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AUT Israel Boycott Resources
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Boycotting Israeli academics
http://www.guardian.co.uk/letters/story/0,,1463079,00.html
Through continued collaborations in science, technology, health, education, human rights and myriad other fields, the academic community has the ability to build strong bridges of understanding between cultures. Such interactions have already contributed to the reduction of tensions and advancement of cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians by developing joint grassroots projects and academic ventures.
Neither party in this tragic dispute has a monopoly on suffering or injustice. We, as academics, must continue to support the prospects of peace by building bridges through dialogue and mutual understanding with both sides. At a time when Israelis and Palestinians are hopefully entering a new era of reconciliation and trust, a boycott of one side would push back the prospect of peace.
| Prof David Abulafia Cambrdige University Dr Rachel Airley John Moores University Geoffrey Alderman Dr Eldad Avital University of London Dr Dieter Balkenborg University of Exeter Les Bash Dr Jeremy Baum Imperial College London Prof John Birds University of Sheffield Walter Bodmer Hertford College Prof Gabrielle Brenner Lorna Burns Barnet College Prof Brian Burrows Staffordshire University David Cesarani Benjamin Chain University College London Dr Naomi Chayen Imperial College London Dr Alan Cohen Cardiff University Rhonda Cohen Prof Lloyd Cohen George Mason University Prof James Davidson University of Exeter Stevie Dee Stephanie Dee Harrow FE College Ruth Deech Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher education Dr Estelle Doctor Prof Dwek Oxford Prof Dave Edgar City University Dr Tamara Eisenschitz City University Rebecca Eliahoo Harrow Alan Fersht Cambridge University Prof Rajmil Fischman Keele University Ronnie Fraser Professor Mark Geller UCL Susan Greenfield Oxford Prof Ashley Grossman St Bartholmew Hospital Dr Rosalind Herman LCS Prof Catherine Hezser Trinity College, Dublin Dr Daniel Hochhauser Royal Free and University College David Ish-Horowicz Professor Ruth Itzhaki University of Manchester Dr Shaul Itzhaki Dr Gordon Jayson Christie Hopsital Dr Clive Jones University of Leeds Dr Howard Kahn Heriot-Watt University Todd Kaplan University of Exeter Prof Efraim Karsh Kings College London Prof David Katz UCL Dr Edward Kessler St Edmund's College Sascha Khakshouri UCL |
Prof Edward Kissin London Metropolitan University Rosalind Landy Cambridge University Dr Jonathan Lederman UCL Anthony H Lesser University of Manchester Prof Oren Levin-Waldman Metrolpolitan College, NY Dr Virgilio Lew Cambridge University Dr Naftali Loewenthal UCL Doctor Louis Lyons Oxford Prof Peter Maitlis University of Sheffield John Maloney University of Exeter Dr Rory Miller Kings College Prof Stephen Miller City University Dr Jennifer Mindell Imperial College London Claus Moser Yaakov Naparstek Hadassah University Dr Paul Nathan Dr Martin Navias Kings College Prof Stephen, Neidle University of London Aubrey Newman University of Leicester Pauline Newman Prof John Parr University of Glasgow Prof Mark Peeps UCL Dr Benny Peiser John Moores University Lois Peltz Prof Michael Pepper Cambridge University Daniel Pomeranz Krummel Cambridge University Prof Andrew Pomiankowski UCL Tessa Rajak University of Reading Harry Rajak University of Sussex Dr Jeremy Rees Professor Stefan Reif University of Cambridge Bryan Reuben South Bank University Prof David-Hillel Ruben University of London Prof Gordon Rustin Dr Mike Schachter Imperial College London Gail Seal President JNF Denise Sheer Ian K Smith City University Dr David Stone Mike Stratton Prof Jennifer Temkin University of Sussex Myra Waiman Ruth Waxman George Weiss Imperial College London Prof Keith Wilson Prof Robert Winston Imperial College London Michael Yudkin Jacqui Zinkin University of Westminster |
We oppose Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza and we support the right of the Palestinian people to an independent state alongside Israel. We think, however, that proposals by some members of the Association of University Teachers for a boycott of Israeli academia would be counterproductive.
The campaign for the academic boycott treats all academics as though they were responsible for government policy - which they are not. The latest proposal contains a clause which is intended to get round this problem by excluding from the boycott "conscientious Israeli academics and intellectuals opposed to their state's colonial and racist policies". This would mean that Israeli academics would first have to affirm their "anti-Zionist" credentials before being allowed to function as members of the global academic community.
But there is no agreed definition Zionism. Some people define it as a form of racism. Others understand it as a Jewish national liberation movement. Others consider themselves Zionists if they support the right of Israel not to be conquered.
We oppose the proposal that academics should be subjected a political test. Does anybody suggest that US physicists should be excluded from the academic community if they do not repudiate Guantanamo Bay? Does anybody suggest that Muslim mathematicians should be excluded unless they publicly repudiate the attacks of September 11? Such demands would destroy the principles of openness, free speech and community that should define academia. The current proposal to make a distinction between good Israelis and bad Israelis is a tactical move: the boycott campaign really wants a total boycott of Israeli academia. Last year there was a call by the religious right in Israel to boycott Israeli academics who had signed a statement in support of Israeli pilots who were refusing to bomb targets in the occupied territories. A government minister spoke in favour of a ban on the books of these academics. How would we support Israeli academics that come under such attacks, if there is a boycott on links with Israeli academia?
Who should be teaching Israeli students? Do we demand that Israeli academics that are against the occupation should leave Israel and teach somewhere else? Do we demand that Arab students who are studying at Israeli universities should leave, rather than fight for equal rights?
We should be making more links, not fewer, with the Israeli academics who are doing good work and who are resisting the racist culture of the Israeli right. Formally, this question is dealt with by the good Israeli / bad Israeli formulation of the latest proposal, but this would create more problems than it addresses. A boycott would put UK Jewish academics under pressure to declare themselves "anti-Zionist". And what will happen to those who refuse?
| Alan Carling Bradford University (retired) Alan Johnson EdgeHill College of Higher Education Alex Fradera University College London Alice Bloch City University, London Prof Allison Assiter University of the West of England Prof Anne Showstack Sassoon Birkbeck, Universityof London Anne Summers London Metropolitan University Prof Avrom Sherr Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London Ben Gidley Goldsmiths College, London Prof Bencie Woll City University, London Brad Baxter Birkbeck College, London Camila Bassi Sheffield Hallam University Carol Jones Open University in Wales Caroline Knowles Goldsmiths College, London Caroline New Bath Spa University College Catherine Dodds University of Portsmouth Charles Asher Small Yale University Charles Turner Warwick University Chris Rumford Royal Holloway, London Colin Shindler SOAS, University of London Daniel Chernilo University Alberto Hurtado, Chile Prof Dave Edgar City University, London Prof David Cesarani Royal Holloway, London David Hirsh Goldsmiths College, London David Lawrence London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine David Seymour Lancaster University Prof Donna Robinson Divine Smith College Elena Katz University College London Emma Clavering Newcastle University Esther Dermott University of Bristol Farrell Brody Hocking College (retired) Federico Caprotti University of Leicester Prof Fred Sack Ohio State University Gideon Calder University of Wales, Newport Gunther Dietz Universidad de Granada Prof Ian Gordon London School of Economics Helen Beer University College London Prof Howard Tumber City University, London Jane Liddell-King Cambridge University Jayne Kavanagh University College, London Jeffrey Boss Bristol University (retired) Jeffrey Ketland University of Edinburgh Jennifer Bizley Oxford University Prof Joe Pearlman London Metropolitan University Prof John Solomos City University, London John Vail University of Newcastle |
Jon Pike Open University Jonathan Derbyshire Anglia Polytechnic University Jonathan Tritter Warwick University Josh Cohen Goldsmiths College, London Keith Kahn-Harris Open University Krisztina Robert Roehampton University Larch Juckes Maxey University of Wales, Swansea Prof Les Back Goldsmiths College, London Lily Kahn University College London Liza Schuster Oxford University Mario Di Paolantonio Goldsmiths College, London Mark Levene University of Southampton Matthew S Weinert University of Denver Max Farrar Leeds Metropolitan University Prof Michael Freeman University College London Prof Michael Storper London School of Economics Mira Vogel Goldsmiths College, London Prof Miriam E David Institute of Education, London Mohammed Ilyas Goldsmiths College, London Monica Greco Goldsmiths College, London Naomi Fulop London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Naomi Miller Institute of Cancer Research, London Prof Norman Freeman Bristol University Paul Filmer Goldsmiths College, London Pauline Allen London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Prof Peter Jones University of Newcastle Peter Lawson Open University Peter Mellor City University, London Prof Randall Hansen Newcastle University Ray Kiely SOAS, University of London Prof Robert Fine Warwick University Robert Jones City University, London Robin Humphrey University of Newcastle Ross M Goodman University of West Florida Prof Ruth Levitas University of Bristol Saulo B Cwerner Goldsmiths College, London Prof Sealy Gilles Long Island University Sonja Grussendorf Goldsmiths College, London Prof Stephan Feuchtwang London School of Economics Prof Stephen Miller City University, London Prof Steven Haberman City University Tamar Drukker SOAS, University of London Tsila Ratner University College, London Prof Tudor Parfitt SOAS, University of London Yasmeen Narayan Goldsmiths College, London Zoe Waxman Oxford University |
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Please link to our Sister Web sites - at http://www.zionism-israel.com Information about Israel and Zionism and http://www.zionism.netfirms.com The Zionism PagesWikipedia article about Zionism
- A comprehensive article including the history of Zionism as well as links to specific topics and articles about anti-Zionism.Zionism - Table of contents at the Jewish Virtual Library
Zionism - Definition and Brief History - A balanced article that covers the definitions and history of Zionism as well as opposition to Zionism and criticisms by Arabs, Jewish anti-Zionists.
Labor Zionism - Early History and Critique - Contribution of Labor Zionism to the creation of the Jewish state, and problems of Labor Zionism in a changing reality.
The US Library of congress has a comprehensive and balanced set of articles about Zionism:
Zionist Precursors - US Library of Congress
Political Zionism - US Library of Congress
Cultural Zionism - US Library of Congress
Labor Zionism - US Library of Congress
Revisionist Zionism - US Library of Congress
Jewish Agency Zionism pages - Links to basic information about Zionism from the Jewish Agency
Ambassador Herzog explains Zionism in the UN
Advocacy
Active Zionism - A Zionist advocacy site with many useful links
Realistic Religious Zionism - moderate religious Zionist Web site
