The controversy should never have pivoted around Roth’s stance on Israel — it’s not like academia or Harvard lacks obsessive Bash-Israel-Firsters. One anti-Zionist more here or there won’t really make a difference. The real problem is that Roth would be a negative role model for aspiring activists who should learn to get their facts right as a precursor to righting wrongs.
Roth’s anti-Israel animus led him to act sloppily and push false accusations in ways that should concern any academic committed to truth.
