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Boycott of Israeli academics. Is it right?

12:16 / 10.07.02

You've probably all heard about the boycott of Israeli academics here.

Despite widespread international condemnation for its policy of violent repression against the Palestinian people in the Occupied Territories, the Israeli government appears impervious to moral appeals from world leaders. The major potential source of effective criticism, the United States, seems reluctant to act. However there are ways of exerting pressure from within Europe. Odd though it may appear, many national and European cultural and research institutions, including especially those funded from the EU and the European Science Foundation, regard Israel as a European state for the purposes of awarding grants and contracts. (No other Middle Eastern state is so regarded). Would it not therefore be timely if at both national and European level a moratorium was called upon any further such support unless and until Israel abide by UN resolutions and open serious peace negotiations with the Palestinians, along the lines proposed in many peace plans including most recently that sponsored by the Saudis and the Arab League.

What does anyone think about this? Is the boycott essentially discriminatory? Is it contrary to the principle of academic freedom? pro-Israeli objections are to be found here. From the site,

We, the undersigned, hereby unequivocally condemn this call for a European boycott of research and cultural links with Israel.

Whereas we hold diverse political views with respect to the past and current policies of the Israeli government, and whereas we recognize the right of individuals and concerned citizens in Israel and abroad, to openly express their opinions regarding the tragic and devastating events of recent months, we are united in our condemnation of this unprecendented call by European scholars to suspend European-Israeli academic and cultural ties.
...

Is it a legitimate way to bring pressure to bear on the Israeli government?

12:34 / 10.07.02

does this mean that israeli citizens are being punished for the actions of their government?

13:44 / 10.07.02

Yes. From the article
here

A pair of obscure journals run by a Manchester professor have become the focal point for an angry debate across the international academic community over a boycott of Israeli universities.
A decision by Mona Baker, a professor of translation studies at the University of Manchester institute of science and technology (Umist) to sack two liberal Israeli academics from minor roles on her journals have provoked a stinging response from academics led by Stephen Greenblatt, the Harvard professor, Shakespeare scholar and president of the Modern Language Association of America.

In an open letter, Prof Greenblatt said he deplored Prof Baker's "attack on cultural cooperation", which "violates the essential spirit of scholarly freedom and the pursuit of truth".

Prof Baker is one of the signatories of a British-led petition of more than 700 academics from several countries launched by Steven Rose, an Open University professor. Signatories including Oxford professors Colin Blakemore and Richard Dawkins say they "can no longer in good conscience continue to cooperate with official Israeli institutions, including universities".....

19:59 / 10.07.02

It's rather ironic given that some of the strongest criticism of the Israeli govt from within Israel has come from academics and students (and many have faced opposition from the government and the educational establishment for it.)

Boycotting granting funds to Israeli state universities, I can maybe see the point in that. But boycotting Israeli academics is ridiculous.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

07:39 / 11.07.02

I also think a boycott in the field of academia is just so ironically counterproductive it just ain't funny...

The one area which should have an ethos of differing peoples getting together to share knowledge (hopefully for the betterment of mankind and in hopes of fostering more understanding) and people (no matter how well-meaning) want to bring it down to the same level as everything else?

Sorry. Don't get it.

08:40 / 11.07.02

So I've been asked invited to sign both the boycott statement and the counter statement. So far I've signed neither and I really can't justify the boycott to myself. But what about the other...

08:42 / 11.07.02

Yep, it's crazy. Takes no account of the responsibility for violence from the Palestinian people. Are Palestinian academics going to be boycotted too?

Such an one-sided perspective is contrary to academic standards of truth-seeking.

And, largely liberal academics are at the forefront of the anti-Sharon camp. Though I'd disagree with the Guardian's:

"in a country which has become increasingly intolerant of those who question the hardline policies of Mr Sharon."

There's a vibrant, vocal left-of-centre political movement in Israel, ranging from Peace Now to the Labor Party.

11:20 / 11.07.02

I'd suggest that there are differences between the Isreali and Palestinian positions that makes a boycott of the former more easily justifiable than the latter.

For instance, Palestinian violence is by terrorists who are not official representatives of the Palestinians. While this is a murky area and there is evidence to suggest that Arafat tolerates terrorists, he also publicy condemns them and criminally prosecutes them. It is true that this is done with insufficient zeal but it is the official position.

The Isrealis, on the other hand, have an official policy of discrimination see
here. They are by far the superior force in the region, and use this military power against essentially unarmed civilians in contravention of UN resolutions and the Geneva Convention.

11:30 / 11.07.02

Regardless of the actions of the government, an academic boycott would still not be justified IMO. As long as you're not giving actual aid to that state, encouraging people to go outside their borders and contribute as equals, possibly with those from groups they are oppressing, is the best way to fight bad governments, who usually try to develop an insular attitude anyway.

07:46 / 12.07.02

There was a similar message that went round the arts community a while back, calling for a boycott on Israeli artists. The message then went on to water itself down by saying that of course artists who spoke out against Israeli policy shouldn't be subject to the boycott. Then it confused the hell out of everyone by suggesting that for reasons of personal safety, those artists that had spoken out should not be publically identified.

Shouldn't we be instead calling for better Palestinian representation in the arts and academia? Making sure that within those worlds, all voices are heard?

10:27 / 12.07.02

An interesting point that Rose was quoted on in the Guardian was that he applied the same boycott to South Africa under apartheid.

Following Lurid's point -

The Isrealis, on the other hand, have an official policy of discrimination see
here. They are by far the superior force in the region, and use this military power against essentially unarmed civilians in contravention of UN resolutions and the Geneva Convention.

- the basis looks the same. I'll admit that the parallel makes me uneasy, but could you argue that the SA boycott was unfounded? My main worry with the boycott is that it won't do sod all. Academics aren't going to change any part of their government's strategy.

12:30 / 12.07.02

Naked Flame> Absolutely. A positive encouragement of co-operation between Israeli and Palestinian academics rather than a negative embargo.

mr y> SA comparison. But that was an adjunct to wider sanctions (economic, cultural) against SA. Such sanctions are currently not being implmented against Israel.

And yes, the impact of such a boycott would be nonexistent.

Which provokes a wider question about the use of sanctions. When are they justified?