The Downward Spiral of Case Western Reserve University

Note: The following post was written during my time at Case Western Reserve University, and reflects my evaluation of the school only as it pertains to said period. Having opted not to return there, but instead transfer to Washington University in St. Louis, I am unable to comment on the present situation.

Also, please keep in mind that this article first appeared on a website that has since closed down, for a group which I understand presently exists only on paper at Case Western Reserve University. Therefore, this article is being shared solely for the archival purposes.

This post may contain references that individuals not associated with Case will miss. For that, I apologize, and will gladly clarify anything upon request. For those alarmed by the situation discussed below, I am happy to put you in touch with the individuals at Case who are most actively involved in combatting this problem since my departure.

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Update (4/13/08): The following post has been ported from our old website. We are no longer the Case Western ZOA, but the Non-Partisan Israel Movement of Case Western Reserve University. Please see our FAQ page [8/26/08: website closed, link dead] and our latest post for more information.

Note: The following article was written by Case Western ZOA President Caleb Posner, and does not necessarily reflect the views of our national organization, or any other group, unless otherwise noted.

In September, I started a campus chapter of the Zionist Organization of America because I was concerned with the situation at Case Western Reserve University. There were Jewish groups to be certain, but none were politically inclined, regardless of how legitimate the cause for outrage was. So, after attending a lecture by Walt and Mearsheimer designed to promote their re-framing of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion as a legitimate and scholarly work, and seeing that I was virtually alone in my condemnation of their lies, I assumed the burden of organizing a pro-Israel, or at least pro-truth group on campus. A few weeks later, cause for protest arose after a campus student group decided to fund raise for an organization seemingly linked to Middle Eastern terror organizations. Knowing that mounting a successful protest would require some outside assistance, I began the search for a partner organization. And, within moments of calling, the ZOA became exactly that. Their willingness to help, their resource generosity, and the experience that they were able to provide made that protest highly successful. In all, we turned away upwards of three dozen would-be supporters of the event being protested.

As time went on, the need for further protest not only continued, but increased with alarming frequency. Speakers who lied about Israel were being brought in regularly by the Hallinan Project, a local chapter of the radical Students For Justice in Palestine arose, and anti-Semitic graffiti covered the Spirit Wall. In response to every such event, we did our best to organize a strong response, focusing primarily on dispelling the false statements being made about Israel. Suffice to say, this was not enough. We realized that to become a more important voice on campus, hosting events of our own would be critical. Thus, with the start of the second semester, so began the quest to obtain USG recognition. Thankfully, this was granted to us days ago, and we are working hard to deliver thought provoking programming for the rest of the month, as well as for the next academic year.

It seemed momentarily as though the situation was getting better, and that with some hard work, the ZOA could severely reduce the problems this school’s Jewish community faced. However, this turned out be a grossly inaccurate evaluation of the situation. This semester, a Jewish student was violently assaulted based solely on his religious and ethnic heritage. There was no report filed, because the student in question lacked faith in an administration who was unwilling to condemn speakers like Alice Rothchild and Alison Weir, and who did nothing in response to the anti-Semitic vandalism earlier in the year. And every effort has been made to match the rhetoric with the violence in its offensiveness. From posters accusing Israel of being a terrorist nation, to guest speakers alleging that Zionists and Nazis collaborated during the Shoah, it looked like the situation had hit rock bottom.

And yet, in this past week, our institution has sunk to a new low. Palestine Awareness Week, the hallmark event of Israel hatred, was announced as coming to Case. In just a couple of weeks, we can expect an onslaught of the most vile and pernicious lies ever uttered about Israel, carefully concealed anti-Semitism, and the legitimization of terrorism. In short, by hosting this event, Case Western Reserve University has joined an elite circle of campuses most hostile to Jewish students. Were the administration willing to decry such practices, it would be less alarming. But just days ago, I spoke with President Snyder, who expressed no willingness to condemn the hateful campaign waged against Israel that has made campus hostile to Jewish students. And, even the university newspaper has caved to pressure, cutting my column in response to complaints I made about campus anti-Semitism. Of course, the editor tried to justify this by claiming there were factual inaccuracies in my article. But, as I explained to her, she was mistaken on both counts, and I am more than willing to prove it publicly.

My latest article engendered a lot of hated among those who are either loyal to the professor discussed throughout it, or who have distaste for Israel and the Jewish community. According to my editor, I was never in class with Alice Bach. This is untrue. I was enrolled in Ethnic Studies 251, a class of hers, at the start of the Fall semester. But, I removed myself from it during the drop/add period because it became immediately clear the sort of treatment that Israel would be given. And of course nowhere in my article did I claim anything longer than that. The second thing she claims, is that I was wrong in calling Alice Bach the faculty advisor for the SJP. That may well be, but I was going on Bach’s own words. Following the Alice Rothchild lecture, I and other members of the Case Western ZOA approached her and asked her to sponsor our organization. She declined, citing among other things, her status as the faculty advisor to the SJP. So, either she lied to us, or they have changed advisors exceptionally recently. But two other members of our executive board can attest to the claim I made in my article.

Outside of those points, there were no errors she could locate to condemn me for. Instead, she noted the heavy volume of critical responses. Naturally, a subject as sensitive as this arouses the passions of many. But who writes in to comment on how good or right a piece is? Not anybody that I know. And certainly, it wouldn’t make for interesting reading, so I doubt such material would have been printed even if submitted. While I received compliments from current and former students who read the paper, she was not privy to that information, as it ought to be irrelevant, in the same way that complaints are. The fact is, she caved into external pressure, and tried to justify her decision by citing supposed factual errors, which unfortunately for her were 100% correct as printed. By cutting the only column that ever stood in defense of Israel (since I started here at least), due to writing about anti-Semitism, the editor has only helped to contribute to the climate of intolerance that has now become a core part of campus identity.

The closing down of this major means of support for Israel is all the more alarming when put in context. Being newly recognized, our local chapter is essentially devoid of funding. We cannot afford to put on the same sort of flashy presentations that the opposition uses to draw in those who are uneducated about the Middle East. The lack of opportunity to voice our concerns due to lack of funding is made all the worse when you consider how many thousands of dollars the other side has been given to promote their message. Our school has not stood up for academic freedom, honest discussion, or balance, but for the unfettered presentation of bullshit.

Where Case will be by this time next year is anybody’s guess. But looking at the current situation, where every pro-Israel voice gets silenced, and every anti-Israel advocate is given a podium and an audience, the future looks bleak. The opposition seeks to silence us because they know we are right, and that if we were given equal voice, their support would readily dissipate. So they make every effort to quiet us down. But we at the Case Western ZOA will not stand for this. Instead, we will do whatever is within our legal ability to counter this unfortunate reality and make a positive change for the school’s Jewish minority, and for others who prefer tolerance to hatred.

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