MCLC: MLA Ratification Ballot

[Denton, Kirk]

MCLC LIST
From: Lupke, Christopher <lupke at wsu.edu>
Subject: MLA Ratification Ballot
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Colleagues:

For those of you who are members of the MLA, you may know there is a
Ratification Ballot going on right now. Among other things, members are
asked to vote yes or no on Resolution 2014-1 that states the "MLA urge[s]
the US Department of State to contest Israel's denials of entry to the
West Bank by United States academics who have been invited to teach,
confer, or do research at Palestinian universities." (The full text is on
line and other documents and information are available via url links.)

I have colleagues and friends on both sides of the issue and I see both
sides. Having said that, I personally plan to vote "NO" on the resolution
because (1) I would like to see the MLA focus more on the issues that are
specifically germane to it as an organization (such as approving the new
"forum" system that would give Chinese and East Asian MUCH more space
within the organization. I feel we have a lot to do within the
organization to make it better. But I also feel that (2) this sort of
resolution is not the best way right now to go about motivating Israel to
improve the situation vis-a-vis the envisaged Palestinian State. I would
like to see a Palestinian State.

I will leave it to my colleagues to make up their own minds, but, as I
said, on this resolution I plan to vote "NO." In any event, I urge my
colleagues who are members of the MLA to at least vote!

Sincerely,
Christopher Lupke