MESA
Letter on Gaza Aid Ignores Hamas, Blames Israel
by Cinnamon Stillwell
• Oct 16, 2014 at 2:58 pm
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MESA president Nathan
J. Brown
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The Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA) has sent a letter
to the recent
"International Conference for the Reconstruction of Gaza"
expressing "grave concern over Israel's indiscriminate bombardment
and destruction of Palestinian educational institutions" and
recommending that "international donors . . . hold Israel accountable"
by insisting that aid be contingent upon ending "the blockade and
other policies of military occupation" that allegedly imperil
"academic freedom and the right to education" in the Gaza
strip.
The letter relies upon the notoriously biased United Nations for its
obviously inflated
figures.
Worse, it makes no mention whatsoever of Hamas's rocket attacks on
Israeli civilians, or its kidnapping and murder of Israeli citizens, both
of which precipated Israel's military action. Also conveniently omitted
is Hamas's calculated use of human shields and UNWRA (United Nations
Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East)
facilities.
MESA has a long history of issuing one-sided letters accusing Israel
of supposed restrictions on academic freedom, as these from 2013,
2012,
2009,
2008,
2007,
2006,
2005,
2003,
2002,
and 2001
demonstrate.
But rest assured, writes MESA president and George Washington
University professor Nathan
J. Brown, MESA's role is merely "to promote scholarship and
teaching on the Middle East and North Africa."
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author, date, place of publication, and original URL.
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