Campaign Update 1
14th June 2007
Thank you for signing up to support the Stop The Boycott campaign.
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Who are we?
- The "Stop the Boycott" campaign has been launched as the unified response of tens of organisations and hundreds of academics to the Universities College Union pro-boycott policy.
- The campaign is led by the Chief Executives of BICOM and the Jewish Leadership Council (JLC) in partnership with the Fair Play Campaign Group, which was set up by the JLC and the Board of Deputies last year.
- We aim to obtain and win a full UCU membership ballot to overturn the boycott policy.
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Who are our supporters?
- We are delighted at the overwhelming support we have received. UK supporters include The Board of Deputies; Trade Union Friends of Israel, Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel, the ‘Friends Of' the various Israeli Universities, the Union of Jewish Students, and the Zionist Federation.
- Beyond the Jewish Community some 300 senior academics have signed newspaper advertisements; 76 MPs have signed an Early Day Motion; and many members of the UCU are involved.
- The influential Russell Group, as well as Senior Government Ministers and Opposition Spokespeople, have all echoed our campaign messages.
- We have received huge support from Chief Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks and Head of the Reform Movement Rabbi Tony Bayfield.
- We also proud to have the support of the Israeli Government through the Ambassador in London as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
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Who else is opposing the boycott?
- The influential 1994 Group, Universities UK, The British Academy and The National Union of Students have all echoed our campaign messages.
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What are we doing?
Amongst other things:
- An advert appeared in The Guardian and The Times on Wednesday 13th June.
- A visit of Higher Education Minister Bill Rammell MP to Israel.
- An Early Day Motion in Parliament (number 1603)
- Question to the Prime Minister from Andrew Dismore MP on Wednesday 6th June.
- Question in Education Questions from Andrew Dismore MP.
- Letter from all Parliamentary Chairs of Friends of Israel groups in The Guardian.
- Letter from some of the most eminent scientists in Britain and the world in The Guardian.
- The leaders of all 3 main political parties have come out against this boycott
- Statements from Education spokespeople of 3 main political parties.
- Editorials have appeared in all the main UK broadsheet newspapers against the boycott.
- We have collated quotes from hundreds of academics and prominent members of the Jewish community, which have been press released.
- Meetings have taken place with Israel's Prime Minister's office and the Foreign Secretary herself.
- Work was done around the Higher Education debate in the House of Lords.
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Messages
- The overall campaign message is that boycotts are bad for academic freedom, bad for the Palestinians and bad for Britain.
- For UCU members, the priority message is that of academic freedom.
- Our message is simple. Do something today, to support this campaign.
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What do we need you to do?
There is no magic bullet. To succeed we must be prepared for a series of hard-fought tactical battles over many months. We need your help to:
- Find out who your local MP is.
- Lobby your MP to sign EDM 1603.
- Ask your MP to meet with local universities/colleges to enlist support and get joint statements denouncing the boycott.
- Get UCU branch members in local universities/colleges to propose motions supporting a membership ballot and condemning the motion, before the summer holidays.
- If you are a UCU member write to the NEC asking them for a ballot
- Sign up to, and get your friends and family to sign up to, regular updates at http://www.stoptheboycott.org/
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Website
Please visit http://www.stoptheboycott.org/ for more information about this important campaign.
