Conservative Jews Criticize Hastings Law School

Hastings Law School felt a blast of guilt on the part of some Jewish groups. They pressured the board of directors of Hastings to distance itself from a conference entitled “Litigating Palestine.” (SF Chronicle April 13, 2011) The Israeli government’s treatment of the Palestinian people is distressing to many people including American Jews. The anxiety of conservative Jewish groups to make Israel right and Palestinians wrong produces guilty self-righteous actions. To make a law school conference on litigation “an anti-Israel political organizing project using law as a weapon” is a hysterical cry. Supposing a bunch of law school professors thinking about litigation for Palestinians is an organizing committee is outside the pale of reason. Intellectual debate and discussion must not be silenced or diminished by the emotional and guilt-ridden fear of a few well-organized propagandists.