INTERNSHIPS WITH RADICAL NGOs UNDERMINE HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION
The draft report cited in the article “American Internships in Israel Promote Extremism, Report Says” (Chronicle of Higher Education, April 16, 2008) is part of NGO Monitor’s ongoing research focusing on the boundaries between human rights norms and partisan ideological campaigning. As quoted, the analysis of the activities of the NGOs chosen for these internships at George Mason University and the University of Denver is systematic, detailed and fully referenced. Unfortunately, instead of engaging in a substantive and factual discussion or presenting a coherent argument on the academic dimensions of this issue, the justifications provided by the academics and NGO activists consist of empty slogans and ideological labels. Similarly, the attempt to compare the educational value of US Congressional internships (which exclude partisan campaigning) with a few weeks in the company of some Middle Eastern activists underlines the need for an independent academic assessment.
Prof. Gerald M. Steinberg
Executive Director, NGO Monitor
and Chair, Political Studies, Bar Ilan University
