CSU Considers Restarting Study Abroad Program to Israel

Jewish Journal ^ | January 4,2012 | Tom Tugend

[SoCal SoCon]

During the past few months, top California State University administrators, who oversee 23 campuses with 420,000 students, were spending a good deal of time wrestling with upcoming draconian state budget cuts and protesting students, yet they set aside some time to consider whether the largest four-year college system in the United States should restart its study abroad program in Israel.

CSU shut down the program in 2002, during the height of the Second Intifada, citing U.S. State Department warnings against travel to Israel.

But now, with relative quiet in Israel, and under considerable pressure from Jewish organizations, student groups, legislators and even Israeli diplomats, CSU seemed on the verge of announcing a resumption of the Israel program.

Not everyone applauded the new attitude. In early December, a petition in the form of an Open Letter landed on the desk of CSU Chancellor Charles Reed, under the boldface header, “We strongly urge you not to reinstate the CSU Israel Study Program Abroad.”

[SoCal SoCon]

In another article Klein was quoted as saying that banning study abroad to Israel was an expression of "academic freedom". Apparently his idea of academic freedom is prohibiting his students from exercising their academic freedom to study wherever they want.

[SoCal SoCon]

Also, in a twist of irony, Klein compared Israel to Nazi Germany. The Jews in Nazi Germany were innocent, nonviolent, law-abiding citizens who were targeted because Hitler’s corrupt regime needed a scapegoat. The Palestinians have openly stated they want to erase Israel’s very existence. No one who is even slightly acquainted with reality can say the Palestinians are nonviolent. Apples to oranges comparison.

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

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Limited, I assume, to peace activists and potential terrorists.

[Verginius Rufus]

I guess their study abroad in Birobidzhan program wasn’t attracting enough students.

[Eleutheria5]

Yup. Nazis, we are. We have one-party rule here, make all Palis wear yellow crescents, jail anyone for expressing dissent. Watch this: Bibi is a putz! Ehud is a shmuk! Perez is a senile old coot. Now they’re coming to get me. See you in 20 years. Also, we’re hell bent to conquer the world, starting with the piece-loving Egyptians, Jordanians, Lebanese, Turks and Syrians who are our neighbors. /sarc

[Eleutheria5]

Of course. The best and brightest./sarc