To The Faculty Newsletter:

I found the DeGraff article very troubling. DeGraff’s effort to dehumanize Sheffi reflects a lack of understanding of the history of the conflict and a willingness to ignore the other side’s experience. I suspect that he is not an Arabic speaker notwithstanding that he is a professor of Linguistics. I say that because he condemns all Jewish Israelis to a classification of colonial usurpers and the source of all Palestinian pain. He is apparently unaware that the majority of Israelis today are the progeny of Jews who have lived in Palestine for centuries and the 900,000 Arabic speaking Jewish residents of Arab countries who were forced to leave their homes and properties and assets without compensation and who never received a penny of UNWRA support.

My own family is an example. For generations Simhas lived in Palestine, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and other parts of the Ottoman Empire. They were summarily evicted from their homes. My family in Jerusalem, who had warm relations with our Arab neighbors for years, woke up the day the State was established to find our house being shelled by the British-led Arab Legion. The same day, my kind and gentle uncle was waiting for a bus in Tel Aviv, when the Egyptian air force bombed the bus station and he became the first victim of their attempt to end the UN’s decision. 

I think that none of my family’s experience would register with DeGraff. But I am troubled by the FNL’s willingness to have such a long personal attack on a fellow faculty member without some editorial control and balanced view of the events. I hope you can do something to improve civility in the FNL in the future.

As I complete my 71st year as a member of the MIT community, I recall  a time when debate on important issues was more congenial, though no less passionate. I hope we can rediscover that quality which made MIT so special.

O. R. Simha
MIT Affiliate
Former MIT Planning Director

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