Thank you for standing up against this insanity. My mom worked at UC Berkeley for years and witnessed the level of antisemitism that became institutionalized there. It’s critically important for voices to stand against this rising tide. Kudos to you for doing so publicly.
I was a university professor for fifty years, and thought of universities as a source of truth and goodness. But now I am embarrassed by what I believed. I did not take history seriously. And you know what they say: those who do not know history, are bound to repeat it. I did not take seriously the part that university students and professors played in Nazi Germany. Now I see the antisemitic hate in our universities, in my own Department! Academics rush to hate Jews. Our postwar respite (1950-2000) is over. What a sad return to traditional European and Islamic ways.
I would note in this regard that Holocaust deniers exploit the fact that not all Jews were murdered in it as “proof” of their twisted theorizing. One never quite knows where these characters will go next in this regard.
You wrote, “it remains Hamas’ responsibility to evacuate Gaza's civilians from the battle zone. Failing to do so is a war crime.”
While this is correct as a matter of the Laws of Armed Conflict and humanitarian law generally, what is the liability flowing from Egypt’s sealing of its border with Gaza and the West’s acquiescence in this act that trapped all those civilians unable to pay the necessary fee/bribe in an active war zone.
The one time that Gaza could accurately be called “an open air prison” no one cared. Instead, it became another cudgel with which to beat Israel. Had the civilians been allowed to flee, as the Ukrainians been allowed, how many lives might have been saved.
Yet, the silence of all those who pretend to care about Gazan civilians on this point is as deafening as it is revealing.
Thank you for your comment. I completely agree with you in principle. Several reasons are often cited for why Gazans are not permitted to escape the war.
The most common explanation is the fear that they won’t be allowed to return. While this is a legitimate concern that Gazans might have, the Bolsheviks and other advocates for the oppressed always know better and never let the oppressed choose for themselves.
Another reason is that after Black September, Palestinians are unwelcome in neighboring countries. One more reason is political: Arab leaders prefer to keep their Palestinian "brothers" more miserable than their own masses.
A less obvious rationale was shared with me by a Palestinian advocate for peace from the West Bank. According to him, Gazans, on average, are better educated than Egyptians, which makes them a perceived threat if allowed to emigrate to Egypt.
But I suspect (and this is my personal guess) that Israel might have its own motive for not encouraging such migration. Namely, if Gazans—and among them, potential terrorists—were allowed to cross into the Sinai Peninsula, Israel might face the need to build a wall stretching all the way to Eilat.
Thank you for standing up against this insanity. My mom worked at UC Berkeley for years and witnessed the level of antisemitism that became institutionalized there. It’s critically important for voices to stand against this rising tide. Kudos to you for doing so publicly.
Thank you for writing the facts clearly and telling mathematicians to learn facts along with numbers!
I was a university professor for fifty years, and thought of universities as a source of truth and goodness. But now I am embarrassed by what I believed. I did not take history seriously. And you know what they say: those who do not know history, are bound to repeat it. I did not take seriously the part that university students and professors played in Nazi Germany. Now I see the antisemitic hate in our universities, in my own Department! Academics rush to hate Jews. Our postwar respite (1950-2000) is over. What a sad return to traditional European and Islamic ways.
Thank you, Professor Givental.
Let me add my voice to the gratitude chorus.
And point out that it will have no effect on the lynch mob.
No, every voice matters. Together we can overcome the mob.
I would note in this regard that Holocaust deniers exploit the fact that not all Jews were murdered in it as “proof” of their twisted theorizing. One never quite knows where these characters will go next in this regard.
You wrote, “it remains Hamas’ responsibility to evacuate Gaza's civilians from the battle zone. Failing to do so is a war crime.”
While this is correct as a matter of the Laws of Armed Conflict and humanitarian law generally, what is the liability flowing from Egypt’s sealing of its border with Gaza and the West’s acquiescence in this act that trapped all those civilians unable to pay the necessary fee/bribe in an active war zone.
The one time that Gaza could accurately be called “an open air prison” no one cared. Instead, it became another cudgel with which to beat Israel. Had the civilians been allowed to flee, as the Ukrainians been allowed, how many lives might have been saved.
Yet, the silence of all those who pretend to care about Gazan civilians on this point is as deafening as it is revealing.
Dear Charles,
Thank you for your comment. I completely agree with you in principle. Several reasons are often cited for why Gazans are not permitted to escape the war.
The most common explanation is the fear that they won’t be allowed to return. While this is a legitimate concern that Gazans might have, the Bolsheviks and other advocates for the oppressed always know better and never let the oppressed choose for themselves.
Another reason is that after Black September, Palestinians are unwelcome in neighboring countries. One more reason is political: Arab leaders prefer to keep their Palestinian "brothers" more miserable than their own masses.
A less obvious rationale was shared with me by a Palestinian advocate for peace from the West Bank. According to him, Gazans, on average, are better educated than Egyptians, which makes them a perceived threat if allowed to emigrate to Egypt.
But I suspect (and this is my personal guess) that Israel might have its own motive for not encouraging such migration. Namely, if Gazans—and among them, potential terrorists—were allowed to cross into the Sinai Peninsula, Israel might face the need to build a wall stretching all the way to Eilat.