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May 1, 2009 | 12:39 pm

TNR: ADL trying to intimidate Santa Barbara professor

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

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If you haven’t been following the recent story surrounding accusations of anti-Semitism against a Jewish professor at UC Santa Barbara, here’s a quick recap:

William I. Robinson, a sociology professor, sent an email to students at the height of Israel’s war in Gaza; it’s subject was “Parallel Images of Nazis and Israelis.” Pushed by the ADL, Simon Wiesenthal Center and StandWithUs, the university launched an academic investigation into Robinson, who backed away from directly comparing Nazis and Israelis but also defended his actions as protected by academic freedom.

Robinson’s email has generated quite the uproar, and it demonstrates the difficulty of balancing a free and open university with strong sensitivities. Case in point: Blogging for The New Republic, which has never accused of being a anti-Israel rag, Alan Wolfe comes to Robinson’s defense with a post titled “Enough With the Campus Inquisitions!”

Wolfe writes:

For me, this is an open and shut case. Neither Robinson’s leftist kind of sociology nor his activist kind of politics are mine. Yet the idea of investigating him is appalling and the ADL should be ashamed of itself. Precedents are being set in this case that could have serious ramifications for everyone teaching in public universities—and perhaps even private ones.

We ought to want professors in our universities who teach about controversial subjects to provoke, and even outrage, their students. We should be pleased that they care enough about the issues of the day and about what students believe to send emails to them when things happen in the world that bear on the major issues of the day. Academic apathy is a serious problem. No one could ever accuse William Robinson of that.

At the same time, we should be wary of anyone who views the university not as a place for the exchange of ideas, but as an environment for therapeutic self-affirmation. “This professor should be stopped immediately from continuing to disseminate this information and be punished because his damage is irreversible,” one unnamed UCSB student argued. Nonsense. Whatever damage words and pictures can do is out-weighed by the arguments and discussion they provoke. This student was angry. That was the point. The idea that Robinson caused some kind of irreversible damage here is preposterous. Seeking to punish him is even worse.

The ADL operates at the same level of this confused student. The director of its Santa Barbara office described Robinson’s comparisons as “offensive” and claimed that writing to students is “intimidating.” But there can be little doubt who is trying to intimidate here. The ADL’s mission is to protect us against the hatred of anti-Semitism. Once upon it time it believed that the best way to do so was to call for open discussion on the grounds that minorities subject to majority stereotyping benefit most when the intellectual air is free. Now it has become part and parcel of the thought police, monitoring campuses for any sign of what it considers offensive speech and putting pressure to bear on university administrators to stop it. We now have a world in which Catholics try to prevent Barack Obama from receiving an honorary degree at Notre Dame while the ADL leads similar campaigns against Desmond Tutu speaking at North Carolina. This is the kind of ecumenicalism we do not need.

A Committee to Defend Academic Freedom at UCSB has been formed and it includes a protest against Robinson’s treatment from Noam Chomsky. I almost never find myself in agreement with my fellow alum of Philadelphia’s Central High School. But I would be dismayed if only those protesting the ADL’s actions in the Robinson case were those who shared his political views.

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Students have a right to be educated without having their personal space invaded by professors who misuse their class rosters to promote unrelated material. What if a professor started selling shoes to his students?
Using the personal e-mail addresses of a class should only be used to follow up on class related discussion, otherwise the situation becomes a clear conflict of interest.

Comment by Roz Rothstein on 5/01/09 at 5:43 pm

A learned man makes a foolish mistake by sending out unsolicited Emails expressing his views.  Freedom of speech is fine but “Who yells Fire, in a crowded theatre?”
The man is a Putz.

Comment by sam corwin on 5/01/09 at 6:40 pm

. It is the students who are being intimidated.  When a professor sends a controversial e-mail to students, the same students dependent on the professor for a passing grade, the professor’s action can only be construed as intimidation.  This goes beyond “critical thinking” as only one side is being presented.

Comment by Allan Maylis on 5/01/09 at 6:55 pm

Let’s not forget how academic freedom has been a great benefit to us as a minority group, how many of the best Jewish intellectuals of our time have been able to thrive in the academic setting and move conservations about equality and justice forward to benefit ‘our people’. It’s a shame that now we have have to worry about being policed by our own propaganda machine. It’s time we stood for freedom (again) rather than falling into this defensive trap. I am deeply saddened by the actions taken by the ADL, they’re views do not represent me as a Jewish academic.

Comment by anonymous on 5/01/09 at 8:09 pm

Freedom of speech is okay now lets find out how many Jews marched in the Nazi parade in Skokie, Il. You played the Devil’s Advocate.  The Jews don’t need their own people to “Speak as a Jew” when it’s detrimental to all.  You had James Baker make a comment to the likes of “We need oil, not Jews.”  That was uttered by the former head of the State Dept. The Jews need the ADL to counter people like you.  You still remain a Putz.

Comment by sam corwin on 5/02/09 at 12:45 am

I just find it completely unacceptable when the Holocaust is analogized to almost anything.  As a human being (as opposed to defining myself by any religion or ethnicity even, in this case) with an M.A. in History, I know of no event in history to compare with what the white German Nazis (all products of a Christian culture and society) did to the Jews, as well as some other groups.  To in any way parallel this with anything Israel has done is completely irresponsible, unacceptable, and I personally will not be silent when made aware of this.  Freedom of speech runs both ways, and I earlier today signed the Stand With Us petition and I sent the professor a “personal” e-mail.

By the way, I planned to march in Skokie in 1978, except the rally ended up in downtown Chicago.  I marched there, having come from N.Y. for that purpose, with the J.D.L.  I hope you won’t abuse your freedom of speech by calling me names or labeling me next.  Beware though, cause I can respond in kind.  I am now more of a J.D.&O.L., the Jewish Defense & Offense League.  Just kidding, as there is no such group.  My pt. is that, as in most sports, one needs not only a good defense, one also needs a good offense.  That is if you want to win.  I’m not certain the Jews really want to win.  Being victims becomes very comfortable after a while.  Now don’t start attacking me, the messenger.  Try thinking about what I am saying.  I know it is tangential to this discussion, as in the bigger picture.  That is, it is great that Stand With Us and other groups respond to anti-Jewish/Israel bias, that is defense.  I’d like to see some more offense occassionally.  I’ll let you figure out what that means.  But Roz, you are doing a terrific job.

Comment by The Levite Line on 5/02/09 at 3:15 am

When you equate Gaza and the Holocaust it’s not mixing apples and oranges together.  You speak as a Jew. Were you around to get a whiff off the ovens that burned your fellow Jews?  Or passed by a barn full of your fellow Jews that were incinerated alive?  That you mention the Holocaust and Gaza together, you are a senseless man.  A learned man who chose the wrong topic
to expound upon.  You remain a putz.

Comment by sam corwin on 5/02/09 at 6:57 am

He equated the slaughter in Warsaw with the slaughter in Gaza.  That is different then equating the holocaust ovens with what is going on in Palestine.  Robinson is a brave man.  He is speaking out for the violence against ALL people. He is not blinded by the blinders of religious intolerance.  I support him 100 percent.

Comment by Josa Gustavo on 5/02/09 at 12:59 pm

This whole controversy is ridiculous! Professor Robinson sent an email to students about a global issue in a globalization class, which makes it totally relevant and within the scope of his work. So the student stating that he submitted “significant intrusion of material unrelated to the course” is laughable. Not to mention, one email is not a “significant intrusion.” Why the heck is the ADL even involved? These students couldn’t just delete the email or talk to Professor Robinson about their concerns before dropping the class and hightailing to the ADL Santa Barbara officer? This just sounds like over dramatic, bizarre behavior for college students. It begs the question as to what kind of students are attending UCSB these days. Just to sure, I read the email and it wasn’t that horrific and the comparison does foster critical thinking. Whatever the case, it doesn’t follow that Robinson, a Jewish professor, should be considered anti-Semitic for expressing his views (whatever they may be) on the Israeli invasion of Gaza. That the university is seriously considering the claims of these students is mind boggling.

Comment by Jackie Slezinger on 5/02/09 at 3:01 pm

The controversy is far from ridiculous not so much the mailing (Whose content was stupid) but as to what was said. This “Learned professor” said something in which Jews from all over the world should take offense to.He needs to read “Mein Kampf” for further educational purposes. Hitler wanted to rid not only the German Jews so what happened in Germany was a worldwide event.

Comment by sam corwin on 5/02/09 at 6:30 pm

Response to Josa:Robinson is a fool who provides fodder to those who oppose Jews. How do you think a Holocaust survivor would respond? People from Sderot?  A wise man choses his topics and doesn’t stir up a hornet’s nest. A fool proves this by opening his mouth. I rail against any American Jew who tries to tell the Israeli government how to run their affairs. You don’t like their policy, then live in Israel and tell them face to face. I’m sure that this professor would get many speaking engagements in the Arab countries. Europe, Asia, the UN.

Comment by sam corwin on 5/02/09 at 6:39 pm

As for Josa and the many others who choose to believe these absurd analogies.  The Hamas leaders/terrorists/people in Gaza on a daily or near daily basis were lobbing Kassam rockets into southern Israel for years.  Israel, I believe, waited for Bush to be out, ot nearly out before responding.  Because God only knows what stupid escalation he and his war-mongering, bring on Armageddon ilk would have created. 
The people in Gaza elected Hamas, whose stated goal is the destruction of Israel.  I’ll BET Prof. Robinson conveniently leaves out that and other inconvenient facts, in his class!!  If, in order to feel accepted in Christian/pagan society (America) one feels the need to show disdain for Jews, yet you are a Jew, as Prof. Robinson is purported to be, then you do things like he has done.  Whatever the excuse, he and anyone who dares to take the Holocaust and compare it to anything Israel has done has crossed a line of which they can and should expect to be lambasted and fired.

Josa, you and others might try a course in Jewish history and then you will see what I mean.  Assuming you go into the course to learn, and not with your mind already made up about what you may see and hear.

In fact Prof. Robinson, and his bend over backwards to care about everyone but himself crowd, are also clearly in need of some lessons of Jewish history.  I hope he is not another who thinks he knows it all already, we certainly have enough leaders like that.

Comment by The Levite Line on 5/02/09 at 7:23 pm

The e-mail accounts are assigned by the school through a campus service called u-mail.  The e-mails were not unsolicited since it was sent out to everyone via the class listserv, a practice common for many classes at UCSB.

Comment by Gman on 5/03/09 at 5:12 pm

Gman:

If this email was received without being requested then they were unsolicited by definition. Frankly, I believe that Robinson’s email was akin to pornography. If you assume that that is the case, would it still be “not unsolicited” in your view? Further, I would like you to find the syllabus of the course in question on Robinson’s web site on the University server (it’s SocGlob5.pdf); and, please explain how Israeli/Nazi comparisons fit into his curriculum for this class.  And, finally, if you remain resistant to my point, please tell me what you think should be done to a professor who sends “not unsolicited” Christian proselytization to his students.

Comment by Alice Rage on 5/05/09 at 3:42 am

Mr Greenberg and Mr Wolfe entirely miss the point of Acad. Free. Profs aren’t free to say anything, they bear a responsibility to educate.  Robinson’s email was not only irrelevant to the class despite his supporters pleas otherwise. He himself emailed a reply to one of the students “for your own interest, I should have clarified” (Then he tells a Marxist website it was intended as class material-too bad he left a paper trail). There was no educational context whatsoever, no encouragement of discussion or feedback.  The academic scholarship was that of a very stupid bully grade schooler.  This coming from a self-proclaimed “activist/prof” w/ a long history of spewing fashionable hate toward Israel who revels in sycophantic admirers. And Greenberg and Wolfe believe this indoctrination is education. Smart students who oppose such profs’ views will advise new students to never waste energy argueing w/ such demagogues, just feed him what he wants to hear and get on w/ your real life. Greenberg & Wolfe have been away from class for way too long!

Comment by Howard Waldow on 5/06/09 at 6:23 pm

doesn’t a true democracy allow for it’s citizens to criticize and uphold it to standards of decency. and if israel is a jewish state then we all are accountable to what is happening in our name by the state. there is nothing wrong with critiquing the state, we must allow ourselves to separate our identities as Jewish people from the State. It’s a dangerous situation that causes blindness, having this much allegiance to an institution.

Comment by anonymous on 5/07/09 at 11:41 pm

What is dangerous, anonymous, is for societies to produce individuals who are so mortally ignorant that they can confuse indecency with self defense, emotions with fact and fashion with substance. There was certainly nothing wrong with German expatriates who criticized Germany because of Hitler but there is most certainly something wrong with Jews who criticize Israel because Hitler’s true heirs, the Arab Muslim butchers, have convinced the weak-minded that Israelis are Nazis. You defame the firemen instead of the blaming the arsonist you fool.  I never thought that I’d ever witness so many stupid Jews spew such demonstrable drivel.

Comment by Alice Rage on 5/08/09 at 1:06 am

Go Alice, you and Bennie are doing just fine. People that don’t live in Israel really have no right to tell the Israelis that they are right or wrong.  The place to hold your pulpit is in Israel.  The world is against Israel and they don’t need fellow Jews to tell them that they are wrong. The Prof was wrong in his actions and words.  He needed to be well versed in the Holocaust before his comparison. He was way off base and “Let the punishment fit the crime.”  He was ill prepared and were he a student submitting a paper on the comparison, he would have been failed. Ergo Putz.

Comment by sam corwin on 5/08/09 at 6:48 am

this is so amusing listening to you Israel appologists. You have be pretty ignorant or live in a bubble not to realize Israel is a terrorist state funded by the US. The #1 welfare recipiant of weapons, Israel continues to terrorize Palestine under the guise of self defense. It’s sickening to hear Israel try to justify their actions, especially considering what survivors had to endure during the Holocaust. To me Israel’s actions are no better than those that took place during that era.

Comment by Joe on 5/08/09 at 11:51 am

Hey you moronic troll, you missed a thread with your cut and paste bovine flatulence. Run on over to “Santa Barbara professor compared Israelis to Nazis” and paste there before you’re late for the LGBT rally.  And it’s called reading, imbecile - you’re reading not listening.  Oh, oh, I see now! Robinson had to read one of our posts to you and then you ate the paste so there’s no more now. Never mind.

Comment by Alice Rage on 5/08/09 at 1:44 pm

You’re pretty warped Joe but you did say one true thing about Israel being the number one recipient of American arms.  Is America being generous?  Israel needs to protect America’s dependence on oil ergo the arms. So you only paint a small picture.  Going back in time a former US Sec of State (Baker) said “We need oil, not Jews.” So America will sell Israel out if it’s in it’s own best interests.  Got away from to professor.  He’s still a Putz to this day.

Comment by sam corwin on 5/08/09 at 6:49 pm

you’re right it is reading. a small gramatical error that seems to more important to you than to me. unfortunately i’m not a student of this professor. i say unfortunately because he engages his students to think for themselves and to be controversial. not surprisingling, you (“alice rage”) weren’t so lucky to be forced to think critically. instead you spout hate, “before you’re late for the LGBT rally”, as though that’s a bad thing. what you fail to recognize is that this has nothing to do with antisemitism and everything to do with human rights. but i wouldn’t expect you to get that through your hate and anger filled posts. but i’m not surprised it’s in your handle, “Alice Rage”.

sam, you’re right the US is protecting their interests which makes the US just as culpable in the atrocities taking place against Palestinians. for this reason Israel will continue it’s oppression of Palestine until a President gets enough balls to defy israel.

Comment by Joe on 5/12/09 at 2:07 pm

The “Protocols of the Elders of Zion”, the Hamas Covenant and the PLO Charter are all about “human rights”, too, I suppose? And, that classic anti-Semitic screed, the Qur’an, is all about Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité, isn’t it?  Joe, you make stupid look like positively summa cum laude - the quintessential dhemmi-dummy.

Comment by Alice Rage on 5/12/09 at 6:20 pm

Many of the comments on this page are so sad.  Have all of you “pro-Israel Jews” become so blinded by hate and fear (of Arabs, Nazis, what have you) that you can’t see the very real, dangerous injustice Israel is foisting on the Palestinian people?  However overblown this JEWISH professor’s comparison may have been (no, there is no planned mass genocide on the way in Gaza, as there was in Warsaw), the comments here, in Israeli newspapers, and Israeli politics (see Lieberman, A.) readily show that much of Israeli society is lurching towards an increasing ethno-racist nationalism (yes, one of the underlying ROOTS of Nazi philosophy and European anti-Semitism more generally). Yes, yes, you can distract yourself with the crimes of the far weaker Palestinians (quassams + suicide bombs, however terrifying, are tools of weakness).  Ultimately, however, in the long run (think 100-150 years), Israel will not be able to hold its monopoly on real military power.  It will need to make Real peace with its neighbors, world opinion, and ALL of its citizens now, when it has the power, if it is to survive.  As a moderate supporter of Israel, I have never felt more pessimistic about the possibility of this.  Gaza sickened me.  The settlers’ stealing of land and launching of mini-pograms on neighboring Palestinian towns sickens me.  The blind support for perverse Likud-ite policies by so many liberal American Jews, and their support for McCarthyites like Foxman, bewilders me.

Comment by a ucsb student on 5/30/09 at 2:42 am

usbc student: You have a lot to learn about life and politics.Moderate supporter of Israel?  Never heard that one before.  When they’re good, they’re very good and when they’re bad, they’re very bad.  Go to Isreal and see first hand what they situation is. Distractions from rockets?  LOL, you’d crap your pants if you were in Sderot. Think they aren’t meant to kill people? Kids are people.  Grow up.

Comment by sam corwin on 5/30/09 at 5:33 am

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