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Universities Tolerating Intolerance
(The Australian) Editorial - It says a great deal about the illiberal tendencies of parts of our academic community that the anti-Israeli boycott, divestment and sanctions movement - which often borders on the anti-Semitic - finds support in the humanities faculties of some of our universities. If it were not so tragic it would be a hilarious paradox that the University of Sydney's Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies backs BDS, including preventing academic exchanges. It is difficult to think of an act that is more close-minded or less conciliatory. No objective view of history could fail to recognize Israel's offers to surrender territory to the Palestinians in return for peace. But the olive branch has never been grasped, primarily because Hamas, like Yasser Arafat's PLO before it, simply will not recognize the right of Israel to exist. When Israel evacuated its citizens and withdrew from Gaza in 2005 it was rewarded with indiscriminate rocket fire from Gaza into its territory, targeting its civilians. Demonizing Israel and Jews is not only wrong because it is racist, it is also an incorrect and deceptive interpretation of reality. [Prime Minister] Julia Gillard is right to condemn the BDS campaign, now so marginalized it has been disowned even by the Greens. We are entitled to expect our universities to take a stronger stand both against racism and in favor of facts.