Professor Joel Kovel has taught at Bard College for 21 years. He was awarded a Presidential appointment to the Alger Hiss Chair of Social Studies in 1988. In February 2009, Professor Kovel was notified that his contract would not be renewed.
Why?
In recent years Kovel has become a leading critic of Israel. His book Overcoming Zionism and numerous articles call for a One State solution to the Palestinian/Israeli conflict. His termination is prejudicial and motivated neither by intellectual nor pedagogic considerations. Rather, as Professor Kovel’s statement and the chronology of events (below) show, the refusal to renew his contract after two decades was a political decision stemming principally from differences between Kovel and the Bard administration on the issue of Zionism. The political nature of Kovel’s termination was manifest in the discussion of a faculty evaluation committee.
Bard’s move comes after the University of Michigan Press censored Kovel’s book from its list, capitulating to an attack campaign by Zionist groups. Public outcry forced UMP to restore the book to its list, but they then terminated their long-standing distribution contract with Pluto Press, the Kovel’s publisher.
We call on you to help widely publicize this assault on academic freedom and free speech. Please forward this information and Professor Kovel’s statement widely. Also, write Bard President Leon Botstein and Executive Vice-President Dimitri Papadimitrou demanding Professor Kovel’s reinstatement. We want to let Bard College know that this termination will not go unnoticed or be accepted.
Leon Botstein
president@bard.edu
President of the College;
Leon Levy Professor in the Arts and Humanities
Office of the President
Bard College
Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504
Dimitri Papadimitrou
papadimitrou@bard.edu
Executive Vice President
Bard College
Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504
Please send a copy of your letter to info@codz.org
DONATIONS ARE NEEDED TO SUPPORT THIS CAMPAIGN
Send your checks to:
Committee for Open Discussion of Zionism
Church Street Station
PO Box 374
New York, New York 10008-0374
Honorary Co-Chairs:
James Abourezk, Kathleen Chalfant, Richard Falk, Ghada Karmi, Michael Ratner, Howard Zinn