A so-called ‘code of ethics’ for Israel professors is a front for Big Brother. It undermines Israel’s democracy and reputation.
Israel’s minister of education would bar the expression of political views by professors inside the classroom.
By law.
Bad idea.
Intrinsically.
And politically.
Intrinsically, the idea of thought control in a classroom sounds like Stalinism. Like Big Brother is Watching. Like the opposite of the free exchange of ideas.
True enough, a classroom should be where professors convey information and nurture the development of students’ own ideas, not try to indoctrinate. Classrooms are captive audiences.
That said, the idea of a government restricting professors’ speech is odious. If a professor preponderantly uses his classroom to advance his own political ideas rather than to bring out the best in his students, he demonstrates grounds for dismissal as a professional failure. That is for a university to decide on educational grounds, not for a government to impose on authoritarian grounds.
Politically, we couldn’t think of a better way for Israel to tarnish its reputation as a freewheeling democracy than this proposed law.
Israel calls it a “code of ethics” for professors. Whoever thinks that this smokescreen won’t be seen as such around the world should go back to the classroom himself for a class in Marketing 101.
Right. Israel is a democracy. The only democracy in the Middle East. Israel restricts what professors can say in classrooms — but it’s still a democracy. Right!
Who is kidding whom?
The heads of the American Federation of Teachers and of the American Assn. of University Professors jointly condemn the proposed law. They speak up because they care about Israel’s standing as a democracy.
Israel’s minister of education is Naftali Bennett. He who would annex the entire West Bank. He who exacerbates tensions between the religious factions in Israel. He who thinks that what the world thinks of Israel, including the US, is an irrelevant consideration in Israeli policymaking. He who lives in his own bubble.
The heads of the American teachers and professors defend Israel against BDS-inspired boycotts of Israeli academics on the grounds of freedom of inquiry —and Naftali Bennett comes along and thinks he can put a convincing veneer on what everyone sees is his attempt to squelch that freedom.
Great move for Israel, Mr. Bennett!
The Committee of [Israeli] University heads stated: “A careful study of the code shows that although it is defined as an ‘ethical code for appropriate behavior in the areas of overlap between academic activity and political activity,’ many of its articles deal with general activities in academic research and lectures. As such, this code is a collection of state rules to dictate our conduct as faculty members.”
True enough, the professorial class contains more than its share of special pleaders and would be indoctrinators, but that is all irrelevant to the matter at hand: a “code of ethics” that the BDS promoters could never think up on their own. Talk about handing a gift to the enemy, Israel is setting the standard.
Copyright © 2017 by the Intermountain Jewish News
