Joel Kovel, author of Overcoming Zionism, holds the Alger Hiss chair in social studies at Bard College and serves at the pleasure of the school's president. He has lately been informed that his contract will not be extended beyond July 1. Kovel says his views are to blame. In 2002, when he first spoke out against Zionism, Bard president Leon Botstein had a meeting with him and, while assuring him that it had nothing to do with his employment situation, said that his own views on Zionism were diametrically opposed.
Kovel says there have been several other indications that Bard was not pleased since. He was urged to retire from Bard after his second Zionism piece appeared; when University of Michigan initially buckled to pressure and stopped circulating his Zionism book 2 years back, no one in the Bard administration stood up for him; Botstein led an Israeli orchestra in the Israeli anthem at the school, etc. Marty Peretz is on the Bard board.
Drearily familiar litany. This is how the blacklist works: hardly anyone with heterodox views on this issue is supported. We are, by and large, marginalized and given the heretic treatment. It is why so many people who contribute information to this site do so anonymously.
(Phil Weiss)
