Penn State President Graham Spanier has refused to sign a Students for Justice in Palestine petition condemning the Israeli flotilla attack citing a policy against signing petitions. Somehow this wasn't an issue for an anti-boycott American Jewish Committee petition he signed in 2007. SJP thinks there might be something else behind it. The Daily Collegian reports:
Penn State President Graham Spanier has declined signing a petition circulated by the PSU Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), citing a policy of not signing petitions.
But three years ago, President Spanier was among nine college presidents who organized a petition to endorse Columbia University President Lee Bollinger's statement denouncing a boycott of Israeli educational institutions. The petition, bearing the names of 286 college presidents, appeared in the August 8, 2007 edition of The New York Times as a full-page ad sponsored by the American Jewish Committee.
The SJP petition was initially sent to President Spanier on June 8, and condemned Israel's actions in the May 31 "Freedom Flotilla" incident. It also expressed "solidarity" for those on the ship and asked for an immediate international investigation into the May 31 incident and into the ongoing Israeli blockade of Gaza.
When SJP Vice President Shadi Ghrayep asked for an explanation as to why President Spanier signed the petition that appeared in the New York Times but not the SJP petition, he was told that the 2007 petition was signed because it was an "educational initiative."
A follow up article says, "one campus pro-Palestinian group is saying Penn State President Graham Spanier's beliefs -- not policies -- are the reason he won't sign their petition." This is probably true, why won't the President just admit it?
He was born in S Africa in 1948, is Jewish, and gives an annual speech at Penn State’s Hillel service.
link to en.wikipedia.org
South African Zionists (not all South African Jews are Zionists – Ronnie Karlis) are really among the worst. Growing up in one white settler colony to defending another comes fairly naturally I would assume.
“This is probably true, why won’t the President just admit it?”
Because he’s a sleazeball unfit for his job. Fire the disgusting sod.
And blacklist him, as well.
Who is behind this petition and what other college presidents have signed it?
If this was a BDS issue, I think it would have more teeth. But why is a college president being asked to denounce the Freedom Flotilla? Of course, the atrocity deserves to be condemned by any decent human being, but why is a college president expected to lend his office’s good name to a petition that has nothing to do with academics?
There’s a good way to test this one: Re-frame the SJP petition as one advocating open, free access for academics in the West Bank and Gaza. State it as advocacy for intellectual discussion, freedom, free exchange of ideas — frame it so that opponents are clearly in the wrong. Put Bollinger, Spanier and their ilk on the spot.
Part of the problem for Palestine’s advocates is an asymmetry in attitude. For Palestinians especially, these are often matters of life or death — literally. But for the Dennis Rosses and Martin Indyks and Thomas Friedmans (not to mention Dershowitz, Foxman, Geller, Lieberman, etc.), this is more like a game, like chess — a competition to be won or lost. The pro-Israeli bigots enjoy their victories over the Palestinians, even when it means Palestinians’ deaths.
Actions speak louder than words and it’s clear from this and previous actions that Graham Spanier is a partisan ofthe zionist cause.
Still, it’s marginal progress when at least one of this ilk is reluctant to come and and plainly state his belief in favor of isaeli zionism and in opposition to the oppressed Palestinian population.
“Actions speak louder than words and it’s clear from this and previous actions that Graham Spanier is a partisan ofthe zionist cause.”
It was probably a requirement for the job – penn state IS in the zionist occupied usa.
Will soon-to-be former Senator Arlen “Single Bullet Theory” Specter bequeath his papers to Penn State?
It’s all Elvis Costello’s fault.
link to desertpeace.wordpress.com
“My answer to them was very simple,” he declares. “‘Listen’, I told them, ‘Israel is a small country still fighting for its existence. The Arabs want to throw us to the sea. If you want to come and lend us a shoulder, by all means, we’ll be delighted.”
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