- Distinguished York University professor David F.
Noble, 61, Tuesday launched a $25 million suit against various Jewish organizations
for defamation for labeling him an "anti Semite."
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- Defendants include the private corporate entity York
University Foundation, pro-Israel lobbying and fundraising organizations
Hillel of Greater Toronto, the United Jewish Appeal Federation of Greater
Toronto, and the Canadian Jewish Congress, Ontario, and their agents.
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- They are accused of trying to intimate Noble because
of his critical investigation into external influences on Canada's third-largest
public university. In 2004, he distributed a short report entitled "The
Tail that Wags the Dog" which showed the connections between members
of the York Foundation, a fundraising body, and pro-Israel lobbyists.
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- As a result Jewish student activists red flagged him
for implying "Jews controlled York University" and singling out
fundraisers by their racial identity.
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- Nobel replies: "The flyer is in no way anti-Semitic,
but simply sets out the factual and organizational nexus amongst influential
corporate benefactors of York University including persons who are active
in the pro-Israeli lobby. Most of this information is listed on York University's
own website."
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- Summarizing the significance of this lawsuit, professor
Noble stated: "In an effort to suppress my inquiries, publicly destroy
my reputation, and isolate me from my peers, the defendants launched the
most vile kind of personal attack attempting to stigmatize a Jewish
man as an anti-Semite - because I dared examine and expose their pernicious
activities. These rich and powerful people pretend to be friends of higher
learning but are in fact its worst enemies. They think they have bought
themselves a university. They haven't."
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- Noble, an expert in the History of Technology, says he
has lost family in the Holocaust and finds the charge of "anti Semitism"
both "hurtful and offensive."
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- Earlier this year a Jewish York University grad student
was suspended for three years for protesting the death of Rachel Corrie.
He has sued the university for $850.000.
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