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5 Responses to “U.S. Approves Visas for Gaza Fulbright Scholars, Then Revokes Them as Security Risks”

1. Paul Malfara says:

   August 5, 2008 at 4:17 AM

   Richard,

   Once again, I’m ashamed of the actions of my country, America.

   As far as Palestinians learning that America is not to be trusted, I’m sure that they acquired that lesson a long time ago, probably by thier seventh or tenth birthday.

   The interesting question that you don’t address is who are the officials in the US State Department, CIA, etc. who are accepting this bs evidence from Shin Bet, an agency that generally regards Arab birth as proof of a security risk. Who is stepping up to the plate in the US government to support the reports from Shin Bet. Is there pressure being applied somewhere?

   PM

   Reply
2. fiddler says:

   August 5, 2008 at 9:28 AM

   Leave behind all reason, ye who enter here, ought to be the inscription at the visa office. Remember Maher Arar, the Syrian-Canadian who was arrested at JFK airport on his way home to liberal, terrorist-lovin’ Canada, then sent to Syria to be tortured? He was fully exonerated and got a formal apology from the Canadian authorities, who were involved in his ordeal, but he’s still on an US watchlist and denied entry into the US for reasons that, on “national security” grounds (“national embarassment” would be more fitting) can’t be made public.

   Reply
3. Joachim Martillo says:

   August 5, 2008 at 12:04 PM

   Fidaa Abed, who is Gazan Fulbright scholar named in the Haaretz report, is an engineer working on natural language processing.

   I discuss my gatekeeper and facilitator hypothesis as an explanation for the behavior of the State Department in New Report on Gazan Fulbright Scholars.

   I have mentioned this idea before on The Magnes Zionist blog, and in this particular case, I have a strong suspicion that Harvard Wexner Israel or Harvard Wexner Heritage Scholars are involved in this attempt to get the USA to do Israel’s dirty work.

   Last week, I worked on various senior academic acquaintances to point out to Israeli counterparts that opposing an academic boycott of Israel becomes much more difficult when Israel is restricting Palestinian scholars.

   Reply
4. Protest the Yalta on Gaza says:

   August 5, 2008 at 2:02 PM

   In contrast to the anti-Zionist cult, I am actually honestly sympathizing with the Palestinians and remain an enlightened Zionist, too, although left Israel because it was reminding me of Eastern Europe too strongly.

   The Palestinians were easily entangled in an own Yalta – procured by their suicidal Grand Mufti, who never nurtured intellectual policies.

   The guy was a beggar, and will remain a stain in the Palestinian history, with his extreme plots.

   He sold the Palestinian independence and pride to multiple failed allies.

   A virtual Yalta is Gaza, and it will take a huge intellectual innovation to get it out of the claws of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Tehran junta.

   With Obama, Gaza can cry and lose hope.

   Support: http://blog.pumapac.org/
   ————————————————–

   Reply
5. Global Voices Online » MENA: Visas of Fulbright scholars revoked says:

   August 9, 2008 at 5:24 AM

   [...] blogger Richard Silverstein, writing at Tikun Olam, despairs at the short-sightedness of the decision: At this rate, the U.S. is lucky that any Gaza students have an interest in studying in this [...]

   Reply