Prof. Noam Chomsky, 81, an outspoken opponent of government policy, was detained upon his arrival at the Allenby Crossing from Jordan and eventually turned around, kicked out, informed he is not being permitted to enter the country.
According to officials at Ramallah’s Birzeit University, Chomsky was scheduled to give an address in the PA (Palestinian Authority) university, but Israel decided they are not going to grant him a forum for yet another anti-Israel address.
Chomsky, who is known for his radical left-wing views, is a professor emeritus at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), was invited to as a guest lecturer by Mustafa Barghouti, president of the Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees. Chomsky continues to call on the international community, especially the United States, to condemn Israel’s maltreatment of Palestinians.
Many feel his is the most vehement adversary of the state of Israel in the American Jewish academic community, possibly among the entire academic community, Jewish or otherwise.
Speaking with Israel Radio’s Reshet Bet on Monday morning, Prof. Shlomo Aaronson of Hebrew University explains that the problem is “ignorance”, that most people do not realize how dangerous Chomsky is and therefore, some defend him under the guise of free speech, but his baseless allegations and accusation are extremely damaging, adding that he capitalizes on the ignorance of the masses, delivering his hateful anti-Israel message.
Prof. Yedidya Stern of Bar Ilan University told Reshet Bet “we are now being scrutinized by the international community and ousting Chomsky will add weight to his hateful message. We made an error by not permitting him to enter and deliver his message. What are we afraid of? Why not permit him to air his views? Will Chomsky really actually harm state security? Those wishing to hear him may do so on the internet…we must work to change our image, the dispel those seeking to demonize us.”
Stern adds he does not believe Chomsky is an anti-Semite, warning that if he is not permitted to express his views, radical as they may be, ultimately, Israel will not be permitted to express its views. Stern is also vice president of the Israel Democracy Institute.
Speaking to Kol Yisrael earlier on Monday morning, Kadima MK Otniel Schneller supports the decision, questioning the need and wisdom of granting such a hater of Israel a forum, standing behind the Interior Ministry decision to bar him from entering Israel.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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One Response
however tragic it is, how different is it than the governments anti religious stance this guy hates all jews in israel and the governmant(many of them) hate the religious parasites although our whole claim to the land is only based on torah observance.so once again we reap what we sow