End to academic boycott of Israelis urged

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End to academic boycott of Israelis urged

By Alan Cowell
NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE

May 20, 2005

LONDON – Two university presidents, one a Palestinian and the other an Israeli, yesterday urged an end to an academic boycott of Israeli universities by Britain's leading higher education union.

Sari Nusseibeh, the president of Al Quds University in east Jerusalem and Menachem Magidor, president of Hebrew University, made a joint declaration here at an international gathering of scholars debating human rights.

"Our position is based upon the belief that it is through cooperation based on mutual respect, rather than boycotts or discrimination, that our common goals can be achieved," the declaration said.

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The boycott was in response to an appeal by 60 Palestinian organizations complaining about Israeli actions in the conflict with Palestinians.

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Sue Blackwell, a professor of English at the University of Birmingham, challenged the joint declaration, saying a recent survey indicated many of the staff at Al Quds University believed joint projects with Israeli academics damaged the Palestinian cause and benefited only Israel.


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1. Academics' Union to Reconsider Boycott - Similar Article in NY Times

Similar article in New York Times




Academics' Union to Reconsider Boycott

Britain's biggest university teachers' union has said it will meet next week to reconsider its boycott of two Israeli universities.

The 40,000-member Association of University Teachers voted last month to boycott Haifa and Bar Ilan universities for actions that it said undermined Palestinian rights and academic freedom. At the same time it referred a motion to its executive committee to boycott the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The union said its council would meet Thursday to have ''a full debate'' on the boycott.

Foreign Office minister Kim Howells praised that move and said he hoped the union would invite Haifa and Bar Ilan universities to participate in the debate.

''The British government fully supports academic freedom and appreciates the independence of the AUT,'' Howells said in a statement. ''But as a friend of both Israel and the Palestinians, we believe that we can best encourage both sides to take the steps needed for progress through close engagement to achieve a peaceful resolution.'