Bar-Ilan University (RA)
International Advisory Board for Academic Freedom (IAB)
Press Release: May 24, 2006
Rather than boycott,
IAB suggests cooperation and dialogue at all levels of higher education
The International Advisory Board for Academic Freedom (IAB) at Bar Ilan University, established last April to combat the Association of University Teachers-United Kingdom’s resolution to boycott Bar-Ilan and Haifa Universities, suggests cooperation and dialogue at all levels of higher education.
Chair of the IAB, Prof. Yosef Yeshurun, appeared today before the Israeli Parliament committee on Science and Technology to discuss the dangers of the impending academic boycott against Israel on the part of NATFHE. The committee meeting was also attended by members of the Council of Higher Education and the Ministry of Education.
Prof. Yeshurun presented the IAB’s proposal to meet the boycott head on by undertaking joint academic initiatives on the part of Israeli and Palestinian scholars together with UK colleagues. Rather than boycott, the IAB suggests cooperation and dialogue at all levels of higher education. The committee unanimously agreed to this initiative, deciding to pass this on to the Israeli government.
In addition to that, thousands of letters opposing the proposed Boycott have reached NATFHE officials in the past two weeks and more than 4300 scholars have signed the SPME / IAB joint petition, urging NATFHE members to oppose all motions to boycott Israeli scholars at their annual meetings on May 27-29, 2006. The full petition has been placed today on the table of NATFHE president John Wilkin at the NATFHE headquarters in London, urging NATFHE to pass this on to its members and to take it into consideration before the vote occurs. The scholars who signed the petition explained that:
“Academic boycott actions areantithetical not only to the principles of academic freedom, but also to thequest for peaceful resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Academics often havethe knowledge and skills specifically needed for conflict resolution, and canwork with colleagues and policy makers from opposing sides on developingequitable solutions to complex problems. Boycotting would deprive the world ofthe potential contributions of Israeli scholars in these and other humanitarianefforts and would confer no benefit to the Palestinian people. Those whoperpetuate and participate in such boycotts are separating themselves from theacademic community as opposed to bringing it together to work for peace andsupport academic freedom”. The petition ended urging ” our colleagues in theUnitedKingdomto withdraw or defeat these resolutions and we pledgeourselves to encourage our colleagues from around the world to oppose thisboycott action“.
To view the signature list, go to:
https://spme.org/cgi-bin/display_petitions.cgi?ID=2& Action=View
The IAB opposes academic boycotts and political censure and believes that such boycotts have no place in the academic community. Scholarship and research, and their expression in the open and free exchange of ideas, are among the foundations of civilization, and without them there can be no true advancement of human knowledge.
The IAB calls on UK academics and the members of NAFTHE to engage in open discussion and, if need be, even debate with representatives of Israeli universities and academic institutions, in order to continue to support academic freedom.
For further information contact:
Ofir Frankel, Manager, International Campaign for Academic Freedom
Mobile: +972-545-424043 E-mail: fofir@netvision.net.il ;
Elana Oberlander, Bar-Ilan University Spokesman’s Office
Mobile: +972-524-668567 E-mail: elana.oberlander@mail.biu.ac.il ;
Website: http://www.biu.ac.il/rector/academic_freedom/
Office of the Rector, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 52900, Israel
International Advisory Board for Academic Freedom (IAB)Executive Committee:
Prof. Yosef Yeshurun (Chair); Prof. Joshua Schwartz; Prof. Gerald Steinberg;
Prof. Eitan Gilboa; Dr. Jonathan Rynhold;
