A while back, we tracked the odd little debate over a debate between the American Jewish Committee’s David Harris and John Mearsheimer, the coauthor of "The Israel Lobby."
Long story short, it boiled down to who was running and who was hiding from a debate over the pro-Israel lobby in the United States.
Mearsheimer had perfectly valid reasons for opting out of David Harris’s initial bid for a debate in the spring — he was blindsided by a radio host in one case, and was not happy with the five minute format in the other.
And then Mearsheimer dumped on Harris for postponing the debate until 2010. AJC was not able to say at the time why Harris would not be available, and Mearsheimer pooh-poohed this as a sign that Harris was ducking the debate.
Mearsheimer and Harris have since resolved their differences over debating their differences, and now we know why: Harris has been elected to a visiting post at Oxford University.
Best excuse ever, I’d say.
Here’s the announcement:
David Harris Elected to Oxford University Visiting Post
September 8, 2009 – New York – David Harris, AJC’s executive director, has been elected a Senior Associate Member of Oxford University’s St. Antony’s College for the academic year 2009-10. He will also be a Member of the college’s European Studies Centre.
St. Antony’s is one of the postgraduate colleges of Oxford University and specializes in international relations, economics, politics, and modern history. It is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading institutions in its fields of specialization.
“Ever since I was a Junior Associate Member at St. Antony’s, or, in American parlance, a Junior Visiting Scholar, in the late 1970s, I have dreamed of returning to this unique academic setting,” said Harris. “While continuing in my full-time AJC role, I shall look forward to the opportunity, during regular visits, to attend seminars, pursue research and writing projects, and engage with a distinguished scholarly community that intersects directly with AJC’s global activity.”
From 2000 to 2002, Harris was a Visiting Scholar at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), where he led a seminar for graduate students entitled “Post-Holocaust Political and Ethical Issues”.
“This is a big feather in our cap,” said Richard Sideman, AJC’s president. “It is yet another sign of the esteem in which our staff is held around the world. For AJC, it means, above all, precious exposure to the world of thinkers and ideas affecting the environment in which we work. This, in turn, will further strengthen the agency’s ability to fulfill its ambitious mission.”
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