Boycott unmasked
Child refused help with school project because she is Israeli
A 13-YEAR-OLD Israeli girl has described her shock “that Jewish people could hate Jews in Israel” after a Jewish academic refused to help her with a school project “until there is peace in Palestine”.
Shachar Rabinovitch said she had been excited to email Marsha Levine, a former Cambridge University expert with more than 40 years of experience working with horses.
But the girl’s enthusiasm turned to shock when Dr Levine replied that she would only answer questions about the animals “when there is peace and justice for Palestinians in Palestine”.
The academic, a member of Jews for Justice for Palestinians, later claimed “the Jews have become the Nazis” and said she would not help Shachar because she came from a country whose prime minister “wanted ethnic cleansing”.
Shachar said that she had emailed Dr Levine after reading an article online about her studies of horses. “The response confused me. I did not know what Jews for Justice for Palestinians was. She told me she was a member and supported BDS. I did not want to get into that with her. I did not argue with her, I just said thank you.
“I was kind of shocked and a bit angry. She could have answered differently or not responded at all.
“I think every person has a right to their own opinion but there is a line you should not cross when talking with a 13-year-old girl who only asks about horses.”
Shachar, who takes part in afterschool show-jumping classes, said she was surprised when friends told her the email exchange had made headlines around the world.
The girl, who lives on a kibbutz near Pardes Chana, said: “I did not want this to be a big deal. I feel bad if Dr Levine gets bad emails from people.”
On Tuesday, Dr Levine said she was not embarrassed by her response to the girl and had believed it was “fair” not to help her. She said Jews had “turned themselves into monsters” in their treatment of Palestinians in Gaza.
The archaeozoologist had received
the email last week. Shachar had written: “I know you are a very important person. I love horses very much and it will be an honour if you will answer my questions.”
Dr Levine replied: “I’ll answer your questions when there is peace and justice for Palestinians in Palestine. I support boycott, divestment, sanctions. You might be a child, but if you are old enough to write to me, you are old enough to learn about Israeli history and how it has impacted on the lives of Palestinian people.”
The American former academic told the JC: “I didn’t ask her to email me. The people who live in Gaza cannot get education, health, water. Jews have turned themselves into monsters. Benjamin Netanyahu wants ethnic cleansing. The Jews have become the Nazis.”
JfJfP distanced itself from Dr Levine, saying it was “self-evident we cannot and do not approve of her awful response”.