Often times, when powerful and public figures – from government officials and politicians, community leaders, high-powered corporate CEOs, NFL coaches, and countless local TV news anchors – leave their longtime positions, they say their decision was influenced by wanting “to spend more time” with their families and loved ones.
Such a stated reason is often a tried and true euphemism for either being forced to resign or trading an official post for a better paying lobbying gig. Those employing the excuse are usually being disingenuous.
Well, after a half century at Harvard Law School, Alan Dershowitz has finally stepped down from his post (where he presumably teaches young, malleable law students how to defend celebrity murderers, justify war crimes, and advocate for torture and extrajudicial killings). So why is he doing it? He certainly wasn’t pushed out. And he already has the money.
According to an interview with the Jerusalem Post, Dershowitz genuinely wants to spend more time with that which he loves most of all: the State of Israel.
Unlike many similar high-profile retirements, however, the shameless self-promoter isn’t keen to leave the public eye. Rather than leaving academia to live a life of septuagenarian relaxation, Dershowitz is “reinventing myself” so that, in his words, “I can spend more time in Israel and fight against its delegitimization.”
Spending his first eight days after leaving Harvard in Israel, Dershowitz delivered propaganda speeches and met with government officials. He’s even “giving thought” to becoming an Israeli citizen. Doing so, according to the Jerusalem Post, “would let him send the message to those boycotting Israel that ‘if you’re boycotting Israel, you’re boycotting me.'”
Never before has a clearer, more compelling rationale for supporting the human rights and international law based BDS movement been articulated.
While in Israel, Dershowitz’s “schedule varied from a speech to American Latinos on a trip to learn more about Israel; to tea with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara; to a hyped slot at the huge Globes conference of businesspeople; to meeting with virtually every major political party leader.”
The entire interview is full of Dershie gems, from insisting Iran is “moving ahead with nuclear weapons” to declaring that the International Criminal Court “should be Africa-centric… because that is where the genocides are. African countries don’t have the internal systems where citizens can seek remedies.” (Remember all those Palestinians successfully seeking remedies?)
On Yasser Arafat, Dershowitz lamented, “If only he had died earlier. I would not shake his hand, he was a mass murderer and a terrorist.”
Meanwhile, he said, “[Former President Jimmy] Carter is a bad person, he has gone to the dark side and is bought and paid for by Arab lobbies.” He further condemned Carter for , what he called, “loving Yasser Arafat and having contempt for every Israeli prime minister.”
Dershowitz had slightly kinder words to say about Judge Richard Goldstone, however, whom he said had “made a mistake and lacked the courage to stand up to the others appointed to look into the Gaza War,” but had “shown a willingness to reconsider his views.”
While Dershowitz may no longer spend his days warping the minds of college kids, he will now be able to make propagandizing and promoting war on behalf of his favorite occupying apartheid state his full time job.
Dershowitz becoming a full-time hasbara lobbyist for Israel? This is great news!
Has Dershie swayed even a single liberal? He’s a right-wing nationalist who is liberal inside America because he benefits/profits from that as a minority, not because of principles.
And this is exposed everytime he opens his mouth on Israel.
This is written as if it’s a bad thing. He also seems to think people would seriously be apprehended by this. If we could get Dershie on as the face of Israeli hasbara, the BDS movement would gain a genuine propaganda victory.
Remember he loudly defended blood diamond merchant and fanatic right-wing pro-settlement Zionist Lev Leviev:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq-carFCQbQ
A liberal, huh?
Strange, that he doesn’t feel the same about Jewish mass murderers and terrorist or wishes this for Sharon. What could be the reason? Ah wait, he is on the “liberal side of every political issue”.
I’m not at all convinced that he was not pushed out of Harvard, which felt he had finally gone too far, or was not at least ordered to stop making such controversial statements.
‘if you’re boycotting Israel, you’re boycotting me.’”
It’s a twofer!
‘if you’re boycotting Israel, you’re boycotting me.’”
You betcha! Whadda puke.
“The entire interview is full of Dershie gems”
LOL– I first read that as ‘full of Dershie germs………..’
Thanks Nima. Harvard is very lucky to “lose” this loser.