Volume 4 No 1 - Journal for the Study of Antisemitism

2012] A PROMISING START 289
• Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by
claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.
• Applying double standards by requiring of Israel a behavior not
expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.
• Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism
(e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel.
• Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy with that of the
Nazis.
• Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel.
Chapter 7 is titled “The Radicalization of Californian Campuses.”
Many of the most severe expressions of anti-Israel hate-mongering in the
United States can indeed be found at various campuses of the University of
California and other institutions of higher learning in that state, such as San
Francisco State University. The first two detailed essays—not mentioned in
this book—on antisemitic hate-mongering on California campuses were
published more than five years ago. Leila Beckwith, Tammi Rossman-Benjamin,
and Ilan Benjamin wrote about combating antisemitism and anti-
Israeli bias at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Beckwith also wrote
on anti-Zionism and antisemitism at the University of California, Irvine.
Both texts can be found on the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs’
Web site. They are also included in Academics against Israel and the Jews.
This book’s second edition (2008) has been downloadable for free from the
Web site of the Jerusalem Center for a few years. Cravatts refers to various
other essays from this source. He should have perused the Web site to
familiarize himself with all the material available. The struggles waged by
Tammi Rossman-Benjamin against university administrations in California
are not mentioned in this chapter. She has fought lengthy, courageous, intelligent,
and multifaceted battles against inciters, who often benefit from the
indifference and inaction of university administrations. Rossman-Benjamin
is mentioned in a later chapter, but only on far more limited issues.
When Cravatts moves on to international matters, the book’s shortcomings
increase. For instance, he mentions the anti-Israeli actions of the
academic Mona Baker in England. In 2002, she fired two Israeli scholars
from the boards of two academic journals on translation studies, which she
and her husband owned. What is not mentioned in the book is that many
academic and public figures condemned her and other academic boycotts.
After several months, then British prime minister Tony Blair also came out
against this phenomenon of Israel hatred. The author presents a one-sided
picture of this issue.
There is far more that is lacking. Ed Beck was the first president of
Scholars for Peace in the Middle East, the organization that Cravatts now
heads. Beck’s name does not appear in the book’s index; it only shows up