Today on a program called Khouri conversations, we join The Foreign Press Association and Palestine DeepDive in an interview with Kenneth Roth, "the Godfather of Human Rights," about Harvard’s decision to block him from taking up a fellowship over Human Rights Watch's criticism of Israel’s human rights record.
Kenneth Roth headed Human Rights Watch for 30 years, but recently stepped down and has left the organization. When the Carr School of Human Rights at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government reached out to offer Roth a Fellowship, he accepted the offer. It seemed to be a done deal. However, the Dean of the Kennedy School suddenly, and surprisingly, rescinded the offer, claiming that Roth is antisemitic because of his criticism of Israel.
Last Spring, Human Rights Watch issued an exhaustive report on the state of human rights in Israel after conducting a long investigation, calling it an apartheid state, as did the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, and Amnesty International. That report apparently was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The Kennedy School did not cite even one inaccuracy in the report, nor did it challenge any of its facts.
This attack on Academic Freedom is not unique to Harvard. For years now the Jewish establishment has gone after universities for criticism of Israel, whether it be in a professor’s class, curriculum, a pro-Palestinian student event, or a critical outside speaker, too many university administrators have become censors of anti-Israel speech. The purges are often done in the name of antisemitism, often at the urging of wealthy donors to the alumni Fund who use their contributions as weapons to censor criticism of Israel.
It is significant that Harvard has succumbed to this assault on academic Freedom because of its enormous influence in the University community. Its perceived leadership role throughout the world is legendary. ...
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This Week in Palestine 1-22-2023
Kenneth Roth, retired chief of Human Rights Watch, discusses Harvard’s reversal of his Fellowship appointment because -- gasp -- he criticized Israel!
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