Academic Boycott of Israel Condemned by Liberal Democrats

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http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/academic-boycott-of-israel-condemned-by-liberal-democrats.13160.html
The decision to hold an academic boycott of Israel was condemned as ‘wrong’ and ‘perverse’ by the Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference today.

Delegates were debating a motion passed by the University and College Union earlier this year, which supported a boycott.

The policy motion ‘Academic Boycott of Israel’ condemns the boycott and calls for members of the UCU to reject the proposal in a referendum of the union’s full membership.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Foreign Secretary, Michael Moore MP said:

“Academic boycotts do nothing to encourage free debate and serve only to punish individuals, many of whom are trying to encourage dialogue between different communities.

“There is nothing to be gained by politicising a body of academic that are autonomous from government and should be embracing the free exchange of ideas.

“I hope that the UCU’s members will get the opportunity to reject this boycott and will return to the spirit of free academic exchange that will do much more to improve relations in the Middle East.”

Full text of motion follows:

Academic Boycott of Israel
Finchley & Golders Green
Mover: Monroe Palmer

Summation: Jonathan Davies

Conference notes that, at its annual conference on 30 May 2007, the University and College Union (UCU) passed a motion effectively calling for an academic boycott of Israel.

Conference believes that:

i) Academic freedom and the exchange of ideas are of paramount importance in conflict resolution.

ii) Many Israeli academics have been at the forefront of opposition to illiberal Israeli government policies, so it is entirely counter-productive to sever links with such academics.

iii) It is wrong to boycott individuals on account of their nationality, whatever policies their country’s government pursues.

iv) Israeli academics can no more be held accountable for Israeli government policy than British academics can be held accountable for British government policy.

v) It is perverse for academics to boycott only Israel, if other countries with far worse records of academic freedom are not also to be boycotted.

vi) Israeli universities are centres of free debate and discussion including Jews, Christians and Muslims, Israelis and Palestinians.

vii) A British academic boycott does nothing to bring a negotiated solution to the problems of Israel and Palestine closer, and is in fact actively counter-productive, as it discourages dialogue between the very people who should most be talking.

Conference further notes that the boycott has been condemned by the Palestinian president of Al Quds University in East Jerusalem, Sari Nusseibeh, in a joint statement with Menachem Magidor, the Israeli president of the Hebrew University in West Jerusalem.

Conference therefore:

1. Condemns the UCU’s decision to call for an academic boycott of Israel.

2. Urges the UCU’s general secretary, Sally Hunt, to fulfil her manifesto pledge to put any pro-boycott resolution to a referendum of the union’s full membership.

3. Urges all UCU members to vote to reject the boycott proposal.

4. Urges academics to continue to engage in the fullest possible dialogue with their Israeli and Palestinian counterparts.

5. Condemns academic boycotts in general.

Academic Boycott of Israel Condemned by Liberal Democrats

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Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME) is not-for-profit [501 (C) (3)], grass-roots community of scholars who have united to promote honest, fact-based, and civil discourse, especially in regard to Middle East issues. We believe that ethnic, national, and religious hatreds, including anti-Semitism and anti-Israelism, have no place in our institutions, disciplines, and communities. We employ academic means to address these issues.

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