VIEW

On May 27, 2010, the International Society of Iranian Studies (ISIS) will hold its three-day biennial conference in Los Angeles, California. It is jam-packed with interesting panels. Scholars of Iran from around the world will be attending. But this time around there is a controversy brewing. It involves the attendance of a scholar from an Israeli university in the occupied territories. In the past, many scholars from different Israeli universities have attended and given papers at the conference. There has never been an objection. But this time, the matter is different.

Dr. M. Tavakoli Targhi, the current President of ISIS, has made a public statement in this regard in defense of this decision. The fact is that the person who may be attending the conference is from Ariel University of Samaria built in the West Bank, on a land illegally seized by the Israeli government. Its website states that : “As a demonstratively Zionist institution, the University Center has two key requirements: every student must study one course per semester on some aspect of Judaism, Jewish heritage or Land of Israel studies, and the Israeli flag must be displayed in every classroom, laboratory and auditorium on campus.”

There have been numerous petitions to the effect that ISIS should disinvite the scholar. Dozens of scholars from various universities, such as Noam Chomsky, Ervand Abrahamian, Mahmood Mamdani, Mohsen Kadivar, Nayereh Tohidi, and Stan Cohen have signed the petition. The ISIS is an independent entity and one may argue that preventing a scholar from attending the meeting is against any norm. However, the others argue that the person should not attend the panel based upon the location of the said University. Many governments and professors have criticized and boycotted this particular institution.

The institution’s history and its critics

According to a report in the Christian Science Monitor, “the Ariel College, or AUC, was established with a few hundred students in the mid-1990s, and today draws the vast majority of its students from inside Israel proper. Its leadership has ties to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party. The decision would make it the ninth university in Israel.”A harsh critic of the Israeli expansion and himself a British/Israeli professor, Haim Bereshit, slams Ehud Barak, suggesting that he “occupies additional territories and declares universities there as well.” “The most serious thing, which should not be seen as insignificant, is the fact that there is an educational institution in occupied territories," he said. "We in the British professors' organization have not waited and have worked even before this happened to include the Ariel College in the 'gray list', which does not allow academic institutions to have any ties with this institution. This is in fact a boycott process, although it is not defined as such due to the complexity of this matter." In 2009, The Spanish Housing Ministry disqualified Ariel University Center of Samaria from competing in the finals of an international competition declaring that "the decision was made by the Spanish government based on the fact that the university is located in occupied territory in the West Bank. The Spanish government is committed to uphold the international agreement under the framework of the European Union and the United Nations regarding this geographical area." Hussam Khader, a Palestinian legislator, said, "This means they consider Ariel and the West Bank as part of Israel.” He said that this proves that Israel has no intention of accepting the two State solution. Assaf Meydani, a lecturer at the Academic College of Tel Aviv-Jaffa’s school of government reiterated that this is a political statement which in essence means “we are here and we are going to stay here.” “It is as if confirming that “we are not afraid to say that we have a university in Judea and Samaria.” (The Biblical term for the West Bank)

Israel’s actions

There is no question that the Israeli government has in the past defied all UN resolutions, has gone ahead with its policy of settlements and has confiscated the land without any repercussions or mercy to the Palestinians. Many peace activists inside Israel are against the policies of their own government. The world can object but it does not matter. Israel does as it pleases. In fact, even when Vice President Joe Biden visited Israel recently, he was greeted with an announcement that more settlements were going to be built in East Jerusalem, a slap to Obama administration’s demand for a halt. Ariel College (now University) was built on Palestinian land in the West Bank. It is on occupied land, but the various governments in Israel and especially the government of Benjamin Netanyahu are not concerned about the fate of the Palestinians. This is true as well for the new mayor of Jerusalem who, according to a report in the NY Times, is trying to build a super park in a residential area of Jerusalem inhabited by its Arab residents, called Al- Boustan. The residents have already objected to this move. The Israeli-Palestinian crisis is an ongoing issue, one which no US administration so far has been able to find a solution or a resolution. In part, it is because Israel does not respect any international laws and acts according to its own volition. This was clearly demonstrated in the recent murder of a Hamas leader in Dubai.

What should ISIS do?

Now ISIS is faced with the most difficult decision. Should ISIS let this scholar attend on behalf of Ariel University or should it ask him to come as an independent scholar? Or should he not be allowed to attend at all? In many instances, scholars who have been critical of the policies of Israel have been harassed, labeled as anti-Semites and driven from their institutions. What should the ISIS do in this regard? Should it take sides? Should ISIS stand by its original decision or should it make this a matter of principle and make a political statement?