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Israel Denial in the Academic World
(Jerusalem Post) Gerald M. Steinberg - In Israel Denial, Cary Nelson, a professor of English from the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) and former president of the American Association of University Professors, takes on the most virulent Israel haters, exposing the allegation that "Israel is the world's worst violator of human rights." This allegation, he writes, "is manifestly obscene. It depends on the fantasy that Israel radiates evil well beyond its borders, empowering a new version of a Jewish aim to control the world." The core of the book consists of portraits of four individuals with no academic background in Middle East history, whose false declarations and irrational hatred often morph into crude anti-Semitism. It also includes discussion of courses dedicated to delegitimization, the intimidation of students who raise their voices in protest, and the professional incompetence that accompanies BDS campaigns in academic associations. The writer is professor of political studies at Bar-Ilan University and president of NGO Monitor.