That changed on Friday when the newspaper published an unsigned article offering full support for the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement, a powerful symbol of a changing climate on campus around Israel. The article also expressed support for Harvard’s Palestine Solidarity Committee, a student group that last week hosted the school section of the annual Israel Apartheid Week. “We are proud to finally support both the Palestinian liberation movement and the BDS – and we urge everyone to do the same,” Crimson’s editorial board wrote. It was a remarkable shift from the history of the newspaper to opposing the BDS, which the council cited in its main article. It was not until 2020 that Crimson expressed ambivalence. Get the Times of Israel Daily E-mail and never miss our top stories By registering, you agree to the terms “In the past, our board has been skeptical of the movement (if not, generally speaking, of its goals), arguing that the BDS as a whole did not ‘see the nuances and specifics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,’” he said. main article. he said. “We regret and reject this view.” What changed, Crimson’s authors said, was “the weight of the moment – of human rights abuses and of Israeli international law and of Palestine’s cry for freedom.” While previous Crimson editors had described the comparisons between Israel and apartheid-era South Africa as “offensive” and “disgusting”, the article published on Friday favorably compared the BDS’s tactics to the anti-apartheid movement, he added. that “Israel remains America’s favorite blind spot for first modification.” because individuals and companies that criticize Israel regularly face criticism and repercussions, sometimes dictated by state law. Students walk near the Widener Library at Harvard Yard at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, August 13, 2019. (AP / Charles Krupa, Archive) Coming from the oldest campus that is published daily in the United States, in the most selective college in the country, Crimson’s support is sure to fuel the concerns of pro-Israel supporters that the campuses are hostile to Isil. The pro-Palestinian defense is common on campuses, and last year 11 student governments passed BDS resolutions, out of 17 that were considered. Like Republicans and Democratic leaders, Jewish groups across the political spectrum oppose the BDS movement, which was started by Palestinian activists, because they say its opposition to the very existence of Israel is dangerous to Jews. The sponsor of a BDS resolution in Burlington, Vermont, withdrew the proposal last year after being convinced the movement was contributing to anti-Semitism. would be the first American city to pass such a resolution. The paper also credits the activism of the Palestine Solidarity Committee campus, which this week included a Harvard Yard installation of the Wall of Resistance. visits to campus by controversial Jewish pro-Palestinian academic activists Noam Chomsky and Norman Finkelstein (the latter of whom oppose the BDS). and a panel on social justice entitled “Black Palestinian Solidarity” and “Queer Palestinian[s]. » As with most newspapers, Crimson’s editorial board is separate from the news section. Its nearly 90 members meet three times a week to discuss and decide on the positions they should take, and the editorial reflects the views of the majority but not a full consensus, according to its website. In terms of news, Crimson’s current staff has at least one Jewish editor: news editor Natalie Kahn, who is also Harvard Hillel’s student president. In her role at Hillel, Kahn referred to Crimson criticizing the wall installation, calling it “disgusting” and helping to stage a “Rally with Israel Rally” on campus to oppose it. View of Harvard Yard in Cambridge, Massachusetts (Public Sector, Wikimedia Commons) The article stated that the council did not believe that the “Wall of Resistance” was anti-Semitic. “We are categorically opposed and condemn anti-Semitism in all its forms,” the article said. Neither Crimson’s editorial offices nor Kahn responded to requests from the Jewish Telegraph Agency for comment to the press. Former Crimson Jewish executives and editors included incumbent Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Attorney General Merrick Garland. journalists Yair Rosenberg and Irin Carmon; and former CNN president Jeff Zucker. We tell a critical story Israel is now a much more important player on the world stage than its size suggests. As a Diplomatic Correspondent for the Times of Israel, I am well aware that Israel’s security, strategy and national interests are always under scrutiny and have serious implications. It takes balance, determination and knowledge to accurately convey the history of Israel, and I come to work every day with the goal of doing it to the fullest. Financial support from readers like you allows me to travel to watch the war (I just returned from reporting on Ukraine) and sign historic agreements. And it enables the Times of Israel to remain the place where readers around the world turn for accurate news about Israel’s relationship with the world. If it is important for you to have and thrive on independent, fact-based coverage of Israel’s role in the world, I urge you to support our work. Will you be joining the Times of Israel today? Thank you, Lazar Berman, Diplomatic Correspondent Yes, I will give Yes, I will give Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing it You are a devoted reader We’re really glad you read the X Times of Israel articles last month. That’s why we started the Times of Israel ten years ago – to provide demanding readers like you with the coverage they need to read about Israel and the Jewish world. So now we have a request. Unlike other media, we have not created a paywall. However, as the journalism we do is expensive, we invite readers for whom the Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel. For just $ 6 a month you can support our quality journalism by enjoying Times of Israel WITHOUT ADVERTISING, as well as access to exclusive content available only to members of the Times of Israel Community. Thanks, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of the Times of Israel Subscribe to our community Subscribe to our community Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing it
