Comments on: Dershowitz and Foxman just can’t come to grips with the fact that Hampshire divested http://mondoweiss.net/2009/02/dershowitz-and-foxman-just-cant-come-to-grips-with-the-fact-that-hampshire-divested.html The War of Ideas in the Middle East Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:02:11 +0000 hourly 1 By: Steve R http://mondoweiss.net/2009/02/dershowitz-and-foxman-just-cant-come-to-grips-with-the-fact-that-hampshire-divested.html/comment-page-1#comment-29601 Steve R Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/02/24/dershowitz-and-foxman-just-cant-come-to-grips-with-the-fact-that-hampshire-divested.html#comment-29601 <p>Phil,<br /> With Hampshire you were mildly deceived. The school believed your misreading, briefly. But Dersh is right, and you're wrong.<br /> NOW, with NYU! I urge EVERYONE to watch this!<br /> http://gawker.com/5159003/the-painfully-ridiculous-end-to-the-nyu-revolution</p> Phil,
With Hampshire you were mildly deceived. The school believed your misreading, briefly. But Dersh is right, and you're wrong.
NOW, with NYU! I urge EVERYONE to watch this!
http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/02/24/dershowitz-and-foxman-just-cant-come-to-grips-with-the-fact-that-hampshire-divested.html#comment-29602 <p>Uh, I say this as a current Hampshire student: most people on campus now agree that we didn't divest. Frankly, most people here find SJP obnoxious--there've been a number of articles in different school publications as of late referring to their unwillingness to let any other voice speak. I mean, at the different events they've set up, they've openly laughed and mocked people who disagree with them.</p> Uh, I say this as a current Hampshire student: most people on campus now agree that we didn't divest. Frankly, most people here find SJP obnoxious–there've been a number of articles in different school publications as of late referring to their unwillingness to let any other voice speak. I mean, at the different events they've set up, they've openly laughed and mocked people who disagree with them.

]]> By: Julian http://mondoweiss.net/2009/02/dershowitz-and-foxman-just-cant-come-to-grips-with-the-fact-that-hampshire-divested.html/comment-page-1#comment-29603 Julian Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/02/24/dershowitz-and-foxman-just-cant-come-to-grips-with-the-fact-that-hampshire-divested.html#comment-29603 <p>"NOW, with NYU! I urge EVERYONE to watch this!<br /> http://gawker.com/5159003/the-painfully-ridiculous-end-to-the-nyu-revolution"</p> <p>Great. Just great. Stick a fork in them, they're done.</p> "NOW, with NYU! I urge EVERYONE to watch this!
http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/02/24/dershowitz-and-foxman-just-cant-come-to-grips-with-the-fact-that-hampshire-divested.html#comment-29604 <p>That gawker.com thing was an SNL skit, no?</p> <p><br /> </p> That gawker.com thing was an SNL skit, no?

]]> By: Dan Kelly http://mondoweiss.net/2009/02/dershowitz-and-foxman-just-cant-come-to-grips-with-the-fact-that-hampshire-divested.html/comment-page-1#comment-29605 Dan Kelly Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/02/24/dershowitz-and-foxman-just-cant-come-to-grips-with-the-fact-that-hampshire-divested.html#comment-29605 <p>Jane, how long have you been at Hampshire?</p> <p>Please provide links to the " number of articles in different school publications as of late referring to their unwillingness to let any other voice speak." Frankly, it's hard to believe that the SJP students have "openly laughed and mocked people who disagree with them."</p> <p>For the record, the board obviously knew what it was doing when A GROUP CALLED STUDENTS FOR JUSTICE IN PALESTINE approached it with their concerns. The board initially agreed with the sentiments of the student group, but then cowardly backed off when threatened with negative financial ramifications. The entire sequence of events has been amply documented, and is clear to anyone with half a brain. Any other interpretation of the events is clearly guided by ulterior motives vis a vis Israel.</p> Jane, how long have you been at Hampshire?

Please provide links to the " number of articles in different school publications as of late referring to their unwillingness to let any other voice speak." Frankly, it's hard to believe that the SJP students have "openly laughed and mocked people who disagree with them."

For the record, the board obviously knew what it was doing when A GROUP CALLED STUDENTS FOR JUSTICE IN PALESTINE approached it with their concerns. The board initially agreed with the sentiments of the student group, but then cowardly backed off when threatened with negative financial ramifications. The entire sequence of events has been amply documented, and is clear to anyone with half a brain. Any other interpretation of the events is clearly guided by ulterior motives vis a vis Israel.

]]> By: Joshua http://mondoweiss.net/2009/02/dershowitz-and-foxman-just-cant-come-to-grips-with-the-fact-that-hampshire-divested.html/comment-page-1#comment-29606 Joshua Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/02/24/dershowitz-and-foxman-just-cant-come-to-grips-with-the-fact-that-hampshire-divested.html#comment-29606 <p>"Uh, I say this as a current Hampshire student: most people now agree that Jane speaks for no one and only misrepresent her personal view for an entire campus collective perspective."</p> <p>You are quite the authority figure.</p> "Uh, I say this as a current Hampshire student: most people now agree that Jane speaks for no one and only misrepresent her personal view for an entire campus collective perspective."

You are quite the authority figure.

]]> By: A Hampshire Student http://mondoweiss.net/2009/02/dershowitz-and-foxman-just-cant-come-to-grips-with-the-fact-that-hampshire-divested.html/comment-page-1#comment-29607 A Hampshire Student Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/02/24/dershowitz-and-foxman-just-cant-come-to-grips-with-the-fact-that-hampshire-divested.html#comment-29607 <p>The statement "Dershowitz and Foxman just can't come to grips with the fact that Hampshire divested" is incredibly problematic. Read the facts about what Hampshire has done and you will see the College's decision to re-invest its funds in a new index have nothing to do with the political rantings of a small group of radical students on campus. SJP has, again and again, mislead people regarding this issue, in addition to creating an atmosphere of fear on campus for students who may not completely agree with them. </p> <p>You can read more about this here:<br /> http://www.hampshire.edu/shared_files/Letter_to_HC.pdf<br /> http://www.hampshire.edu/shared_files/appendix.pdf</p> <p>It may be wise to base reportings not off of a student group who does not even close to speak for the entire campus nor has any right to speak for the school. </p> The statement "Dershowitz and Foxman just can't come to grips with the fact that Hampshire divested" is incredibly problematic. Read the facts about what Hampshire has done and you will see the College's decision to re-invest its funds in a new index have nothing to do with the political rantings of a small group of radical students on campus. SJP has, again and again, mislead people regarding this issue, in addition to creating an atmosphere of fear on campus for students who may not completely agree with them.

You can read more about this here:
link to hampshire.edu
/>
http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/02/24/dershowitz-and-foxman-just-cant-come-to-grips-with-the-fact-that-hampshire-divested.html#comment-29608 <p>@Phil</p> <p>Are you ignorant of the facts or just dishonest? This is a college with money in multiple funds that together represent investments in literally hundreds of companies that do business with Israel, including companies that are themselves Israeli companies. The school is not divesting from any of those other funds.</p> <p>I will spell it out for those of you who can't connect the dots yourselves. If they were divesting from companies because they do business with Israel, they would not be keeping investments in funds that invest in hundreds of companies that do business with Israel. They are keeping investments in hundreds of companies that do business with Israel therefore they are not divesting from companies because they do business with Israel.</p> <p>In fact, the College even said that some of the six companies that the SJP is whining about are entirely within their ethical investing guidelines. The college said that they are divesting from the fund that has investments in those companies because of reasons that have nothing to do with Israel.</p> <p>The SJP is like the crazy cat lady that reports to the cops that her neighbor murdered his wife. The cops humor the crazy lady and investigate, to find the wife alive and well and working in the neighbors hydroponic pot farm. The cops arrest the neighbor for the pot, and the crazy cat lady tells everyone that the cops arrested her neighbor for murdering his wife.</p> <p>Then the ex-journalist writes on his blog that the cops arrested the neighbor for murder, even after the cops said "the wife was fine, we busted the guy for pot."</p> <p>I am surprised at your lack of journalistic standards and ethics given that you used to be a real journalist.</p> @Phil

Are you ignorant of the facts or just dishonest? This is a college with money in multiple funds that together represent investments in literally hundreds of companies that do business with Israel, including companies that are themselves Israeli companies. The school is not divesting from any of those other funds.

I will spell it out for those of you who can't connect the dots yourselves. If they were divesting from companies because they do business with Israel, they would not be keeping investments in funds that invest in hundreds of companies that do business with Israel. They are keeping investments in hundreds of companies that do business with Israel therefore they are not divesting from companies because they do business with Israel.

In fact, the College even said that some of the six companies that the SJP is whining about are entirely within their ethical investing guidelines. The college said that they are divesting from the fund that has investments in those companies because of reasons that have nothing to do with Israel.

The SJP is like the crazy cat lady that reports to the cops that her neighbor murdered his wife. The cops humor the crazy lady and investigate, to find the wife alive and well and working in the neighbors hydroponic pot farm. The cops arrest the neighbor for the pot, and the crazy cat lady tells everyone that the cops arrested her neighbor for murdering his wife.

Then the ex-journalist writes on his blog that the cops arrested the neighbor for murder, even after the cops said "the wife was fine, we busted the guy for pot."

I am surprised at your lack of journalistic standards and ethics given that you used to be a real journalist.

]]> By: Dan Kelly http://mondoweiss.net/2009/02/dershowitz-and-foxman-just-cant-come-to-grips-with-the-fact-that-hampshire-divested.html/comment-page-1#comment-29609 Dan Kelly Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/02/24/dershowitz-and-foxman-just-cant-come-to-grips-with-the-fact-that-hampshire-divested.html#comment-29609 <p>The link that "A Hampshire Student" posted is dated February 24, 2009. Unless documentation from the actual proceedings is presented, there is no good reason to believe any explanation that is offered after the fact. It is obvious damage control. Again, the sequence of events has been amply documented, and it's apparent to anyone with a pulse what happened.</p> The link that "A Hampshire Student" posted is dated February 24, 2009. Unless documentation from the actual proceedings is presented, there is no good reason to believe any explanation that is offered after the fact. It is obvious damage control. Again, the sequence of events has been amply documented, and it's apparent to anyone with a pulse what happened.

]]> By: Dan Kelly http://mondoweiss.net/2009/02/dershowitz-and-foxman-just-cant-come-to-grips-with-the-fact-that-hampshire-divested.html/comment-page-1#comment-29610 Dan Kelly Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/02/24/dershowitz-and-foxman-just-cant-come-to-grips-with-the-fact-that-hampshire-divested.html#comment-29610 <p>"In trying to dissociate Hampshire's divestment decision from the Palestinian cause, the statement asserts that in addition to corporations like Caterpillar and United Technologies--which were among the six targeted by SJP for their support of the Israeli occupation--"the State Street fund included 200-plus companies engaged in multiple violations of the college's investment policy."</p> <p><b>But the minutes of the university's own Committee at Hampshire on Investment Responsibility (CHOIR), a subcommittee of the Board of Trustees' investment committee, <i>proves this to be a deception at best.</b></i></p> <p><b>After two SJP presentations in 2008, <i>CHOIR's own minutes</i> recorded a vote "to recommend to the investment committee that Hampshire College divest of the following six companies--Caterpillar, Terex, Motorola, ITT, General Electric, United Technologies--<i>based on full consideration of the presentation by SJP."</i></b></p> <p>In its own statement, SJP points out:</p> <p> SJP was explicitly asked by the administration what companies to avoid in the future in terms of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. This fact illustrates that the Israeli occupation and SJP's work were undoubtedly the primary reasons for the decision to divest.</p> <p> Furthermore, the violations of the other 200 companies...were only researched days before the investment committee's decision to divest...For eight and a half months, the only specific companies in the State Street fund that were discussed were the six companies SJP targeted.</p> <p> These facts prove that the decision was made on the grounds of the six companies' involvement in the occupation of Palestine. We can only assume the reason the Board and administration chose to depoliticize this decision is because of the volatile nature of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict."</p> <p><br /> This is what one should look for if one is interested in finding out how things really went down - THE ACTUAL MINUTES FROM THE PROCEEDINGS. "Statements of clarification" and other such nonsense written AFTER THE FACT are worthless in determining the truth of how things unfolded.</p> <p><a href="http://medialeft.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=950&Itemid=215" rel="nofollow">Hampshire students defend their victory</a></p> <p><br /> </p> "In trying to dissociate Hampshire's divestment decision from the Palestinian cause, the statement asserts that in addition to corporations like Caterpillar and United Technologies–which were among the six targeted by SJP for their support of the Israeli occupation–"the State Street fund included 200-plus companies engaged in multiple violations of the college's investment policy."

But the minutes of the university's own Committee at Hampshire on Investment Responsibility (CHOIR), a subcommittee of the Board of Trustees' investment committee, proves this to be a deception at best.

After two SJP presentations in 2008, CHOIR's own minutes recorded a vote "to recommend to the investment committee that Hampshire College divest of the following six companies–Caterpillar, Terex, Motorola, ITT, General Electric, United Technologies–based on full consideration of the presentation by SJP."

In its own statement, SJP points out:

SJP was explicitly asked by the administration what companies to avoid in the future in terms of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. This fact illustrates that the Israeli occupation and SJP's work were undoubtedly the primary reasons for the decision to divest.

Furthermore, the violations of the other 200 companies…were only researched days before the investment committee's decision to divest…For eight and a half months, the only specific companies in the State Street fund that were discussed were the six companies SJP targeted.

These facts prove that the decision was made on the grounds of the six companies' involvement in the occupation of Palestine. We can only assume the reason the Board and administration chose to depoliticize this decision is because of the volatile nature of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict."

This is what one should look for if one is interested in finding out how things really went down – THE ACTUAL MINUTES FROM THE PROCEEDINGS. "Statements of clarification" and other such nonsense written AFTER THE FACT are worthless in determining the truth of how things unfolded.

Hampshire students defend their victory

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