Sue Blackwell sent me this missive.  She received the following ‘joke’
e-mail originating from the Technion and when she had tracked down the source, wrote to Prof. Elias explaining his racism.  Unsurprisingly the racist prof. has not
answered.

From: [email protected]

Date: 1/12/2013 4:54:24 PM

Subject: England schools today

Registry on the first day back at school in Birmingham ,
ENGLAND .

The teacher begins calling out the names of the pupils:-

“Mustafa Al Eih Zeri?” “Here”

“Achmed El Kabul?” “Here”

“Fatima Al Hayek? ” “Here”

“Ali Abdul Olmi?” “Here”

“Mohammed Bin Kadir?” “Here”

“Ali Son Al En” – silence in the classroom. 
“Ali Son Al En” – continued

silence as everyone looked around the room.

The teacher repeats the call:  “Ali Son Al
En.”

A girl stands up and says timidly: “Sorry, teacher. I
think that might be me.

But it’s pronounced Alison Allen.”

Before she had identified Prof.  Ezra Elias, he wrote:

Dear Israeli academic,

As someone who lives in Birmingham and sent my mixed-race
daughter to school here, I would like you to know that:

1.    Your “joke” is racist.

2.    It is not funny.

3.    Birmingham teachers are quite capable of
pronouncing the names of ALL their students, whatever background
they come from.

4.    Most people who live in Birmingham don’t
have a problem with living among people from different ethnic or
religious groups than themselves.

5.    If an academic at a Birmingham university
had sent that “joke” round from their university e-mail
account, they would quite rightly be facing a disciplinary
investigation for breaching the university’s equal opportunities
policy.  But I don’t suppose that applies in Israel. 

with best wishes,

Dr. Susan Blackwell