incredibly restrained. Other than the Zionist
Organization of America, no Jewish organization of substance called on
the authorities at Yeshiva University to intervene or rescind the award.
ADL‘s Abe Foxman remarked that
the award was wrong, it was inappropriate to honour Carter and that
there was a need to “instill values” to ensure that “future mistakes
like this will not be made”. But he stressed that “the University
responded properly” by not intervening.
Even the outspoken Simon
Wiesenthal Center, whilst blaming the students for failing to “exercise
due diligence”, avoided calling on the University authorities to rescind
the award.
In contrast, when a Jewish
institution invites or honors controversial personalities on the radical
political right or anyone out-of-favor with the liberal chic, there are
invariably widespread protests and condemnations. This was exemplified
by the recent histrionic pressures and threats employed which led to the
cancellation of the invitation to Pamela Geller, the outspoken
campaigner against Islamic fundamentalism, to address Jewish
organizations. Had the students at Yeshiva University invited her, it is
highly unlikely that the authorities would have been as accommodating
as they were to Carter.
Regrettably, when it comes to
those demonizing and delegitimizing Israel, the trend is for mainstream
leaders to bury their heads in the sand, babble about freedom of
expression and the need for dialogue and avoid confrontations. They
rationalize this by insisting that the overriding objective must be to
create a “big tent” encompassing the widest possible range of
viewpoints, including those previously considered beyond the pale of the
mainstream Jewish community.
During the Cold War, Jewish
communists served as apologists for Stalinism and even applauded the
execution of Jews on trumped up charges. But they were deemed rogue
elements. In contrast, their successors who today engage in vicious
anti-Israeli rhetoric, promote BDS and campaign to persuade the American
administration to exert pressure on Israel, are becoming integrated as
legitimate components of the mainstream Jewish community or simply
regarded as just another facet of a “pluralistic” Jewish community.
Yeshiva University is one of
the most committed bastions of the Jewish community. When its management
declines to overrule the unconscionable decision of its students to
honor an anti-Semite, it highlights the extent to which the rot has
already advanced and penetrated organizations purportedly promoting
Jewish values and Jewish interests.
Thus one should not be
surprised to learn that Hillel branches on some campuses host disgusting
groups demonizing Israel like “Breaking the Silence” and engage in
kumbaya with Muslims hostile to the Jewish state.
Even a number of Federations
have set aside funds for anti-Israeli institutions and initiatives.
Increasingly, radical rabbis, synagogues and Jewish cultural
organizations are hosting speakers who shamelessly defame Israel.
Most current Diaspora Jewish
religious, political and cultural leaders were molded during an era when
the Holocaust and the struggle to create a Jewish state still dominated
public consciousness. Now, many of these are reaching the age of
retirement. If they are loath to speak out when such degradation of
Jewish values takes place on their watch, the situation may worsen
dramatically when the next generation of leaders emerge whose background
is likely to make them even less sensitive to these issues.
When Jewish leaders stand aside
or remain silent as elements hostile to the Jewish people and Israel
are hosted or honored within the Jewish community, this invariably
impacts on their core values. It will also legitimize and embolden
Israel’s adversaries to intensify efforts to impose BDS as exemplified
last week when UC Berkeley student senators carried a resolution to that
effect.
Jewish leaders committed to
Jewish continuity who proclaim their love for Israel must agree upon
certain codes of conduct. This has no bearing on freedom of expression.
Nobody seeks to deny anyone the right to say what they please. But if a
community fails to draw red lines for its constituents, it will face
chaos and anarchy and undermine the shared values which enabled the
Jewish people to survive throughout the ages.
The writer’s website can be viewed at www.wordfromjerusalem.com.He may be contacted at ileibler@leibler.com
This column was originally published in the Jerusalem Post and Israel Hayom
Some of my recent articles:
Independence Day and the Zionist Vision (April 15, 2013)
Sanctimonious Jewish Bleeding Hearts (April 8, 2013)
Obama’s Visit to Israel: A Turning Point? (March 24, 2013)
The Obama Visit and American Jewry (March 20, 2013)
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