Angels in America bored me and I found Munich cliché. Suffice it to say, I am not a fan of Tony Kushner. And I don’t agree with his politics.
Regardless, he’s still a major contributor to recent American drama and literature. So I’m wondering why Jeffrey S. Wiesenfeld, the right-wing Zionist trustee of the City University of New York, felt the need to withdraw an honorary degree from Kushner solely because of Kushner’s stance on Israel. I may think Kushner is wrong, but he has a right to be wrong and still be honored. And as I noted in the case of Kristofer Petersen-Overton, this is a terrible precedent to set. Noted Zionist speakers like Alan Dershowitz, Roberta Seid and (of course) Michael Oren may face similar protests due to their pro-Israel stances. The anti-Israel movement can also wield its influence; such controversies work both ways.
Kushner wrote a seminal work in American theater, and one honorary degree isn’t going to change his views on Israel. Rather, it seems like Wiesenfeld has given Kushner the far bigger honor of a spotlight in the media and an intellectual martyr’s crown. I think that’s called backfiring..
