Academics' boycott draws protests in UK

[drdon326]

The Association of University Teachers (AUT) has received a flood of protests, accompanied by an increasing number of resignations, following its decision to adopt boycotts against Israeli universities last Friday.

The backlash, which may take the form of mass resignations from the union, has seen an outpouring of protests by Jewish and non-Jewish academics across Britain.

John Vail, lecturer in political economy at Newcastle University, wrote in an e-mail to fellow academics: "The boycott is blatantly discriminatory and reeks of double standards." He added: "Although I have no current research links with Israeli academics, this has made me want to go out and develop some just so as to show my disapproval of this motion. I hope that our local branch will pass a motion that expresses our disagreement with the national policy."

snip

Fifteen academics from the Board of the London-based Leo Baeck Institute signed a letter expressing "dismay" at the AUT resolutions: "All agree in deploring the proposed boycott of Israeli universities and academics who fail to satisfy a political inquisition. Israeli universities, notably the three targets of the boycott, represent the best ideals of the university as a place of tolerance and the free exchange of views, in which Jews, Muslims and Christians study and work together."

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1114395825779

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[mike_c]

1. the other side of the story....

http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article3791.shtml

Association of University Teachers to boycott Israeli institutions
Press Release, Palestinian Campaign for the Academic & Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), 22 April 2005

The Association of University Teachers (AUT) in the UK voted in its Council meeting today to boycott Haifa and Bar-Ilan Universities<1> and to disseminate to all its chapters our Call for Boycott of Israeli academic institutions. This historic decision, which sets a landmark precedent, stands as a major achievement in the struggle to attain a just peace in our region. Finally, boycotting Israeli institutions, as a morally and politically sound response to Israel’s crimes, is on the mainstream agenda in the west; and no one can ignore it now.

For years, Israeli academics have by and large served in the occupation army, thereby participating in, or at least witnessing, crimes committed on a daily basis against the civilian population of Palestine. They have hardly ever publicly denounced Israel's occupation, its system of racial discrimination against its own Palestinian citizens, or its adamant denial of the internationally-sanctioned rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties. This constitutes collusion.

After this ground-breaking AUT decision, all these aspects of Palestinian suffering and the complicity of Israel’s academics in perpetuating them have now become part of the ongoing debate on Israel’s record of oppression and abuse of human rights. The AUT today gave voice to the hitherto voiceless civil resistance against Israel’s racist and colonial policies. For this, the AUT should be commended.

<more....>

[eyl]

3. How many Palestinian academics

have condemned suicide bombings (at all, let alone on moral grounds)? Boycott them too!

[drdon326]

4. 'Well,.....uh.......thats different.......uhhhhh'

'you see....uhhhh......its not their place to condemn suicide bombing

cause ......well......they are palestinian academics

and .....see......its not their job to do that.......yeah.....that

its....see ?'









eosarcasm

[Coastie for Truth]

2. Overseas Affiliate of the IChE

I have just trashed my renewal dues statement from the British Institution of Chemical Engineers - I shall be significantly increasing my contribution to the "Friends of the Israel Instutute of Technology-Technion" and Technion's "Dan Lewin Memorial Fund". Dan, an Israel Institute of Technology-Technion graduate, was a friend of mine - killed by terrorists.