Overcoming Zionism author Joel Kovel fired from Bard College

Author of Overcoming Zionism fired by Bard College

TERMINATION OF JOEL KOVEL WILL BE A LOSS TO BARD COLLEGE

Bard College has been fortunate to have on its teaching staff for the last 20 years a professor with the competence and wide-ranging interests of Joel Kovel. His sudden termination leaves many questions unanswered. Is Bard College a fair employer? Most colleges and universities have rules in place that require that a professor be evaluated and warned if there are areas in which he is found wanting, not simply summarily terminated. This does not seem to have been the case with Professor Kovel.

Most colleges and universities value faculty members who value factual investigations, even on subjects which are emotional, because indeed these often are the most important issues.

Professor Kovel's knowledge of Israel and Palestine is current, detailed and based on fact. It is not clear that those placed on the committee to judge his work were fully competent to exercise their responsibility, which again raises the question if Bard is a fair employer.

Most colleges and universities seek a diversity of political and religious opinions on their campus. In Professor Kovel's case, his relations with the administration seem to have soured only after publication of his book "Overcoming Zionism," in which he describes within Judaism an historical conflict between the concepts of exclusivism and later Zionism, and universalism and equal respect for all. This conflict is abundantly clear to the many peace groups in Israel and in the U.S. Indeed, it is a very hot issue at this time and is being discussed in many venues, but apparently is not deemed appropriate for Bard College.

We regret this loss for Bard College both of its reputation as a fair employer and of a place where a diversity of views is valued. If this example at Bard College and the earlier firing of Norman Finkelstein at De Paul University in Chicago are typical in U.S. education, then we fear for the quality of preparation of the next generation for their responsibilities in the world.

Sabeel urges you to read the information provided in the links below and send an email message to Bard College President Leon Botstein <president@bard.edu> and Executive Vice-President Dimitri Papadimitriou <dpapadimitriou@bard.edu>.

STATEMENT OF JOEL KOVEL REGARDING HIS TERMINATION BY BARD COLLEGE
http://www.joelkovel.org/#bardstatement

JOEL KOVEL ACCUSES BARD OF FIRING HIM FOR HIS ANTI-ZIONIST SCHOLARSHIP
http://www.muzzlewatch.com/2009/02/19/joel-kovel-accuses-bard-of-firing-...

OVERCOMING ZIONISM, BY JOEL KOVEL
'This book is absolutely fundamental for those who reject the unfortunate confusion between Jews, Judaism, Zionism and the State of Israel -- a confusion which is the basis for systematic manipulation by the imperialist power system. It convincingly argues in favour of a single secular state for Israelis and Palestinians as the only democratic solution for the region.' Samir Amin, Director of the Third World Forum http://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-Zionism-Creating-Democratic-Palestine/d...

Lecture (video) by Joel Kovel, "OVERCOMING ZIONISM"
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7781027522490937279&hl=en