Today, the British University and College Union will discuss a proposed boycott of Israeli institutions. Israeli academicians with the support of Zionist groups have been trying to dissuade their British counterparts from voting in favour of the motion which comes after the UCU's predecessors (NAFTHE and AUT) have both endorsed such motions which then became void after their merger last year.
The boycott is being fought by Israel's supporters on grounds of "Academic Freedom" a term which seems to be put in use only when convenient as the Israel continues to attack Palestinians and their freedom with the complacency of the majority of Israel's academia.
The boycott is becoming more and more often a mainstream debate despite the opposition it faces. This fact is probably one of the few positive developments in the conflict in the last few years as it shows that more and more people are becoming concerned with situation in Israel/Palestine and are seeing the similarities between here and Apartheid South Africa. More people are becoming aware of the need for similar treatment of Israel.
Those who oppose the boycott on ground of academic freedom are at best one sided. They can see the harm it does for Israeli academia but turn a blind eye to this group's complacency with Israel's practices against Palestinians.
Those who oppose the boycott on grounds of harm done to UK research activities, since Israel is a leading actor in research and development in certain fields, are putting their own personal gains above the suffering of the Palestinians. In fact, this group is willing to benefit of the plight of the Palestinians and hence are not, morally, better than Israeli professors who do the same.
The boycott is being fought by Israel's supporters on grounds of "Academic Freedom" a term which seems to be put in use only when convenient as the Israel continues to attack Palestinians and their freedom with the complacency of the majority of Israel's academia.
The boycott is becoming more and more often a mainstream debate despite the opposition it faces. This fact is probably one of the few positive developments in the conflict in the last few years as it shows that more and more people are becoming concerned with situation in Israel/Palestine and are seeing the similarities between here and Apartheid South Africa. More people are becoming aware of the need for similar treatment of Israel.
Those who oppose the boycott on ground of academic freedom are at best one sided. They can see the harm it does for Israeli academia but turn a blind eye to this group's complacency with Israel's practices against Palestinians.
Those who oppose the boycott on grounds of harm done to UK research activities, since Israel is a leading actor in research and development in certain fields, are putting their own personal gains above the suffering of the Palestinians. In fact, this group is willing to benefit of the plight of the Palestinians and hence are not, morally, better than Israeli professors who do the same.
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