Universities Said No – Students Said Yes

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On this night, the author and Israeli patriot, the law professor Alan Dershowitz shall hold a guest lection at the NTNU. After several universities declined the lectures on Israel and international law, students now are hosting the controversial American.

The UA has attempted to contact the student behind tonight’s event at the NTNU, so far without any success.

Alan Dershowitz is the man behind the international appeal to say no to an academic boycott of Israel.

This appeal was signed by 11 000 academics worldwide.

After the NTNU, the University of Oslo and the University of Bergen refused his offer to be a guest lecturer; students of the universities took this matter in their own hands. On Monday he visited Bergen, on yesterday Oslo. This evening, lecture hall S3 at Gløshaugen will be open to everyone wishing to listen to the defender of Israel and the law expert’s response to the boycott appeal at the NTNU and the HiST (College of Trøndelag).

Remarkable refusal.

The Zionist movement’s ICEJ has invited Dershowitz to Norway, primarily to be the main speaker at the Oslo Symposium 2011 this week. Both PM Jens Stoltenberg and FM Jonas Gahr Store were invited to attend a breakfast meeting with him, both said no.

“It is quite remarkable to observe the supreme political leadership as well as the leadership of the academia refuting an international capacity of his gravity. Fortunately, the students of the universities have expressed a wish to listen to him”, says Dag Øyvind Juliussen, Secretary of the ICEJ.

Highly profiled.

Juliussen points out to Dershowitz being a counselor to the UNSC resolution 242 of 1967, appealing for a lasting peace in the Middle East. Elie Wiesel, a former Nobel Peace award recipient, has also praised Dershowitz. He regards himself as being pro-Pal as well as pro-Israeli.

“There is no expertise like this in the field, having this approach, not in Scandinavia, and not likely in the rest of Europe”, says Dag Øyvind Juliussen.

He harbors the opinion the NTNU, which had a discussion on an academic boycott in the late fall of 2009 should be open to host a lecture by the American Middle East expert.

Wants to avoid propaganda.

The request by the ICEJ was sent to the desk of Professor Arild Blekesaune. The deputy head of the Institute of Sociology and State Sciences states the case was discussed at a meeting with the leadership. They concluded with having no interest in inviting Dershowitz.

“Israel and international law is a controversial and inflamed theme, which cannot be regarded isolated and purely professional. Too much politics is invested in this”, is the opinion of Blekesaune, who points out this is his personal opinion. Nor does the professor support the appeal to boycott Israel.

Loss of a unique opportunity.

The universities of Oslo and Bergen have refuted the ICEJ offer to let Dershowitz lecture. Juliussen is of the opinion the universities have refuted an opportunity which happens at twenty years intervals.

Could this refusal be because Alan Dershowitz is a controversial conveyor of opinions, about which there has been much strife?

“Dershowitz is a capacity on Middle East problems. With his gravity, nobody should argue for him to hold a lecture. In particular, not at the NTNU, which received international attention due to the boycott affair. Internationally, he is in the forefront of those defending Israel, having professional gravity. This was a unique opportunity for the NTNU to gain balance” is Juliussen’s opinion.

http://www.universitetsavisa.no/politikk/article8581.ece

Universities Said No – Students Said Yes

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