Letter: Divestment from Israel not necessarily anti-Semitic

Walking through my hall on the way to the bathroom today, I found stapled to the wall a copy of Harvard University president Lawrence Summers's recent speech regarding divestment from Israel stapled to the wall with "READ THIS!" running down its side. I read it. I wish I hadn't. Summers equates the call for divestment from Israel with anti-Semitism and states that Harvard has categorically rejected this suggestion.

Let me state here that I am officially neither for nor against divestment. I was unable to attend Wednesdays conference, and as such I feel insufficiently educated to make a judgment when it comes to this emotionally loaded topic. I do feel, however, that Summers's remarks were inappropriate. To compare the criticism of a political policy with the systematic persecution of a religious group is inconsistent and adds unneeded strife to an already tense debate.

When college groups around the country pressed for divestment from apartheid South Africa in the mid-80s, their movement was not seen as a rally against Christianity, although South Africa is a British-colonized country. In that situation, participants were able to see around racial and religious differences to have an effect on a political policy that was patently wrong. Regardless of whether we see Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank as justified, the same principle should be in effect. Would the reaction of students here and in other divestment groups in this country be different if Israel were a country of Buddhists? The fact that Israel is a country mainly occupied by those of the Jewish faith should not be a reason to dismiss offhand calls for change in its policies.

Divestment from Israel is a subject that is already being debated heatedly throughout the country. Let's not add more fuel to the fire by making accusations of discrimination in a situation where no discrimination is present.