Academic Freedom, Hate, or the Fiction of Debate?

Academic Freedom, Hate, or the Fiction of Debate?

A fascinating piece generously sent to me by York University's Ph.D. candidate in political science, Laura Kane, about York's upcoming conference in the latter part of June entitled "Israel/ Palestine: Mapping Models of Statehood and Paths to Peace.”

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/06/11/conference

A few questions about the conference and the reviewing of conference funding by the ruling Conservative government:

1) Is the issue merely one of academic freedom?

2) Is it a question of demonisation and hate of the "collective Jew" (Israel) under the cover of anti-racism and anti-colonialism?

3) Is the conference really a gathering of like-minded anti-Zionists without any interest in substantive debates? In short, is the conference a case of an appeal to academic freedom, while engaging in a fiction of debate where the answers are pre-determined according to ideological biases?

4) Why is the federal government reviewing funding now?

5) Does the chill of academic discussions apply to all political movements, on the left, right, and beyond, including the York conference creators?

Questions to chew on....Let the debate begin...

Tamir Bar-On