Harvard Paper on Israel "TRASH"

Harvard Paper on Israel called Trash by Solon

Harvard Backs Away from "Israel Lobby" Professors;
Removes Logo from Controversial Paper,  Camera Org

Camera organization has good news to report! A controversial research report, The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy, by Harvard professor Stephen Walt and University of Chicago professor John Mearsheimer, that criticizes the “Israel lobby” for allegedly distorting the foreign policy of the United States to the detriment of U.S. interests, and which has been severely criticized as inaccurate and wrongheaded, no longer sports the Harvard or Kennedy School of Government logos that previously appeared on the report's front page.

In a further sign that Harvard and the University of Chicago are distancing themselves from Professors Walt and Mearsheimer, the report also no longer includes the pro-forma disclaimer used for all other research reports on that Harvard website. In its place is a far stronger disclaimer, in much larger type. The original disclaimer read:

The views expressed in the KSG Faculty Research Working Paper Series are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the John F. Kennedy School of Government or Harvard University. Copyright belongs to the author(s). Papers may be downloaded for personal use only.

The new, much more prominent disclaimer reads:

The two authors of this Working Paper are solely responsible for the views expressed in it. As academic institutions, Harvard University and the University of Chicago do not take positions on the scholarship of individual faculty, and this article should not be interpreted or portrayed as reflecting the official position of either institution.

It is especially notable that while the original disclaimer merely stated that Harvard did not necessarily share the views expressed in the article, the revised disclaimer goes much further, stating that:

1. The two authors are "solely responsible" for the content.
2. This article should not be interpreted or portrayed as reflecting the official position of either institution [Harvard or Univ. of Chicago].
3. The institutions take no position on the "scholarship of individual faculty."

As both universities, in fact, routinely take positions on the "scholarship" of faculty members --  regarding tenure, hiring, salaries and so on -- the addition of wording apparently distancing the universities from the document's "scholarship" suggests a devastating vote of no confidence by Harvard and the University of Chicago in the work of Professors Walt and Mearsheimer.

Harvard and the University of Chicago should take the obvious next step and remove the paper from their websites pending correction of numerous errors of fact, logic and omission.

 

To read more about the controversy, go to:

CAMERA Analysis by Alex Safian, Updated March 22
Walt, Mearsheimer and Academic Malpractice by Rick Richman; Jewish Current Issues, March 22
www.martinkramer.org has several links on rightside menu, including "Israel Lobby" by Ruth Wisse, Wall St. Journal, March 22

Stephen Walt's War with Israel, by Richard Baehr and Ed Lasky; American Thinker, March 20
Anti-Jew Deja Vu, Best of the Web by James Taranto, March 22
A Friend Indeed, Best of the Web by James Taranto, March 21

Duke 1, Harvard 0 , Best of the Web by James Taranto, March 20 

NY Sun Analysis by  Eli Lake , March 20

ACTION ITEMS:

* Call the Dean of the Kennedy School, David Ellwood: 617-495-1122
Or email David_Ellwood@Harvard.edu
Or fax: 617-495-9118

If you cannot reach Ellwood, try his Chief of Staff, Rosemarie Day.
617-495-4260
Rosemarie_Day@Harvard.edu

Thank Harvard executives for removing the Harvard and Kennedy School logo from the online report and for putting a more clear disclaimer on the work, disassociating Harvard from the shoddy paper.  However, Harvard should remove the report entirely from its website until the authors fix its manifold deficiencies.

 

The authors' report is a deep embarrassment to Harvard University and the Kennedy School. While Mearsheimer and Walt are free to make any assertions they like, no matter how baseless, Harvard University should have nothing to do with such shoddy, biased work. 

* Similarly, write a letter to the president of the University of Chicago, Don Michael Randel.  In July, he will be succeeded by Robert J. Zimmer.  So at this time, we can still contact President Randel: drandel@uchicago.edu

The report co-authored by University of Chicago Professor Mearsheimer should be a deep embarrassment to the University of Chicago  . While Mearsheimer and Walt are free to make any assertions they like, no matter how baseless, the University of Chicago should have nothing to do with such shoddy, biased work and it should remove the report from its website until the authors fix its numerous deficiencies.