American Physiological Society Response
By American Physiological Society, July 9th 2007
Source: APS Press Release
The American Physiological Society issued a statement objecting to the proposed boycott and reaffirming its support for the principles stated by the International Council of Scientific Unions.
Feedback on the response
As a scientist-engineer who has recently left academia, I find the decision of the UK University and College Union (UCU) to pursue an academic boycott of Israeli researchers particularly disturbing. These actions do nothing to solve the inherent issues at play in the Middle-East. Instead they are part of a political game where everyone loses. I implore the UCU to reverse its decision and for other academic institutions to speak out against this unnecessary and damaging boycott.
In a recent e-mail bulletin from a professional association that I have held membership, the American Physiological Society (APS), I was pleased to find an item stating that the "APS Objects to Proposed Boycott of Israeli Academics." When they spoke out against the UCU's decision it again became clear that APS upholds its devotion to "fostering education, scientific research, and dissemination of information," as described on the APS website. By urging the members of the UCU and other academic institutions and societies to reject these boycotts, the APS showed great courage and moral conviction and I highly commend them for their stance.
When the United States Supreme Court characterized the university as the "marketplace of ideas", they made the ivory tower a refuge for academic discussion, not unbalanced political agendas. Let's hope that the UCU heeds this lesson, follows the example of the APS, and rejects an academic boycott of Israel.
The APS policy statement can be found at http://www.the-aps.org/pa/resources/archives/comments/boycottobjection.htm.
Randy Weinstein, Ph.D.
Atlanta, GA, USA
The above statements are used by Zionism On The Web with permission