This article has been edited to reflect a correction: Student leaders of the procession protesting Professor Petersen-Overton’s curriculum have met with Brooklyn College’s administration to discuss their concerns. Previously, this article implied that those meetings had not yet taken place.
I take great pride in calling myself a Zionist, but I take greater pride in calling myself a Jew. And so I am not participating in a procession today to protest the rehiring of anti-Israel Brooklyn College Professor Kristofer Petersen-Overton. This is a step too far and one I refuse to take.
I vehemently disagree with Professor Petersen-Overton’s views on Israel, and appreciate the effort to expose his bias. I cannot, however, stomach the idea of his being fired just because he disagrees with me. First of all, the professor has done nothing wrong. He hasn’t graded Zionist students down. He hasn’t used hate speech. All he’s done is construct a biased lesson plan. This isn’t a point in his favor, but it is something that can be remedied by supplementing his material with another perspective—with books or guests lecturers who can challenge his perspectives. Leaders of this procession have met with the school’s administration about this issue, and the professor’s proposed curriculum merits continued meetings with the dean of the Middle Eastern studies department to ensure that Petersen-Overton allows for a safe and free exchange of ideas.
And if Petersen-Overton were to lose his job because of his views, what is to stop Students for Justice for Palestine from campaigning to remove pro-Israel professors like McGill’s Gil Troy or Harvard’s Alan Dersowitz? If professors become fair game for those actions, they will be afraid to speak out on controversial issues—depriving us of our most educated citizens’ insights. While professors should not indoctrinate their students, they should have a right to voice their opinions in an open and free exchange of ideas. Finally, silencing the professor will give more credence and respect to his cause.
Israel faces an intense amount of pressure, much of it unfair. But I believe in the Zionist dream. I believe in the state of Israel. I believe that when we Zionists answer any accusation thrown at Israel, we must do so logically and intelligently. And we must address any accusation that we can’t answer.
Along with fighting for Israel, I also fight for the freedom to spread information—even if I disagree with its implications. To do otherwise is to employ tactics that hurt both Zionism’s cause and its public image. And as a Jew, I remember the advice of Ben Zoma in “Pirkei Avot.”
“Who is wise?” he asked. “One who learns from all men.”
