Although I spent many years laboring in the vineyards of Academe, I had never heard of something called the American Studies Association until recently, although it bills itself as "...the largest and oldest organization devoted to the interdisciplinary study of American history and culture." I suppose that's just as well, because, from recent actions, it would appear that the group is composed of individuals who appear intent on following the latest rash and injudicious trends in what passes as higher education in America.In its recent national convocation, the American Studies Organization called for an academic boycott of Israeli Universities, supposedly because of discrimination against Palestinians. I find that more than a little odd, as Israeli universities admit students without reference to race, gender, ethnicity or creed. With an Israeli-Arab population amounting to approximately 20% of the whole, Israeli universities have an Arab enrollment of around 14%. In addition, official policies call for efforts to bring into the university fold more Israelis of Arab ethnicity.
Any criticism of percentages of ethnic groups represented in Israeli higher education should take note of a cultural disparity which, perhaps, affects numbers attracted to higher education. A most striking contrast is that, as Nobel Prize laureates, Jews have claimed 193 of the prizes, while Arabs have received 9. Historically, Arab scholarship tended to lag after a high point in the Middle Ages, and it has only been since the 1960's that Arab oil states began to pour petrodollars into higher education.
Having spent a number of years living in the Middle East in a country controlled by an absolute monarch, I am well aware that, of all the countries of the region, Israel possesses the only governing structure in which democratic institutions prevail. If one seeks an open and free press in the area, only Israel can come close to this type of free expression. If one looks for a land where basic rights for women are honored and enshrined in law, only Israel can qualify. To bring the point home further, it was only in 1962, for example, that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia abolished slavery. To generalize, those states surrounding Israel are not noted for promoting liberty and freedom. On the contrary, they are, for the most part, despotisms, theocracies, dictatorships and absolute monarchies, which have purged themselves of their Jewish populations. In contrast, 59 Israeli- Arabs have occupied seats in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament.
Looked at in comparison with surrounding Arab states, Israeli-Arabs fare much better than their neighbors. Since Israel became an independent state in 1948, the lifespan for Israeli-Arabs has increased by 27%. Recent studies show that Israeli-Arabs have improved their pass rate on exams qualifying them to enter universities from 26% in 2001 to 31% in 2012. From 1990 to 2013, the percentage of Arab Israeli men having 13 or more years of education rose from 14% to 24%, a gain of 10%. Arab-Israeli men, aged 25 to 64, show an employment rate of 71%, despite a drastic drop after age 45. Lastly, the infant mortality rate for Israeli Arabs is 6.8 per 1,000, as compared to 3 for the Jewish population; however the Israeli-Arab figure surpasses that of rates in surrounding Arab countries.
As scholars with what possibly could be construed as enlightened minds, it would appear that a far better strategy for the American Studies Association would be one of engagement. If the ladies and gentlemen of the group are so convinced that Israel is the major transgressor of peace and freedom in the Middle East, then it would seem that traditional American academic freedom would lead to a forum of open inquiry and dialogue. Hopefully, the members of the association are aware that academic freedom was once the sine qua non of intellectual life in our nation. However, given the dominance that the left now wields in higher education, any such assumption may not be accurate.
Finally, hypocrisy - at least in this instance - seems to have overcome good judgement in the American Studies Association. I would hazard a guess that most ASA members have never traveled, much less lived, in the Middle East. For most of them, too, their discipline of American studies would connote little academic familiarity with the region. For starters, it might be a good idea for these savants to use some of their extended sabbatical time for some Middle Eastern studies and travel. What the research from such efforts, honestly undertaken, could reveal might possibly serve to open certain minds.
Deo Vindice!
May God bless Texas, and may the Lone Star State remain forever red!
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