Hundreds of UK academics announce boycott of Israel
Hundreds of UK academics announce boycott of Israel
In a full page ad in the Guardian newspaper on Tuesday, 343 academics announced a boycott of Israeli universities in protest at the “intolerable human rights violations” of Palestinians.
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The boycott movement has alarmed Israel [Getty]
Hundreds of British academics said on Tuesday they would boycott contact with Israeli universities over the state's "intolerable human rights violations" towards Palestinians.
The announcement came in a full page ad in the Guardian newspaper.
The 343 academics from 72 institutions said they would still work with Israeli colleagues on an individual basis.
"We are deeply disturbed by Israel's illegal occupation of Palestinian land, the intolerable human rights violations that it inflicts on all sections of the Palestinian people, and its apparent determination to resist any feasible settlement," the advert said.
They said they would not accept invitations to visit Israeli academic institutions, participate in conferences funded, organised or sponsored by them, "or otherwise cooperate with them."
"We will maintain this position until the state of Israel complies with international law and respects universal principles of human rights."
Jonathan Rosenhead, from the London School of Economics, a spokesman for the boycott, said Israeli universities were "at the heart of Israel's violations of international law and oppression of the Palestinian people."
He said: “These signatures were all collected despite the pressures that can be put on people not to criticise the state of Israel. Now that the invitation to join the commitment is in the public domain, we anticipate many more to join us,” the Guardian reported.
Israeli universities supporting the occupation
The boycott cited Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology, as having created "special technology" to detect tunnels out of the Gaza Strip, and "weaponised unmanned bulldozers used to demolish Palestinian homes."
Meanwhile, Ben Gurion University had conducted research "underpinning the on-going existence and deepening of discrimination within Israel’s water system", it claimed.
The Israeli embassy in London responded to the advert saying that “Boycott movements only aim to sow hatred and alienation between the sides, rather than promoting coexistence,” the Guardian reported.
The British ambassador to Israel, David Quarrey, said “the UK government will never allow those who want to boycott Israel to shut down 60 years’ worth of vibrant exchange and partnership that does so much to make both our countries stronger,” the British newspaper said.
The campaign comes a week after a letter signed by 150 British authors and artists, including Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling and double Booker Prize-winning novelist Hilary Mantel, said cultural boycotts that singled out Israel were "divisive and discriminatory, and will not further peace".
Richard Verber, senior vice-president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, asked why the academics were "singling out Israel in such a discriminatory fashion."
"At a time of immense, often barbaric upheaval in other parts of the Middle East, Israel remains a beacon of academic excellence and progressive thinking," he told the Jewish News newspaper.
Simon Johnson, chief executive of Britain's Jewish Leadership Council, said: "These academics should realise that boycotts... do nothing to advance peace or improve the lives of Palestinians."
The announcement came in a full page ad in the Guardian newspaper.
The 343 academics from 72 institutions said they would still work with Israeli colleagues on an individual basis.
"We are deeply disturbed by Israel's illegal occupation of Palestinian land, the intolerable human rights violations that it inflicts on all sections of the Palestinian people, and its apparent determination to resist any feasible settlement," the advert said.
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We will maintain this position until the state of Israel complies with international law and respects universal principles of human rights |
"We will maintain this position until the state of Israel complies with international law and respects universal principles of human rights."
Jonathan Rosenhead, from the London School of Economics, a spokesman for the boycott, said Israeli universities were "at the heart of Israel's violations of international law and oppression of the Palestinian people."
He said: “These signatures were all collected despite the pressures that can be put on people not to criticise the state of Israel. Now that the invitation to join the commitment is in the public domain, we anticipate many more to join us,” the Guardian reported.
Israeli universities supporting the occupation
The boycott cited Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology, as having created "special technology" to detect tunnels out of the Gaza Strip, and "weaponised unmanned bulldozers used to demolish Palestinian homes."
Meanwhile, Ben Gurion University had conducted research "underpinning the on-going existence and deepening of discrimination within Israel’s water system", it claimed.
The Israeli embassy in London responded to the advert saying that “Boycott movements only aim to sow hatred and alienation between the sides, rather than promoting coexistence,” the Guardian reported.
The British ambassador to Israel, David Quarrey, said “the UK government will never allow those who want to boycott Israel to shut down 60 years’ worth of vibrant exchange and partnership that does so much to make both our countries stronger,” the British newspaper said.
The campaign comes a week after a letter signed by 150 British authors and artists, including Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling and double Booker Prize-winning novelist Hilary Mantel, said cultural boycotts that singled out Israel were "divisive and discriminatory, and will not further peace".
Richard Verber, senior vice-president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, asked why the academics were "singling out Israel in such a discriminatory fashion."
"At a time of immense, often barbaric upheaval in other parts of the Middle East, Israel remains a beacon of academic excellence and progressive thinking," he told the Jewish News newspaper.
Simon Johnson, chief executive of Britain's Jewish Leadership Council, said: "These academics should realise that boycotts... do nothing to advance peace or improve the lives of Palestinians."
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