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LSE publishes blog post accusing Zionism of “delegitimising” and “dehumanising” Palestinians
December 3, 2015 21:55
The London School of Economics has published a post on its website accusing Zionism of being based on Jewish biblical “notions of separateness, superiority and entitlement”.
Dr Sandra Nasr, a lecturer in the politics of the Middle East at Notre Dame University in Australia, writes that Jewish notions of “otherness” as the “chosen people” and what she calls the “colonial plan” to occupy Palestine have led to a deliberate “delegitimising” and “dehumanising” of Palestinians.
In the post, Delegitimising through Dehumanisation: Palestinian ‘human’ rights denied, Dr Nasr accuses Israel of oppressing Palestinians and denying their human rights and equates the Israel-Palestine conflict and the concept of Zionism with apartheid.
She writes: “Zionism, the ideological project to secure a Jewish homeland, relies upon notions of separateness, superiority and entitlement,” before describing what she labels the biblical notion of “otherness”.
In the post, which appears on the LSE’s human rights page, Dr Nasr writes: “Notions of ‘racial’ superiority are contained in Jewish scriptures and Rabbinical pronouncements have the effect of relegating ‘the other’ to a standard which is sub-human and, therefore, not deserving of the same considerations that are reserved for one’s ‘own kind’.
“Modern-day Israelites found practical and ideological expression of this concept in Zionism”.
After LSE posted a link to Dr Nasr’s blog on Twitter, readers described it as “deeply racist”, and “full of racist tropes”. One tweeter and LSE graduate requested the university to remove it from their website, saying: “disgraceful anti-semitism promoted by LSE. As an alum I am horrified. Please remove this sick racist article”.
Another tweet pointed out that a link in the piece sends reader to an article on the Journal of Historical Review website, a publication of the Institute of Historical Review which has been accused on Holocaust denial.
Dr Nasr’s other publications include ‘Israel’s other Terrorism Challenge’, and Tactical Terror: Israel in the Palestinian Territories.
LSE has been asked for comment.
Board of Deputies president Jonathan Arkush condemned the blog and called on LSE to delete it.
He said: “This piece is contemptible and I have written to LSE demanding its removal forthwith.”
The Community Security Trust said Dr Nasr had given a "false and offensive caricature of Jewish law and religious beliefs".
