Here is an email exchange I had with Dr. Reiharz in which he defends inviting Carter to Brandeis
Reader comment on item: [Brandeis University President Jehuda] Reinharz, Israel and Me

Submitted by William F. Katz (United States), Feb 13, 2007 at 14:54

Dear Dr. Reinharz,

I am writing to voice my shock and displeasure to hear of Brandeis inviting Jimmy Carter to speak, unopposed. At a time when concerned Jewish Americans are finding the strength to stand up to this bigot, including members of his own institute (including the renowned K. Stein) and Jewish Federations throughout the country, you set a new low by giving Carter a PR platform by which he can flout his 'sensitivity to the Jewish community.' This and other actions are fast setting Brandeis as one of the most gullible, self-debasing centers of American Jewry. Of course, you prioritize Brandeis' publicity and notoriety above any true concern for Israel or the future vicitms of Carter's anti-Semitism. This is astounding behavior for a a once-reputable institution.

BTW, I am a University professor, a Brown Univ. Graduate, who has recommended many students to your institution over the years.

I will no longer.

Sincerely,

William F. Katz, Ph.D.
University of Texas at Dallas
Callier Center for Communication Disorders

Here is his gracious reply -->

Dr. Katz

You are certainly entitled to recommend students to Brandeis or not as you see fit; however, I would like to correct the record for you. Brandeis did not invite President Carter to speak at the University. The invitation was extended by a small "Faculty and Student Committee for the Visit of President Carter." Neither I nor any member of my administration was consulted or asked to approve or participate in the invitation.

There are numerous speakers invited to the Brandeis campus by faculty and student groups, departments, programs and institutes, as I am sure is the case at the University of Texas at Dallas. I do not see it as my role as president to set the agenda for who may or may not speak on campus and what may or may not be discussed. It is my role to ensure that our academic community is a safe and civil environment for the widest possible discussion of ideas and issues. While I have not read President Carter's book, I am well aware of the views he has expressed and the reactions that those views and his book have provoked in many quarters. Nonetheless, as I stated, when asked by a reporter for the Boston Globe, "President Carter -- and indeed anyone -- is welcome to come on the campus of Brandeis University to talk about anything under the sun." I assume the same is true at Brown, as well as your current institution, the University of Texas at Dallas.

Sincerely,

Jehuda Reinharz

(footnote -- so ANYBODY is welcome, but while Carter does not apparently provoke Reinharz, Daniel Pipes does? Scary behavior for a university president!)

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