At Solomnia, a letter from a James Schreiber to Columbia University President Lee Bollinger. Mr Schreiber, who serves on the Executive Committee of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, addresses the issue of leftist academia's embrace of anti-semitism at Columbia.
I want to describe what I experienced myself a few years ago so that you may have more information than perhaps you do. I certainly do not envy you since this is a problem not of your creation, but one which poses serious and complex problems for the University, the resolution of which will have long term consequences both to the school and potentially to you personally as well...
The issues raised in this instance and in the David Projects Columbia Unbecoming are very troubling. They of course include issues of intimidation, free speech and the creating of a hostile environment in an academic setting, which can never be condoned nor tolerated. Leaders such as you must aggressively oppose such behavior. These of course need to be balanced by allowing and if not encouraging the expression of all points of view, even those that might be unpopular and/or offensive.
This is why I do not envy your situation. It is apparent that it can get complicated quickly. But the point that I want to make to you is that, in this context of academic freedom and free expression of ideas, there need to be at least some minimal standards of scholarship and accuracy. This is especially critical at a university of the caliber of Columbia and this is what is missing here. Otherwise there is license to use a respected scholarly position for propaganda purposes to promote hatred if not incitement.
It was apparent to me that Massad was using his position as a Columbia professor, entitled to the respect of students, to promote vile and insidious anti-Semitic hatred in the language of anti-Zionism, He was ostensibly using his scholarship in doing so, but what in fact it entailed was transparently flimsy and more importantly factually and demonstrably untrue.
You should read all of it.
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