When a Jewish, Not Lesser Figure, Get Blocked Because “Jew Fiasco”: Kenneth Roth.

It's heartening to me (as writer / my thesis in undergraduate explaining complicated relation between Israel - Palestine) to see Kennedy School faculty pushing back vs Dean Elmendorf's decision to rescind its fellowship offer to Kenneth Roth, which is a blow to academic freedom, HKS's reputation, and the interests of its students. Roth is Jewish descent. 

Roth, the child of Jewish parents whose father fled from Nazi Germany, helmed the internationally renowned human rights NGO to historic growth in his nearly three-decade-long tenure and was dubbed by The New York Times as the godfather of human rights. Roth was also linked to the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the International Coalition to Ban Landmines, of which HRW was a founding member. "If this controversy was enough to boot a titan like Roth, a JEW, from the Kennedy School, I cannot imagine the penalties that much lesser-known Palestinian and Arab academics have suffered for their views on the Middle East over the years." Even Ken himself said, “"If I can be canceled because of my criticism of Israel, will [young academics] risk taking the issue on? If they can do this to me, imagine what they can do to lesser figures" Meanwhile, the school has a special program *just* for Israeli gov officials to be students.

Rothschild (not Roth), started from Judengasse Frankfurt, Germany. The first member of the family who was known to use the name "Rothschild" was Izaak Elchanan Rothschild, born in 1577. The name is derived from the German zum rothen Schild (with the old spelling "th"), meaning "at the red shield", in reference to the house where the family lived for many generations (in those days, houses were designated not by numbers, but by signs displaying different symbols or colours). A red shield can still be seen at the centre of the Rothschild coat of arms. The family's ascent to international prominence began in 1744. In 2010, Baron Benjamin Rothschild, a Swiss-based member of the banking family, said that he supported the Israeli–Palestinian peace process: "I understand that it is a complicated business, mainly because of the fanatics and extremists – and I am talking about both sides. I think you have fanatics in Israel. ... In general I am not in contact with politicians. I spoke once with Netanyahu. I met once with an Israeli finance minister, but the less I mingle with politicians the better I feel."[62] Due to a dispute with the Israeli tax authorities, the baron refuses to visit Israel. But his wife Ariane de Rothschild often visits Israel where she manages the Caesarea Foundation. She says: "It is insulting that the state [Israel] casts doubt on us. If there is a family that does not have to prove its commitment to Israel, it's ours.

Back to (Kenneth/Ken) Roth. A lot of Jewish descent set his and her heart to Palestine. Emily Wilder, ex AP, got fired from AP because of her long-standing support for Palestine. Natalie Hershlag, famous with the name Portman, Hollywood actress, very genius graduated from Harvard, also to be a long-standing support for Palestine.

The director of the Harvard Carr Center Professor Mathias Risse (German citizen) called the decision a 'profoundly sad moment' for him personally. 'My subsequent conversation with Ken Roth to explain this decision to the extent I could was one of the lowest moments in my professional life.'" “HKS spokesperson James F. Smith did not deny Roth’s specific allegations and declined to provide details about his fellowship candidacy.”

Regarding Dean Douglas William Elmendorf's claim that Roth has an "anti-Israel bias," Professor Kathryn Sikkink stated: "I have seen no credible evidence whatsoever that HRW or Ken Roth are biased against Israel. I consider this misinformation, and for people who know better, actual disinformation."

Palestinian alumni call for Harvard Kennedy School dean to step down over Ken Roth fiasco. At Harvard's Kennedy School, Dean Elmendorf--who blocked Ken Roth's appointment out of fealty to apartheid and ethnic cleansing--can be reached at 617-495-1122.

Amazing that Sean Spicer, a lowlife lackey of a deeply corrupt autocrat, is welcomed at HKS, while someone like Ken Roth who has been standing up for human rights for over 3 decades is denied a fellowship. 

Harvard's Kennedy School turned down Ken Roth, the dean of the American human rights community, for supposed "anti-Israel bias." Meanwhile, its Wexner Israel Fellowship routinely brings members of the Mossad, IDF and Shin Bet to the school as fellows. The higher-education community in the United States is now (rightly) questioning Harvard Kennedy School Dean Douglas Elmendorf's veto of a proposed human rights fellowship for me because of my criticism of Israel -- a flouting of academic freedom.

There is an excellent piece in the Nation this week by Michael Massing documenting that Ken Roth–the man who affixed the apartheid label on Israel as head of Human Rights Watch in 2021 — lost out on a fellowship at Harvard’s Kennedy School last year because of his criticism of Israel.

Massing quotes Roth and a Kennedy School official saying the offer from a human rights center at the school was withdrawn because of the Israel issue. Then Massing identifies several pro-Israel donors he suggests had influence over the dean, Douglas Elmendorf.

The megadonors named by Massing (a close friend of mine) who presumably affected Elmendorf include: Thomas Kaplan, the chair of the 92d Street Y in New York– which cancels Palestinians; Leslie Wexner, the pro-Israel retailer; Idan Ofer, an Israeli billionaire, and wife Batia, both on the dean’s executive board; and Robert and Renee Belfer, philanthropists to many Israeli institutions. Ofer and Belfer have their names on buildings at the school (a point I made in 2008).

SOHRI (Swedish Observatory for Human Rights Information) also condemns in the strongest terms Harvard Kennedy School’s denial of a position to the Kenneth Roth.

Interesting, economist Lawrence Henry Summers, who disagrees with Kenneth's Roth's criticism of Israel, nonetheless is suspicious of Harvard's decision to revoke his Kennedy School fellowship. Lawrence, in his account twitter, tweeted “While I loathe @KenRoth's views on Israeli & think some of his statements border on anti-Semitic, I think @TheFIREorg {Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression } is correct to seriously question the administrative decision not to allow @Kennedy_School @CarrCenter to invite Roth as a visiting fellow.

The appropriate response to Ken Roth criticism of Israel is NOT denying him a position but to offer more speech in the form of reasoned criticism and debate. More speech serves the principles of free expression and our interest in the pursuit of truth.