University warned: Don’t sell your soul

4:10pm Monday 12th November 2012 in News By Peter Truman

A UNIVERSITY has been warned it is risking “selling its soul” to donors.

The University of Sussex has become embroiled in a debate over private donors after it created a new chair in “modern Israeli studies”.

The position was established by Lord Weidenfeld, who admitted on a BBC radio show he put up the cash to fight the “anti-Semitism” he believes is on campus.

His remarks go against university rules which stress gifts should not compromise a university’s independence or create conflicts of interest.

The resulting row has brought into question the role of philanthropists and their influence on universities.

Rob French, vice president of Sussex University and College Union, said the row highlighted the union’s concerns over academic freedom.

He said: “When academic posts are funded by external parties you have to ask, ‘who pays the ferryman?’.

“Who is calling the tune without actually writing that academic freedom down in the contract?

“We are striving to maintain independence but at Sussex it is being fanned by another issue.

“Decisions are being made not in consultation with the university community.”

Independence at risk

Mr French said the university was in danger of “selling its soul” if it did not maintain its independence and risked alienating students and staff.

He said it would be interesting to see if an Arab would be allowed to take the post or whether the sponsor would be able to veto it.

Sussex University has refused to comment on the row, instead referencing their original announcement on the position which was created by “generous support from major philanthropists”.

The statement added: “The chair will contribute to the Middle East studies programme of the university.

“Its remit will embrace teaching and research in all aspects of modern Israeli studies, with particular reference to the politics, history and society of contemporary Israel and the Middle East.

“The chair will also promote and develop links between Middle Eastern and British academics.”

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Comments(30)

hursthill says...
4:36pm Mon 12 Nov 12

To answer Mr French's concerns - "if an Arab would be allowed to take the post ? "

Arab citizerns in Israel serve as senior diplomats, MP's, Senior Judges , international footballers, Olympic athletes etc.

Israel is the only free ,multi-cultural liberal democracy in the Middle East.

So the answer is YEs Mr French.

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hursthill says...
4:38pm Mon 12 Nov 12

or should Isay OUI Mr French !

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Kiddon72 says...
4:48pm Mon 12 Nov 12

"Mr French said the university was in danger of “selling its soul” if it did not maintain its independence"

Surely Mr French a university is in danger of "selling its soul" if it does not consider all sides to an issue?
It sems to be a case of "you can have an opinion but only if it is one we approve of".

At long last Sussex Students will be given the opportunity for a balanced view instead of continually being quoted pro Palestine ropoganda.

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bruce_ says...
4:56pm Mon 12 Nov 12

I don't know what "ropoganda" is; but in general I feel rich donors of any race, persuasion, creed etc should not be allowed to fund such sectarian "studies".
Mr Weidenfeld is more likely to increase anti-semitism than combat it by such means.

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Ish1 says...
5:20pm Mon 12 Nov 12

hursthill wrote:
To answer Mr French's concerns - "if an Arab would be allowed to take the post ? "

Arab citizerns in Israel serve as senior diplomats, MP's, Senior Judges , international footballers, Olympic athletes etc.

Israel is the only free ,multi-cultural liberal democracy in the Middle East.

So the answer is YEs Mr French.
Hursthill

Can I compliment you on your excellent blog and suggest that in addition people should remember that Israeli citizens whether Jews, Arabs Druse etc are treated equally and this can be viewed by the fact that there are and always have been Arab Members of the Knesset (Israel's parliament).

This is in stark contrast to Arab countries where Jews do not have equal rights, the most glaring example being that Saudi Arabia does not even allow Jews of any nationality to enter their country.

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sussexguy says...
5:34pm Mon 12 Nov 12

And it is not only Jews who are persecuted or outlawed in Arab countries. Now it is Christians who are being treated appallingly. Yet, there is not a murmur of complaint from all those who are happy to condemn Israel, nor from our politicians for that matter. It would be interesting to know if Mr French would take the same attitude with the Arab benefactors - or is it allright for some races and not others to persecute non-Muslims?

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george smith says...
5:50pm Mon 12 Nov 12

Is maintaining independence the right to be antisemitic? Why has the university allowed antisemitism in the first place? Didn't realise those with BNP tendncies ran univerities.

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george smith says...
5:50pm Mon 12 Nov 12

Is maintaining independence the right to be antisemitic? Why has the university allowed antisemitism in the first place? Didn't realise those with BNP tendncies ran univerities.

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george smith says...
5:50pm Mon 12 Nov 12

Is maintaining independence the right to be antisemitic? Why has the university allowed antisemitism in the first place? Didn't realise those with BNP tendncies ran univerities.

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george smith says...
5:50pm Mon 12 Nov 12

Is maintaining independence the right to be antisemitic? Why has the university allowed antisemitism in the first place? Didn't realise those with BNP tendncies ran univerities.

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Dr.Draconian says...
5:59pm Mon 12 Nov 12

I'm amazed there hasn't been a mass demo already.
Maybe Jonas & Penelope are still at daddies villa having an extended rest from their studies.

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Roundbill says...
6:00pm Mon 12 Nov 12

Hell of an echo in here...

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leobrighton says...
6:08pm Mon 12 Nov 12

Having always been tolerant and liberal I'm fast changing my mind. I'm sick and tired of hearing about Israel all the time on the Argus website which is mentioned more than Brighton these days. Do Argus readers really want to read about Israel and Palestine all the time?
Of course its wrong to allow individuals with plenty of money to influence education and Mr. French is right to be concerned

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Maxwell's Ghost says...
7:33pm Mon 12 Nov 12

And a stone's throw from the uni is the former state Falmer School, now called the Rob Aldridge Falmer Academy (still called Falmer School by locals), another well known philanthropist putting his name on an education centre.
Everything in Britain is for sale at the right price.

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Maxwell's Ghost says...
7:33pm Mon 12 Nov 12

And a stone's throw from the uni is the former state Falmer School, now called the Rob Aldridge Falmer Academy (still called Falmer School by locals), another well known philanthropist putting his name on an education centre.
Everything in Britain is for sale at the right price.

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JHunty says...
7:50pm Mon 12 Nov 12

Wow, the Argus Watch pro Israelis are out in force today, almost as if they had a state sponsored organisation dedicated to pumping out pro Israeli propaganda. All these new posters on this site who only post on topics related to Israel and who only post pro Israeli comments, makes you wonder. Well it doesnt make you wonder at all actually its the normal blinkered Israeli fanatics in total denial about their country's appalling human rights record who are paid by Israel to post on sites like this when ever a story relating to Israel crops up.

Ok lets go back to basics, if you steal someone elses land, thats wrong. Its that simple, you dont have a right to steal another peoples country, simples as another pro Israelis shill said a little while ago.

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Goyboy says...
1:04am Tue 13 Nov 12

What an excellent piece of news... Sussex University having a chair for 'Modern Israeli Studies' ...Hickey and his chums must be choking on their
cumpets.

Three cheers for Lord Weidenfeld in recognising that Sussex University is a hot-bed for anti-Israeli propaganda, and having the clout to try and do something about it.

אלוהים יברך ישראל

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george smith says...
7:35am Tue 13 Nov 12

Not taking the huge university fees into the equatation, you would be mad to apply for the course, unless you were a masochist, and liked being snubbed

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John Steed says...
7:43am Tue 13 Nov 12

can a palastinian, born in israel be issued with an israeli driving license assuming they do not hold one from another country?

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Kiddon72 says...
8:26am Tue 13 Nov 12

JHunty wrote:
Wow, the Argus Watch pro Israelis are out in force today, almost as if they had a state sponsored organisation dedicated to pumping out pro Israeli propaganda. All these new posters on this site who only post on topics related to Israel and who only post pro Israeli comments, makes you wonder. Well it doesnt make you wonder at all actually its the normal blinkered Israeli fanatics in total denial about their country's appalling human rights record who are paid by Israel to post on sites like this when ever a story relating to Israel crops up. Ok lets go back to basics, if you steal someone elses land, thats wrong. Its that simple, you dont have a right to steal another peoples country, simples as another pro Israelis shill said a little while ago.
Ah JH.
Nice to see that you have managed to take time off from sitting under bridges and scaring billy goats.

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Dabthirtyfive says...
9:14am Tue 13 Nov 12

Just recently I attended two out of four meetings, hosted by Tom Hickey, and other Brighton university lecturers, encouraging students to boycott Soda Stream, The Batsheva dance group and support for the Palestinian cause. One of the speakers, a young palestinian lady, spoke about the difficulties her family had endured, living in the West Bank, namely a shortage of water, seeing Israeli soldiers with guns pointing at her, when as a child she was screaming in her garden and the fact that her uncle was sent to prison... But it was really his own fault because he made a bomb! In the light of her statement, I asked Tom Hickey what he thought of the situation which occurred in Ramallah, in the year 2000, when two Israeli soldiers who had taken a wrong turn, were lynched, torn apart and their body parts paraded through the streets. Mr Hickeys reply to me, and I have this on tape, was,' it was regrettable but understandable.'. When I tried to ask why a situation which caused international outrage, was considered understandable by Mr Hickey, he lost his temper and refused to answer me. At the second meeting I attended I voiced the same question and again he refused to answer. In light of the back door indoctrination that is being peddled among the students at Brighton University, from a number of lecturers, It is excellent news that Lord Weidenfeld has become the donor for a course in Modern Israeli studies. At long last something might be done to counteract the inflammatory and anti Semitic views being taught, under the guise of sympathy for the Palestinian cause.

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Martha Gunn says...
10:44am Tue 13 Nov 12

The University of Brighton should have put its house in order years ago. The authorities there have tolerated the antics of comrade Hickey for far too long. It will now have an even harder time ridding itself of the anti-Israeli reputation it has deservedly gained around the world.

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hursthill says...
8:51pm Tue 13 Nov 12

I would like to thank ISH 1 on his kind words about my 1st post on this article, together with 99% of the other posts who have shown solidarity with the only liberal democratic country in the Middle East.

Could I alo point out that Israel is the only country in that area that allows Christians, Jews, Muslims,Agnostics, etc etc full academic freedom, & members of all these groups are leading academics in Israeli Universities.

Could I ask "The Argus" to investigate Mr French's political affiliations - Is he a member of the fascist EDL or BDS ? Also confirm his religious affiliations. Perhaps he would care to reply below as he is so opinionated ?

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Murphy1937 says...
5:36am Wed 14 Nov 12

Israel, the only free ,multi-cultural liberal democracy in the Middle East????
What a joke. Name one other democracy that keeps a nation under a 45 year illegal military occupation?
Methinks Lord Weidenfeld should consider a Chair of Human Rights and Social Justice.
Salam

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gusset snatcher says...
12:53pm Wed 14 Nov 12

Israel may be the only liberal democratic country in the Middle East, but they need to learn a basic tenet of Christian philosophy which is......... forgiveness.. instead of the 'eye for an eye' that their religion dictates. Maybe then this terrible cycle of atrocities on both sides will end. One can only wonder at the levels of hatred that exist when seeing video of palestinians putting blown apart Israeli soldier body parts into bags and running around the streets beating and kicking them.... and why do the Greens side with the Palestinians?

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Dabthirtyfive says...
1:59pm Wed 14 Nov 12

gusset snatcher wrote:
Israel may be the only liberal democratic country in the Middle East, but they need to learn a basic tenet of Christian philosophy which is......... forgiveness.. instead of the 'eye for an eye' that their religion dictates. Maybe then this terrible cycle of atrocities on both sides will end. One can only wonder at the levels of hatred that exist when seeing video of palestinians putting blown apart Israeli soldier body parts into bags and running around the streets beating and kicking them.... and why do the Greens side with the Palestinians?
All the while Israel continues to exist, there will never be forgiveness from the Arab nations towards them. They are hated for the simple reason they have been hated down through the centuries... Because they are Jews. It wouldn't have mattered where they had been given a piece of land to call their own. It could have been in the middle of the desert with no one else around and still they would not have been allowed to live there in peace. Think about the size of Israel compared to all the Arab counties surrounding it. A tiny tiny piece of land. I would imagine the body parts of Israeli soldiers are kicked around by the Palestinians, because of their own repressive regime.. A regime they would be forced to come back under if Israel ceased to exist...or do you actually believe that if that were to happen the Palestinians would suddenly become a democracy!! As for the Greens, I wasn't aware they did side with the Palestinians as a whole...but as with anything green you are always going to get some rotten apples in the barrel.

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Kiddon72 says...
3:37pm Wed 14 Nov 12

Dabthirtyfive wrote:
gusset snatcher wrote: Israel may be the only liberal democratic country in the Middle East, but they need to learn a basic tenet of Christian philosophy which is......... forgiveness.. instead of the 'eye for an eye' that their religion dictates. Maybe then this terrible cycle of atrocities on both sides will end. One can only wonder at the levels of hatred that exist when seeing video of palestinians putting blown apart Israeli soldier body parts into bags and running around the streets beating and kicking them.... and why do the Greens side with the Palestinians?
All the while Israel continues to exist, there will never be forgiveness from the Arab nations towards them. They are hated for the simple reason they have been hated down through the centuries... Because they are Jews. It wouldn't have mattered where they had been given a piece of land to call their own. It could have been in the middle of the desert with no one else around and still they would not have been allowed to live there in peace. Think about the size of Israel compared to all the Arab counties surrounding it. A tiny tiny piece of land. I would imagine the body parts of Israeli soldiers are kicked around by the Palestinians, because of their own repressive regime.. A regime they would be forced to come back under if Israel ceased to exist...or do you actually believe that if that were to happen the Palestinians would suddenly become a democracy!! As for the Greens, I wasn't aware they did side with the Palestinians as a whole...but as with anything green you are always going to get some rotten apples in the barrel.
Your post confirms what was stated at the start of this thread and a fact which subsequent posters deny:

"All the while Israel continues to exist, there will never be forgiveness from the Arab nations towards them. They are hated for the simple reason they have been hated down through the centuries... Because they are Jews".

One only has to read te Hamas charter to understand that their aim is the death of all jews.

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redllewellyn says...
8:18pm Wed 14 Nov 12

all this talk of anti semitism is complete rubbish im part jewish and i vehemently oppose the creation of the chair of modern isreali studies. isreal is a state not a race incase you hadnt noticed and its a viciously racist state at that. Students like me oppose this chair, it is pure propaganda bought by pro isrealis to try to counter the pro-palestinian sentiment at the university. It has no place at our university.

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Dabthirtyfive says...
8:49pm Wed 14 Nov 12

redllewellyn wrote:
all this talk of anti semitism is complete rubbish im part jewish and i vehemently oppose the creation of the chair of modern isreali studies. isreal is a state not a race incase you hadnt noticed and its a viciously racist state at that. Students like me oppose this chair, it is pure propaganda bought by pro isrealis to try to counter the pro-palestinian sentiment at the university. It has no place at our university.
Israel is a state.. Given to a race.. And I would guess that our part Jewish friend has never been there. I'm sure that others such as yourself might oppose the chair, but I would suggest that part Jewish people such as yourself are in a minority at the university. There are many who welcome it.

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Goyboy says...
9:07pm Wed 14 Nov 12

redllewellyn wrote:
all this talk of anti semitism is complete rubbish im part jewish and i vehemently oppose the creation of the chair of modern isreali studies. isreal is a state not a race incase you hadnt noticed and its a viciously racist state at that. Students like me oppose this chair, it is pure propaganda bought by pro isrealis to try to counter the pro-palestinian sentiment at the university. It has no place at our university.
You aptly demonstrate the necessity of such a chair at Sussex University...if only to help people spell ISRAEL correctly.

No harm with a bit of give and take at the University...you've all had it your own way for a long time...so now a fly will be put in the ointment and there will be tears before bed-time and dummies spat out ...boy would I like to be a fly on the wall.

Again I applaud and welcome the setting up of the new chair for Modern Israeli Studies...I'm even tempted to apply myself.

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