Letter to the Editor: Criticizing country does not mean being anti-Israel

I appreciated the support of the Daily Bruin for the decision of the UCLA Alan D. Leve Center for Jewish Studies to stand up for academic freedom by having Cornel West deliver Sunday night’s keynote at our conference on Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. But the editorial made an error in characterizing West as “unapologetically anti-Israel.”

To be sure, West has adamantly opposed the ongoing Israeli occupation and Israeli militarism during the 2014 Gaza conflict. But criticizing a country’s actions is not the same as being “anti” that country. Those who opposed the United States’ war with Iraq, for example, were not “anti-American.” Likewise, many proud Israelis and supporters of Israel’s right to exist have nonetheless also been critical of Israel’s occupation as inconsistent with the best of Jewish values. Even at a pro-divestment event at Princeton University last month, West stated that Jews “have a right to security after 2,000 years of vicious hatred,” and he insisted that “we must never allow one ounce … of anti-Jewish prejudice to be a part of this movement.”

Too often, these issues get reduced to simple all-or-nothing binaries. That is a false choice. We can simultaneously support the Palestinian right to dignity, security and self-determination and that of the Israelis. As West argues, it is a moral imperative to value all lives, regardless of race, religion, nationality, gender, sexuality or class. I do appreciate the Daily Bruin’s support of academic freedom and, in that spirit, hope that the UCLA community will evaluate West’s message for itself.

Todd Presner

Director, UCLA Alan D. Leve Center for Jewish Studies

Professor, Germanic Languages

Join the Conversation

4 Comments

  1. Mr. Presner, are you kidding?

    You wrote: ‘West stated that Jews “have a right to security after 2,000 years of
    vicious hatred,” and he insisted that “we must never allow one ounce …
    of anti-Jewish prejudice to be a part of this movement.”’

    Those are statements indicating that he’s not anti-semetic. Those statements imply that he has nothing against Jews. But notice that West does not say “Israelis have a right to security”.

    You’ll never get a statement suggesting the legitimacy of Israel from Mr. West.

    Ask him, are Israelis entitled to self-determination? Are Israelis entitled to a state and government that will consistently protect their lives and property? Mr. West is fine with Jews living as a minority under Arab rule. Mr. West never seems to acknowledge the fact that Jews have already been subjected to plenty of discrimination from Arab states before Israel ever existed.

    And when Israel is attacked, does West concede that Israel has a right to defend itself? NEVER. If West ever says anything suggesting that Israel has a right to defend itself, he ALWAYS follows it with some caveat suggesting that Israel doesn’t show “enough restraint”. It is alright for Israel to defend itself – sometimes.

    He applies absurd double standards to Israel that can’t be regarded as legitimate criticism and he frequently ignores some of the worst true human rights abusers on earth just to jump on the anti-Israel band-wagon.

    If he’s not anti-Israel, I’d hate to see someone who is.

    1. I guess when you are academically accomplished, your common sense becomes challenged. Good luck to all of the Jewish studies students at UCLA talking any advice from this clown. With Jewish “support” like his, who needs enemies? Maybe Presner should hire Steven Salaita and West to become part of his department to complete his lunacy. It must be nice living in academicia without a clue to reality.

      1. On the contrary, Presner and his ilk aren’t naive or stupid. From a philosophical stand point, it is virtually impossible for academics to justify true racism and antisemitism, so they have to disguise it as something more reasonable and socially acceptable. People like Presner and West know exactly what drives them – and their smart enough to conceal, deny and dress it up as something else.

  2. “To be sure, West has adamantly opposed the ongoing Israeli occupation and Israeli militarism during the 2014 Gaza conflict.”

    Way to ignore the rockets from Hamas there…that’s not militarism, but the victim of militarism is “committing” “militaristic” acts…

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *