The Cornell International Affairs Review (CIAR) held a panel on the Iran Nuclear Deal on Thursday and—perhaps unsurprisingly given the dismal breadth of intellectual diversity in higher education— all three of the faculty participants expressed strong support for the deal. Notably absent from the discussion was a consideration of Iran’s outspoken anti-Americanism, sponsorship of terrorism, and miserable record on human rights. One professor even referred to terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah as “liberation groups.”
The Iran Nuclear Deal brokered by President Obama, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, has been widely derided by conservatives and supporters of Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the deal a “historic mistake for the world.” House Speaker John Boehner released a statement proclaiming “this ‘deal’ will only embolden Iran – the world’s largest sponsor of terror – by helping stabilize and legitimize its regime as it spreads even more violence and instability in the region.”
But the Cornell professors charged with evaluating the deal were universal in their support and praise. The Cornell Review, the university’s conservative student publication, reports:
Unfortunately, all three professors unequivocally defended the agreement and so the discussion was entirely one-sided. The panelists’ talking points can be summed up in three points: (1) that Iran is a peace-seeking nation whose rhetoric suggesting otherwise and past actions proving otherwise are irrelevant or misunderstood; (2) that the U.S. is obligated to concede to Iran more than Iran should concede to the U.S.; and (3) anyone who opposes the deal is a warmonger.
The Cornell professors participating in the panel were Iago Gocheleishvili, Professor of Near Eastern Studies, Elizabeth Sanders, Professor of Government, and Sarah Kreps, Professor of Government and Law.
The Cornell Review reports that Professor Sanders, who serves as faculty advisor to the Cornell College Democrats, stated in her comments that “she admired the Iranian people’s capacity to ‘forgive’ the U.S. for its role in the coup and the imposition of economic sanctions” and that the “Israeli occupation” is responsible for the existence of terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah.
Professor Gocheleishvili chose to speak of Hamas and Hezbollah as “liberation groups” and excused Iran’s alliance with these organs of terror as justifiable because “there’s no one else to be their allies.”
The Cornell Review concludes:
Though these panelists would want you to believe in a made-up narrative about the peaceful intentions of Iran and its numerous promises to the West, we should judge Iran by its actions, not by its words.
These students could teach their professors a thing or two.
