Brandeis President Jehuda Reinharz and I Exchange Letters

Two days after my article, "[Brandeis University President Jehuda] Reinharz, Israel and Me," appeared, Dr. Reinharz contacted me. We have agreed to exchange letters. Here is his letter to me:

Dear Dr. Pipes,

I am pleased we had an opportunity to speak about your recent article "Reinharz, Israel, and Me," which was published in the Brandeis student newspaper, the Justice (Tuesday, February 13, 2007.) I look forward to seeing your corrections.

You have been a guest on this campus on more than one occasion and, I believe, have always been treated with the utmost respect. I trust that the student groups who organize these events will manage your return visit in the spring with dispatch, and you will be recognized by Brandeis as the scholar you are. I, and my Executive Assistant, Dr. John Hose hope to attend your talk. If time allows, perhaps we can continue our conversation in my office.

As we discussed, I am writing to follow up on our discussion of this afternoon and restate a few points. Specifically, I refer to the student newspaper, the Justice's, allegations that I somehow, during a recent faculty meeting, linked your name to "weapons of mass destruction" and to Norman Finkelstein. Let me assure you this was never the case and the phrase was quoted completely out of context by the student newspaper reporter who attended the faculty meeting. Let me repeat. I do not believe, nor did I say that you are a weapon of mass destruction, or anything of the kind. Further, I have never, nor would I ever think of linking your name to that of Norman Finkelstein.

Dr. Pipes, let me also assure you, I have spoken with my Executive Assistant, Dr. John Hose, and he also would never think of linking your name to that of Mr. Finkelstein's. Nor did or would Dr. Hose equate your visit to campus with theater or entertainment. Again, I fear the newspaper has continued on a course of misquotation.

Sincerely,

Jehuda Reinharz

And here is my response:

Dear Dr. Reinharz:

I am relieved to learn that you strongly disagree with what the Justice article on February 6 ascribed to you at a recent faculty meeting. I welcome your assurance that you did not mention my name or that of Norman Finkelstein, individually, together, or linked to the phrase "weapons of mass destruction."

It is also vital for me to learn from you that you distance yourself from what Dr. John Hose was quoted saying about me in the same Justice article.

I am grateful for your kind words about my scholarship and your intention to welcome me the next time I am at Brandeis.

Yours sincerely,

Daniel Pipes

(February 17, 2007)