Columbia's Israel Problem

As stunning as this may seem, Columbia University does not have a Jewish Studies Department. They have decided to try to rectify this by creating an Israel Studies chair, endowed by four trustees. But as Martin Kramer points out, the search committee for this chair shows that Columbia still doesn't get it.

The committee includes Ira Katznelson, chair of the ad hoc (a.k.a. "whitewash") committee that investigated student grievances; Dan Miron, a long-suffering Hebrew lit professor in the Middle East department; and Karen Barkey, an authority on the Ottoman empire. So far, reasonable. But then add this to the mix: Rashid Khalidi, the ubiquitous Edward Said Professor; and lesser-known Lila Abu-Lughod, a Palestinian American anthropologist and signer and supporter of Columbia's divestment petition.

This is a joke. Jewish alumni, and those who care about Columbia's intellectual honesty should withhold their contributions. Maybe then Columbia will get the message.