Fury as 340 UK academics vow to boycott Israeli universities
HUNDREDS of British academics caused fury yesterday by boycotting Israeli universities in solidarity with Palestinians.
The lecturers said the move was a protest at the universities’ ‘deep complicity’ in Israel’s ‘violations of international law’ during the ongoing conflict in the region.
The 343 university professors come from 72 institutions including Oxford, Cambridge and the London School of Economics.
But many of the signatories, who are acting in an individual capacity, are relatively obscure names in their academic fields.
A number are from the School of Oriental and African Studies (Soas), which was named the most politically active university by the consumer association Which? last year.
Many appear to have roots in the Middle East, with some growing up in Palestine.
Among them are Dr Mohammad Abusara, a lecturer in renewable energy at Exeter University who received his BEng degree from Birzeit University on the West Bank, and Dr Atef Alshaer, an Arabic lecturer at the University of Westminster who was born in Gaza and completed his English language and literature degree at Birzeit University.
Others include Professor Arshin AdibMoghaddam, a politics lecturer at Soas, who was born in Istanbul to Iranian parents.
Arabic literature scholar Professor Rasheed El-Enany, of Exeter University, obtained his undergraduate degree in Cairo.
Some appear to be somewhat obscure, such as Dr Gareth Dale, who supervises PhDs at Brunel University, and Dr Mark Bould, a reader in film and literature at the University of the West of England. Professor Ted Honderich, of University College London, has said Palestinians have a ‘moral right’ to terrorism. They have pledged in an open letter not to accept invitations to visit Israeli academic institutions or take part in conferences funded by them. However, critics yesterday accused them of ‘double standards’.
Simon Johnson, of the Jewish Leadership Council, said: ‘Those who wish to improve the situation in the Middle East have chosen a divisive and discriminatory path.’
Richard Verber, of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, added: ‘We would ask why these academics are singling out Israel in such a discriminatory fashion.’
David Quarrey, Britain’s Ambassador to Israel, said: ‘The Government will never allow those who want to boycott Israel to shut down 60 years of partnership that does so much to make both our countries stronger.’
Speaking for the signatories, Jonathan Rosenhead of the London School of Economics said Israeli universities were ‘at the heart of Israel’s violations of international law and oppression of the Palestinian people’.