Press Release: Wednesday 14th June 2007
Stop The Boycott of Israeli Universities:
Press launch with Lord Melvyn Bragg
"The boycott is bad for academic freedom, bad for the
Palestinians and bad for peace. That is why we are calling for
the true voice of British academia to be heard."
Melvyn Bragg will today launch the Stop the Boycott Coalition. He says in the strongest terms that the boycott is bad for Britain and bad for academia.
Henry Grunwald QC, President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews chaired the press launch said:
"Our message to the University and Colleges Union Congress (UCU) is
simple. The boycott is bad for academic freedom, bad for the Palestinians
and bad for peace. That is why we are calling for the true voice of British
academia to be heard."
Lorna Fitzsimons Chief Executive of BICOM (Britain Israel Communications &
Research Centre) said:
"We are delighted at the support we have gathered from all quarters. But to succeed we must be prepared for a series of hard-fought tactical battles
over many months. We call upon members of the public to lobby their MP
to sign the EDM; Ask your MP to meet with local universities/colleges to
enlist support; Get UCU branch members in local universities/colleges to
propose motions supporting a membership ballot"
Jeremy Newmark, Chief Executive of the Jewish Leadership Council said
"The UCU boycott motion is an assault on academic freedom. While the vast
majority of academics do not support a boycott, this decision damages the
credibility of British academia as a whole."
Professor Sir Ara Darzi, Imperial College, London, said:
"I am sorry that I could not attend today's press conference to lend further
support to the campaign opposing a boycott of Israeli academics. I hope
that the arguments put forward will be heard throughout campuses in
Britain and will be taken up by lecturers and teachers, whatever their
background and whatever their view on the Middle East conflict. Education,
research and innovation play such a vital role in bringing Israelis and
Palestinians, Arab and Jew, together. And it is one of the best routes for the global community to also be part of the peace process. On an issue where so much division and rancour is prevalent, in the region itself and in our own communities, surely academia can set an example for all areas of public life and remain open, free and engaging to all."
"Stop the Boycott" campaign is the unified response of the Jewish
Community and others to the UCU pro-boycott policy. The campaign is led by the Chief Executives of BICOM and the Jewish Leadership Council in partnership with Fair Play Campaign Group. We aim to obtain and win a full UCU membership ballot to overturn the policy.
UK supporters include
o The Board of Deputies;
o The Union of Jewish Students;
o Trade Union Friends of Israel;
o Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel;
o The ‘Friends Of' the various Israeli universities and institutes;
o The Zionist Federation,
o Rabbi Tony Bayfield, Head of the Movement for Reform Judaism
o The Chief Rabbi
o 300 plus senior academics have signed newspaper advertisements
o 61 plus MPs have signed an EDM
o Grassroots members of the UCU are involved.
o The Russell Group
o 1994 university groupings, Universities UK
o National Union of Students;
o The British Academy
o Senior Government Ministers and Opposition Spokespeople have
all echoed our campaign messages.
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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Peers slam union's boycott policy
British peers from all parties expressed their dismay, incomprehension and anger at the decision of the University and College Union to promote a boycott of Israeli colleagues, in the House of Lords on Tuesday (12 June), during a debate led by Baroness Ruth Deech.
Baroness Deech, a Crossbencher, said:
"There are ongoing attempts by the University and College Union to
initiate a UK-wide boycott of Israeli academics. Such a biased and
unhelpful response cannot be tolerated or supported. British
lecturers claim the dubious distinction of launching the first
campaign for a boycott. The revived UCU has gone on with this antiintellectualism, so damaging to the world-wide reputation of British
universities. But nobody other than Israeli professors is threatened
for how they think; no other nation pays the price for its
Government's decisions."
Former Governor of Hong Kong, European External Relations Commissioner and Tory Party Chairman, Lord Patten, said:
"I believe that the idea of a boycott is entirely abhorrent. Exchange is
always better than exclusion. The arguments put forward by those
who suggest that there should be a boycott of Israeli universities are
generally worthy of a mark equivalent to gamma minus given on a
good afternoon during this examination season. They ignore the fact
that intellectual endeavour is enforced by the hot wires which run
between academic journals and academic conferences and which
link people together. Engagement is always better than exclusion."
The Lord Bishop of Chester said:
"The last thing that is needed is a boycott. The situation needs
greater exchange, interaction and mutual conversation by those
most involved in it. In this way, indeed, there will be hope in
dialogue."
Lord Janner of Braunstone (Labour) pointed a way forward, saying:
"The boycott motion of Israeli academics at the University and
College Union two weeks ago is disgraceful. Having spoken to
leading members of the union, I now call for a vote of the full
membership of the union on this motion, because true democracy is
the only path to a solution."
Labour peer, Lord Clinton-Davis said:
"We can criticise any country. However, it is intellectually bankrupt
for some academics to pillory Israel as they have done. The attitude
of these academics is unfair and it cultivates extremism on both
sides-a myopia which is wholly inconsistent with the standards that
they supposedly support."
Chair of the Friends of the Weizmann Institute UK, Lord Mitchell (Labour), said:
"The proposed boycott is bad for science. It counters the very
concept of science, which is about absolute truth and academic
freedom. The boycott is also bad for the Palestinians and their desire
for nationhood. All that it does is alienate their friends and
supporters in Israel."
Crossbencher Lord Moser said:
"A boycott would be totally misguided. It would offend against
academic freedom and destroy precious bridges between academics
internationally. Politically, it would help no one, contributing nothing
to solving Middle East problems. I hope that the rational arguments
against it will prevail within universities."
Responding on behalf of the Government, Education Minister Lord Adonis said:
"The Government unequivocally deplores any proposed boycott. Not
only is a boycott wrong in principle, undermining the integrity of
relations between bona fide centres of learning, but in practice its
only likely effects would be to weaken the progressive forces within
both Israel and the Palestinian occupied territories."
Notes for editors
1. The campaign is being sponsored by BICOM and the Fair Play Campaign Group.
We can be contacted at:
0207 636 5500 / 0207 467 8949 and the press officer is Khevyn Limbajee, the
Head of Media at BICOM, who can be reached 24/7 on 07984 924 962 and at
press@stoptheboycott.org
Our website is live at www.stoptheboycott.org
2. The decision by the recent University and College Union conference to consider a boycott of Israeli universities has been widely condemned by politicians of all parties, trade unionists, Palestinian groups, and academics.
In response "Stop the Boycott" has been formed. We are a bespoke coalition of academics, Jewish and non- Jewish groups across the UK who have come together to counter the UCU's decision.
3. Under the banner of the Fair Play Campaign Group (FPCG), this campaign is being driven by the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre (BICOM) and the Jewish Activities Committee (JAC). This campaign is supported by:
- Trade Union Friends of Israel (TUFI)
- Union of Jewish Students (UJS)
- The Board of Deputies (BOD)
- Labour Friends of Israel (LFI)
- Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI)
- Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel (LDFI)
- The Friends of Hebrew University (FHU)
- The Zionist Federation (ZF), and many others.
