The “Stanford Out of Occupied Palestine” divestment petition, which, we noted earlier this week, was signed by history professor Joel Beinin, among other Middle East studies academics, is ruffling feathers in the faculty lounge. Jewish studies professor Steven Zipperstein wrote a letter to the Stanford Daily objecting to divestment, despite being, as he put it, “implacably opposed to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank.” Beinin responded with his own letter to the editor, noting that, “our views on this are not far apart,” but reiterating his support for divestment and challenging Zipperstein and “those who oppose the occupation and oppose divestment . . . to propose what they believe would be a more efficacious strategy.”
Get out the popcorn; this could get interesting.
