Andrew Pessin, Professor of Philosophy at Connecticut College, is the latest casualty in the campus-based culture wars. Dr. Pessin is a well-liked and much published professor, self-described as the “only Jewish professor on campus who openly advocates for Israel.” And now, for remarks made during last summer’s Gaza war, he faces an attack from Palestinian supporters seeking to silence pro-Israel stances on campus.
Pessin tells Breitbart News he believes he was set up by “a Muslim student and an Islamic Studies colleague” who worked in concert. They dug up one of Professor Pessin’s Facebook entries, one he posted during the August 2014 war in Gaza, the war in which Israeli soldiers uncovered and destroyed countless underground terror-tunnels which opened into Israel and were to be used in a mass attack against Israeli civilians. Referring to a leadership that purposely exposed its own civilians to death merely for propaganda purposes, and whose holy warriors attacked mainly Israeli civilians, Pessin compared this leadership to a “rabid pit bull.”
One student, Lamiya Khandaker, whose parents are from Bangladesh and who is also the Chair of Diversity and Equity for the campus’s Student Government Association, wrote to Professor Pessin. He immediately clarified that he was referring to the Hamas leadership and ideology, not to Palestinians; and, upon the advice of the administration, he apologized to Khandaker and deleted the post. Too late, too little.
D. comments: “By hiding out from the pressure, he’s showing these bastards their tactics are working. Had I known this professor and what was going on, I would have suggested he hire a PI/hacker to dig into the personal lives and FB posts of his attackers and hire a PR firm to use that info to publicly expose THEM as the racists. Not just in the local paper, but on national and international news. I’d also suggest he involves law enforcement to arrest them for inciting violence. There should be pro-Israel organizations set up for arranging the above in college campuses across the country. Not just arrange protests with signs and flyers. The tables need to be turned on these Islamofascists who have declared a jihad on our educational systems.”
Luke: Good thing Jews never do this to people who criticize Jews and the Jewish state.
Ken: No. Not John Mearsheimer. Are you serious, Luke? Why are you like this?
Luke: I consider Israel to the most advanced civilization in the Middle East and the only one I would like to live in. I think John J. Mearsheimer is the preeminent political scientist of our generation. I welcome his critiques of Israel and the Israel lobby. I never thought of the perspective he presented in the above essay and now that I have read it, I am glad for that perspective.
Dan: Luke, are you really quoting a proven liar?
Luke: Throwing names is not a valid form of argument. I welcome information that shows errors in facts and logic. I am sure John J. Mearsheimer makes mistakes. I disagree with some of what he writes. I think overall this critique is fair.
