[haw-info] HAW at the AHA: January 3-4!

Dear HAW supporters,

We have a very full agenda coming up, at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Historical Association in New York next weekend.  

1.  The MARHO roundtable, "What is the Responsibility of Historians Regarding the Israel/Palestine Conflict?" will be held on Saturday, January 3, 2:30-4:30 pm, in Concourse G of the New York Hilton, 1335 Avenue of the Americas (at 53rd Street, not 52nd, as previously stated).  As you know, it includes Joel Beinin (Donald J. McLachlan Professor of History and Professor of Middle East History, Stanford University), Leena Dallasheh (Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of History, Rice University), Linda Gordon (Professor of History, New York University), Barbara Weinstein (Professor of History, New York University).  It will be moderated by Carolyn Eisenberg (Professor of History, Hofstra University).  We hope to see many of you there; it will also be recorded for later viewing by the History News Network.

2.  HAW sent two resolutions to the AHA on December 22, regarding academic freedom in Israel/Palestine.  I attach them here, including the impressive list of signers. As you may know, AHA President Jan Goldstein responded in a formal letter, which was posted along with our resolutions on the members-only section of the AHA website;  we are very grateful for the prompt and professional response from Executive Director James Grossman, Parliamentarian Michael Les Benedict, and President Goldstein.  We have met all the criteria for consideration, other than timeliness, since the official deadline was November 1.  The AHA Council will meet on January 2, and will consider whether to put our resolutions on the agenda of the Business Meeting, to be held Sunday, January 4, 4:45-6 pm in the Beekman Parlor of the New York Hilton.  If the Council does not take that action, which is certainly possible, we will move to suspend the rules so that our resolutions can be considered. In either case, it is vital that all HAW supporters who are attending the AHA plan to attend and vote at the business meeting.

A note:  it has come to our attention that some historians believe that one of our two resolutions calls for an academic boycott of Israel, and on that basis are calling on colleagues to attend the Business Meeting to oppose our resolutions, or a suspension of the rules to allow them to be considered.  That is certainly their right, and we welcome an open debate, but it would facilitate such a conversation if the substance of our resolutions were addressed, rather than inaccurate reports.  We also note our presumption that if our resolutions were passed in the Business Meeting, the Council would then send them out to the full membership for an online vote, as happened when HAW previously submitted resolutions to the AHA.  Such an online discussion and vote involving the full membership would be ideal, facilitating the widest possible consideration of our professional roles and responsibilities regarding this aspect of U.S. foreign policy.