The American Jewish Congress today urged in the strongest possible terms that Britain’s National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (NATFHE) refrain from adopting at its upcoming conference any resolutions to boycott Israeli universities and academics. Adopting any such resolution will only cast NATFHE and its members into disrepute...

May 15, 2006 - The American Jewish Congress today urged in the strongest possible terms that Britain’s National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (NATFHE) refrain from adopting at its upcoming conference any resolutions to boycott Israeli universities and academics. Adopting any such resolution will only cast NATFHE and its members into disrepute

As Nobel Laureates, Rhodes Scholars and the American Association of University Professors proclaimed last year when England’s Association of University Teachers advocated a similar boycott against Israeli universities, “boycotts against academics and educational institutions have no legitimate place in academic life.” In that case, international protest, including actions in both houses of the U.S. Congress spearheaded by AJCongress, forced the AUT to rescind its boycott proposal one month after it was initiated. It is worth noting that AUT will merge with NATFHE after its conference at the end of May.

“NATFHE’s proposed resolutions are indefensible,” said Neil Goldstein, Executive Director of American Jewish Congress. “One resolution advocates support of the Palestinian government run by Hamas, an internationally-recognized terrorist organization that proudly takes credit for the murder of innocent Israeli civilians. This support of terrorism reveals the one-sided political nature of the NAFTHE resolutions and the moral blindness of its statements on the tragic Middle East conflict. They do not represent truth or peace-making—and certainly have nothing to do with academic integrity. What these proposed resolutions are about is propaganda, devisive rhetoric and hatred of Israel.”

In response to this measure, the AJCongress launched an email campaign to the AUT and NATFHE leadership urging them to end this insanity. You can see the campaign by using this link.

The American Jewish Congress is a membership association of Jewish Americans, organized to defend Jewish interests at home and abroad, through public policy advocacy, in the courts, Congress, the executive branch and state and local governments. It also works overseas with others who are similarly engaged

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