Mayor Bloomberg staunchly defended a controversial anti-Israel forum sponsored by Brooklyn College, saying pols opposing it should back off because they are just giving the group more attention.
Bloomberg maintains the CUNY college has a free speech right to host the gathering Thursday on the Flatbush campus.
“If you want to go to a university where the government decides what kinds of subjects are fit for discussion, I suggest you apply to a school in North Korea,” Hizzoner told reporters in City Hall Wednesday.
Critics charge the political science department’s sponsored forum will be one-sided, noting the only scheduled speakers are two group supporters. The opposition includes famed lawyer Alan Dershowitz, as well as the four Democratic mayoral candidates.
Brooklyn College President Karen Gould and CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein argue students and faculty have a free speech right to debate heated issues, even if many, including themselves and Bloomberg, vehemently oppose their views.
Bloomberg said the forum opponents should have just ignored it.
“They just don’t think before they open their mouths,” he said. “And the best way to popularize an idea or book or movie is just to get someone to ban it. All you’ve got to do is take a look at the history of communism to see that.”
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9 Responses
I hate to say it, but this time the Mayor is right. A public college can’t ban an event just because the side running it and the positions they take are anathema to others. It should be pretty hard for Jews to argue with the freedom of speech when we have the first instance of Talmud and Mishnah, etc., being available in the vernacular of the host country and not having to go through some government censor first. It’s my opinion that Jews need to spend more time studying Torah and its supporting works to find out what Jews are, rather than constantly opposing others who hold positions that we don’t like.
The opposition would do better investing their energy in a counter pro Israel event
PBT – Couldn’t disagree with you more. No other religion would ever permit this type of event. Unfortunately we Jews are sometimes too tolerant.
What a disgrace. Try to have a forum on why black people commit an inordinate amount of the crime in this country and see if everyone is still talking about free speech.
Ezra Hanon- this not anti religious event but anti Israel. Whether the medina Israel is always rite, ask the Sutmer Chasidim – very religious group .
I think a major part of the problem here is that the event is SPONSORED by the Political Science department of the college itself. Its not like they are just renting a space in the school, the event is essentially supported by the school. The fact that a state funded institution is backing an event of intolerance is certainly something to be upset about.
The mayor has lost his mind. He has no clue what he’s saying or doing anymore. He’s a disgrace to his Jewish heritage.
Some of you need to realize that anti-Israel is anti-Semitism. They disguise their true feelings by using a more, in their eyes, PC term. Israel is the Jewish State. They hate Jews, therefore they hate Israel. If Israel was just a regular country, and not a Jewish one, they wouldn’t hate it.
Who needs to go to North Korea when you can get the same kind of Communist indoctrination from Brooklyn College, courtesy of the NY taxpayer?
Ezra is 100% correct. This has nothing to do with free speech or academic freedom. The overarching issue is the sponsorship by the political science department and the forum taking place on schol property. Let these people say what they want but not on school grounds and not sponsored by the political science department.I venture to say that if that were the case there would be perhaps 12 minyanim of attendees. Try having David Duke speak: would the department sponsor it? or some anti Muslim group.