You may remember how, last month, a speech by Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren at UC Irvine was continually interrupted by a series of Arab and Muslim “protestors” calling him a “murderer” and “war criminal” – to the point where the University chancellor had to get on the stage and lecture the portion of the audience that had, according to press reports and materials they’d distributed prior to the speech, come with the intention of disrupting the event to the point that it couldn’t continue.
Oren, whose best-selling histories of the Six-Day War and the U.S. involvement in the Middle East made him known in the U.S. prior to his becoming ambassador, isn’t intimidated. In fact, in an open letter to the campus, he’s offering to come back:
The diplomat said he understood the emotional nature of Middle East politics, but said it was also important to observe the decorum of free speech and hear others’ viewpoints.
“I was saddened by the loss of this opportunity to exchange ideas with those who disagreed with me and, at the very least, to introduce them to different perspectives,” he wrote.
Oren noted that the incident underscored the importance of dialogue, and said dialogue was the only way peace in the Middle East would be achieved. He offered to return to the campus as long as the proper decorum of free speech is respected.
Apparently, according to the AP report, the arrests of 11 students at the lecture has become an issue on campus, with some charging that they were “unfairly targeted for making a political statement and exercising their own right to free speech.” They might try a few courses in the law or political science department, or maybe just open a dictionary of common sense, to figure out the different between “free speech” and chaotic, disorderly conduct.
What do you think?