Thanks, John, for pointing out the students who claim that “We are all Professor Finkelstein,” but any humorous take on his case wouldn’t be complete without noting the following priceless comment attached to IHE’s article about the controversy. A phenomenally self-righteous (and obviously intellectually incoherent) Canadian professor writes:
Since 9/11, every time I encounter information about yet another persecuted American academic, I step up the political content in my courses. I included the Finkelstein vs. Israel lobby episode in the introductory remarks to my Honours seminar yesterday — a seminar on “Whiteness” which, in part, looks at the process by which the “black” Jews of Europe became “white” Zionists. Since the election of neoconservative Stephen Harper, Canada has its very own Israel lobby, so I don’t expect to be allowed to get away with this seminar for much longer. But I would just like outspoken American academics to know that your courage does not go unnoticed and uncelebrated in classrooms up here in Canada. I will continue to honour you for as long as I can.
You can’t make this stuff up.