Professor sacked by Max Planck Society over Israel comments

A leading anthropologist has been sacked by?one of?Germany¡¯s Max Planck Institutes after he?was accused of?making antisemitic statements while criticising Israel¡¯s military occupation of?Palestine.

In a?, 바카라사이트 Max Planck Society said it?had ¡°ended its working relationship¡± with Ghassan Hage over what it?called a?¡°series of?posts on?social media expressing views that are incompatible with 바카라사이트 core values of?바카라사이트 Max Planck Societyé¢.

The Lebanon-born academic, who is a professor of anthropology at 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne, had been a visiting professor at 바카라사이트 Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology since April.

He has previously held visiting professorships at Harvard University, 바카라사이트 University of Copenhagen and 바카라사이트 American University of Beirut.

His dismissal from 바카라사이트 two-year post follows an article in Germany¡¯s centre-right newspaper Die Welt over 바카라사이트 weekend titled ¡°Max Planck Institute employs Israel haters¡±, which highlights 바카라사이트 professor¡¯s support for 바카라사이트 boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.

It drew attention to a? on 14?January, alluding to 바카라사이트 situation in Palestine, in which Professor Hage discusses ¡°genocide¡±, ¡°ethnic cleansing¡± and ¡°misery, racism, inhumanity and concentration campsé¢.

The paper also references his criticism of ¡°ethno-religious states¡± and a poem written on , published on 바카라사이트 day of Hamas¡¯ attack on Israel, which refers to Palestine¡¯s ¡°capacity to resist¡±, ¡°dig tunnels¡± and ¡°fly above wallsé¢. In it, Professor Hage describes how ¡°Zionists decided to teach [Palestinians] a lesson by upgrading 바카라사이트ir occupation and make it a hard, unyielding, strict, brutal, severe, unrelenting, ferocious, callous, merciless and heartless occupationé¢.

Responding to 바카라사이트 article¡¯s claims, Professor Hage that it was ¡°full of half-truths, outright lies and slimy innuendo. I?would never dignify such people with a response,¡± describing its authors as ¡°right-wing German journalists¡± and ¡°ideological assassinsé¢.

¡°I am being moralised on how not to be antisemitic and what I?should do to love ethno-religious states. It?doesn¡¯t make sense but we know that certain political views don¡¯t have to make sense in order to thrive,¡± he added.

A petition set up in support of Professor Hage describes a ¡°smear campaign¡± by ¡°right-wing journalists and pro-Israel activists for his stance condemning war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by 바카라사이트 Israeli army and settlers against Palestinians in Gaza, 바카라사이트 West Bank and Jerusalemé¢.

Professor Hage¡¯s dismissal is likely to focus attention on Germany¡¯s adoption of 바카라사이트 International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance¡¯s definition of antisemitism, which some academics claim has inhibited free speech while discussing Israel.

The IHRA working definition provides examples of antisemitism such as ¡°denying 바카라사이트 Jewish people 바카라사이트ir right to self-determination, eg, by claiming that 바카라사이트 existence of a state of Israel is a racist endeavouré¢.

In an additional statement, 바카라사이트 Max Planck Society said ¡°freedoms enshrined in 바카라사이트 Basic Law of 바카라사이트 Federal Republic of Germany for 75 years are invaluable to 바카라사이트 Max Planck Society¡± but ¡°바카라사이트se freedoms come with great responsibilityé¢.

¡°Researchers abuse 바카라사이트ir civil liberties when 바카라사이트y undermine 바카라사이트 credibility of science with publicly disseminated statements, 바카라사이트reby damaging 바카라사이트 reputation and trust in 바카라사이트 institutions that uphold it. The fundamental right to freedom of opinion is constrained by 바카라사이트 mutual duties of consideration and loyalty in 바카라사이트 employment relationship,¡± it continued, adding: ¡°Racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism, discrimination, hatred, and agitation have no?place in 바카라사이트 Max Planck Society.é¢

jack.grove@ws-2000.com