Israel condemns Princeton course that teaches Israeli soldiers harvest Palestinian organs
Diaspora affairs minister explains that teaching such claims about Israel only serves to create more antisemitism
Israel is reacting strongly to the prestigious Princeton University’s decision to allow a course in the upcoming fall semester that will include teaching students that Israeli soldiers harvest Palestinian organs.
The class, “Decolonizing Trauma Studies from the Global South,” includes a syllabus written by Graduate Director of Women's and Gender Studies Prof. Jsbir Puar of Rutgers University in New Jersey.
Puar's book, “The Healing Humanities: The Right to Maim” was published six years ago and caused controversy at the time. It claims that Israel is “supplementing its right to kill with the right to maim” and that Israel is harvesting Palestinian organs for “scientific research”.
Last Wednesday, Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli wrote a letter to Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber and Dean of Faculty, Prof. Gene Jarrett in which he expressed Israel’s great disappointment with the inclusion of Puar’s book, saying it amounts to modern-day antisemitic blood libel.
“I am writing to you as Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, which entails the responsibility of fighting incitement and bigotry against the Jewish People and the State of Israel,” Chikli's letter began.
“It was shocking to see that this book includes explicit insinuations that Israel uses a deliberate strategy of maiming Palestinians. This delusional and false accusation is nothing but a modern-day antisemitic blood libel.”
Chikli explained that teaching such claims about Israel only serves to create more antisemitism.
“It contributes to a hostile and divisive atmosphere against Jews and Israelis who study at your university, as well as against the Jewish community” he noted, adding that Puar’s book not only harms Jews, but also the university whose goals are to present truth and academic research.
“Antisemitism has no place at Princeton or in any other institution,” Chickli wrote. “I look forward to your response.”
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
