Posted on 04/27/2005 4:06:25 AM PDT by IAF ThunderPilot
LONDON
The Association of University Teachers (AUT) has received a flood of protests, accompanied by an increasing number of resignations, following its decision to adopt boycotts against Israeli universities last Friday.
The backlash, which may take the form of mass resignations from the union, has seen an outpouring of protests by Jewish and non-Jewish academics across Britain.
John Vail, lecturer in political economy at Newcastle University, wrote in an e-mail to fellow academics: "The boycott is blatantly discriminatory and reeks of double standards." He added: "Although I have no current research links with Israeli academics, this has made me want to go out and develop some just so as to show my disapproval of this motion. I hope that our local branch will pass a motion that expresses our disagreement with the national policy."
Dr. Dimitra Kolliakou, Senior lecturer in Linguistics, also from Newcastle University, wrote to the AUT to express outrage at the boycott: "I find it particularly hypocritical that British academics feel virtuous enough to throw the first stone, given the complicity of their own government in the widespread human rights abuses in the war in Iraq."
Kolliakou had sent the message in response to a report by the AUT Newcastle branch, which gave a glowing description of the "applause and cheers in the hall" following the passing of the boycott motions.
The AUT received a further resignation this morning, as a professor from Hertfordshire University cancelled his AUT membership. This followed the resignation of Reinier Salverda, of University College London, bringing the number of academics who have resigned from the union to four. More resignations are expected to follow.
Fifteen academics from the Board of the London-based Leo Baeck Institute signed a letter expressing "dismay" at the AUT resolutions: "All agree in deploring the proposed boycott of Israeli universities and academics who fail to satisfy a political inquisition. Israeli universities, notably the three targets of the boycott, represent the best ideals of the university as a place of tolerance and the free exchange of views, in which Jews, Muslims and Christians study and work together."
The letter, which registered alarm at the "double standards and hypocrisy" behind the resolution, asked: "Will the tests and the boycott apply to Israeli Arab academics or only Jews?" The letter's signatories are based in a variety of British universities, and include the Institute's chairman Prof. Peter Pulzer, and Dr. David Rechter, both of whom lecture at Oxford University.
The outpouring of opposition to the AUT's boycott motions comes after 262 academics signed a letter to The Guardian newspaper last week expressing support for "continued collaborations in science, technology, health, education, human rights and myriad other fields," adding that "such interactions have already contributed to the reduction of tensions and advancement of cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians by developing joint grassroots projects and academic ventures."
David Cesarani, research professor at the Royal Holloway, University College London, said in a letter to the AUT: "The boycott, with its unholy echoes from the past, is an invitation to accusations of anti-Jewish animus. No matter who its instigators may be it will stir up ill feeling in and beyond the academic community worldwide. It should be rejected utterly."
Cesarani has opted to retain his AUT membership, saying he would prefer to combat the boycott from within the organization.
Messages of protest have been also been received by the AUT from abroad. Tom Maibaum, former AUT member, and Canada Research Chair in the Foundations of Software Engineering, told Sally Hunt, AUT general secretary: "I am completely ashamed of my former union. Whereas in the past I encouraged colleagues to join as a matter of principle, I will now tell them to abandon it, again out of principle." He added: "I will also do everything in my power to expose the AUT for what it is: an organization that works not in the spirit of openness and freedom for all, but as a politicized institution, in the worst sense, that works against the interests of academic freedom and the solution of problems."
No matter who its instigators may be it will stir up ill feeling in and beyond the academic community worldwide.No animosity among US teachers, I'm sure. I bet the NEA applauds anything anti-Israel.
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