then changes her mind on the American Studies Association boycott resolution, perhaps for other reasons. But the entire situation is worth reviewing, given that BDS supporters are constantly claiming that pro-Israel forces are the ones doing the harassing, vilification, etc. Via Legal Insurrection, here are a couple of quotes from Potter about the reaction to her initial pro-academic freedom (but hardly pro-Israel) stand against the ASA resolution: “There were massive numbers of people, including a lot of people I know, just writing these nasty things on my blog about what a horrible person I was,” and “You may have received something on Facebook today, as well as on Twitter, floating the accusation that my opposition to the academic boycott of Israel being considered by the National Council of #2013ASA is a sham. This opposition is, the messages claims, only an excuse for me to continue an unhealthy and longstanding obsession with a prominent member of the American Studies Association.”
Keep this in mind next time your hear someone bloviating about how “brave” one has to be to be hostile to Israel in the American academy, and how pressure from pro-Israel forces makes an open debate impossible. Remember, the harassment of Potter came even though she essentially agreed with the BDSers on substance, but only disagreed with the tactic of boycotting academics.