Dear Prof. Chomsky…
In the Microeconomics Summer School of the Hebrew University in June 2008, Prof. Kenneth Arrow – in his last address as the Summer School Director – gave to the participants (me among them) an advise for their academic life: If you find a result while doing research you should always think that you did something wrong along the way… check twice, three, four and even a million times. Relax the assumptions, give all possible values to all the variables. In short terms he told us: “Always question yourself, until there is no other questions to ask, before you can argue that you are right”.
I think this is the spirit of a real and committed scholar in search of the truth.
I just came from a talk about the Gaza events in Boston University. Four out of the four panelist were presenting a very strong anti-Israeli view. Now, that doesn’t bother me. Everybody is free to say and think pretty much whatever they want. As an Israeli I sometimes criticize the Israeli government. Thus, if other people want to do it (even all the time), go ahead, do it. It does not really bother me.
What really bothers me is when these kind of events open with the sentence: “This will be a very balanced panel, with different perspectives on the topic”. The moderator even added “probably what the panelist will say here tonight won’t please either the Israeli nor the Hamas Government”… but as my good friend M said: “I think Hamas would have been very happy to be in that talk!”.
In any case, I believe that it is an insult to the public attending the event to say that a panel composed by four distinguished professors with clear strong opinions against Israel (Prof. Noam Chomsky, Prof. Duncan Kennedy, Prof. Stephen Walt and Prof. Irene Gendzier) is balanced. Just say that they will present one perspective of the conflict. But please, don’t call it balanced trying to fool the public. It is irrespectful and even inmoral.
In any case, there are two issues about this event that I would like to share with you.
I met a very interesting Israeli Professor that in a very academic and professional manner came to the microphone to ask Prof. Chomsky. Prof. Paula Kabalo has been researching on Israel and Palestine in the period of the late 40s. She made very clear arguments – all of them based on quoted sources. For a humble student, like me, this could have been a very interesting situation: two scholars arguing – having a academic level discussion – on facts and not emotions. However, the response of the panel was almost as with everybody else that came to the microphone with a different view: “You have the problem of the illiterate, go and read some more”. Of course they could not say that to Prof. Kabalo, but instead of engaging into a healthy discussion, they just diminished her using the advantage of siting in the stage as the panelist. It is a shame that the “you’re an illiterate, go out and read” is the weapon of those who don’t want to have a high level discussion. But even more shameful is that professors from the most prestigious universities in the world engage in that attitude like the ones I saw today.
A second thought. Prof. Noam Chomsky stated that “not a single rocket was fired from Gaza to Southern Israel from June to November 2008…” Please let me share with you the email I just sent to Prof. Chomsky:
Dear Prof. Chomsky,
I carefully heard your arguments today at Boston University in the talk “Gaza: Beyond the Headlines”.
You stated that “not a single rocket” was fired from Gaza to Southern Israel between June and November 2008. I invite you to visit the following link in Google News with a search on rockets attacks from Gaza in that period. As you may see your argument (as well as many others I believe) were based in wrong historic facts. Could you please explain what did you mean by saying that “not a single rocket was fired”?
Thanks,
DB
I hope he will reply. Since I beleive in discussion Prof. Chomsky, your reply will be posted in my blog.
But if you are reading this, I am not trying to challenge your views. I am sure that I won’t change them. I don’t even intend to do so. But please, be as humble as Nobel Price Laureate Prof. Kenneth Arrow and follow his simple advise and before you make an statement, just make sure you are not missing any facts or don’t distortionate them. And if you do, please be open to debate. You are a Professor as well.
My name is Dany Bahar. I am currently an MPA/ID student at Harvard Kennedy School of Government (class of 2010), and an alumni of the MA in Economics program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem... 
I attended the same event and just re-watched it. The moderator said the organizers attempted to make it more balanced, but these were the only speakers that responded. You miss quoted here. I know for a fact they contacted Dershowitz.
And just because none of them were pro-Israeli doesn’t mean there weren’t different perspectives. Perspectives don’t only consist of “for” or “against.” Perhaps that misunderstanding is why you felt fooled? The speakers did offer different perspectives. You should have paid more attention.
Oh, Boo hoo hoo. Now you sure come off as a smug conceded hypocritical pompous @$$. Why don’t you apply the standards you preach of to yourself first, before you demand it of others. And who gives a F$ck what school you attended and who your professor was. You don’t need to be a brain surgeon to see the reactionary and brutal fashion in which Israel operates, and to criticize it. Geez. You know what? It’s getting easier and easier to see every year the plain evident truth: Israel completely abuses it’s power, backed by US dollars and weaponry with no concern for human rights, and obviously with no intention reconciliation not to mention peace. It is becoming increasingly obvious that the National Ideology of Israel is built on Racism fear and terror…and greed. And this is coming from an Israeli.
By the way I saw Chomsky debating Dershowitz. Chomsky was very open to debate. Unfortunately Dershowitz was only open to pathetic attempts at defamation of character, childish slogans and best of all, he urged the audience to follow up on his sources, but his source was what Bill Clinton told him in private. “Just ask Bill Clinton! Just ask Bill Clinton!” That’s what he urged the audience. LOL. Since we’re all so close and cozy with the Clintons let me just ask him my self…right. LOL.
For someone who apparently prides himself for who and where and whatever he studies, I’m surprised at your spelling.
Cheerio!