U of California, Riverside prof says Zionism 'politically toxified our schools'

[Mosby]

A University of California, Riverside professor who wrote recently that Zionism “politically toxified our schools” said that outrage by Jewish groups over his remark proves it’s accurate.

Dylan Rodriguez, a media and cultural studies professor at the university and the current president of the American Studies Association, a group that promotes research on culture and history, wrote about Zionism on Twitter on January 12.

"A number of Zionist organizations want to convince us that Arab American Studies is ‘anti-semitic.’ This is not only intellectually insulting but is also an inherently racist position,” he also wrote in the tweet about anti-Israel vitriol and Arab-American studies.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/u-of-california-riverside-prof-says-zionism-politically-toxified-our-schools/

[TigressDem]

1. Study of both sides of the argument is one thing.

But DON'T HATE on either one.

I think GAZA strip should become a neutral zone, a scholar zone, a medical zone, a religious shared zone where only those who agree to live in peaceful co-existence should be allowed and the resources shared so that the fighting can be put to an end. IF there is no real agreement on who has the ultimate "right" to that space then just share it already.

Israel and Palestine is like US and the Indians as far as I can tell and there are times I would have liked to sell back to the Indians and see if we could get a better deal.

BUT if we can make US MORE Democratic and not less. MORE tolerant not less. That is a great option too.

[MosheFeingold]

2. No

"Israel and Palestine is like US and the Indians as far as I can tell and there are times I would have liked to sell back to the Indians and see if we could get a better deal. "

The entire basis for this argument is there was "Arab land". This is an ahistorical lie.

This area was a backwater of the Ottoman Empire, which had been collapsing for 100+ years, but completely fell apart after WWI, such that the British and the French took over for the Turks (Ottomans).

The Brits and French decided to make it into separate states -- Syria, Jordan (the primary Arab state), Eqypt, and Israel along ethnic, religious, and historical lines. Each was roughly where the historical state borders were. (This process was notoriously poor and could be the subject of a heck of a romance/comedy novel, with a famously flamboyantly gay French and English cartographers as the protagonists.)

For clarity, what-is-now-Israel was overwhelmingly ethnically Jewish.

Any way, lines were drawn among the three claimants -- Jordan, Egypt, Israel.

Certain radical Muslim groups didn't agree on which side they should be on -- and some felt Jews should never have their own state, but must forever be subject to Islamic rule.

And that is the current predicament, vastly over simplified into a single internet post.

Lots to dispute, notably where lines should be drawn.

But comparing the situation to "USA vs. Native Americans" is 100% wrong.

[TigressDem]

3. Sorry, I had heard it went back to Biblical times and the Philistines were the root ancestors

of those who live in Palestine now. But the central area that is in dispute Gaza strip has resources they could share and it's a desert area, finding a peaceful way to divide it up and share those resources could be a way through the mess.

Doctors in that area treat people from both sides without hostility.

People from both sides have defended each other at times.

There is some sense of "enough is enough" by the people living through it.

Most people of the desert areas who go back to Biblical times were somewhat nomadic, so yeah maybe no "homeland" but they both feel the area is "holy" and have found ways to share the holiest of areas.

Palestinians may not have any technical "homeland" but they have been neighbors for long enough to quit fighting and just make a neutral zone and share resources like adults.

Israel probably would go for it if it stopped the fighting and didn't take the land entirely away from their people either.

I just wish it could be a win-win and those who can abide each other as neighbors could be a buffer zone so that each nation separately could do their own thing without interference.

But I am sure it's more complicated and years and years of bitter fighting isn't going to be given up by some. So more hell on Earth instead of practical if somewhat uniformed suggestions.