For those of you who do not already know NATFHE conference motion 198C relating to a personal boycott of Israel academics and institutions was passed today. The voting was 107 for, 71 against with 21 abstentions.
Following the decision we issued this press release.
Ronnie Fraser
Academic Fiends of Israel
The Academic Friends of Israel
Press Release, 29 May 2006
NATFHE is following a dangerous path
The Academic Friends of Israel condemns NATFHE’s decision to go ahead with a boycott of Israeli academic Institutions and academics. It encourages a course of action which ignores the complexities on the ground and binds and pressurises members into actions which are undemocratic and McCarthyite in spirit. This only brings dishonour and sheer ridicule upon NATFHE which can be rightly called and remembered as a racist and discriminatory union.
In spite of today’s setback, The Academic Friends of Israel consider personal boycotts are wrong and will continue with our policy of exposing academics who boycott Israeli Institutions and academics. We believe that anyone who pursues such an action is breaking discrimination and equal opportunities legislation as well as University rules and their own contacts of employment. Ronnie Fraser, director of the Academic Friends of Israel, commented:
"There are countless Palestinian and Arab collaborations with Israel in agriculture, medicine, science, and many other fields; as well as burgeoning links between academics in this country and Israel. If the sponsors of this boycotting campaign succeeded in something, it is only to undermine further progress, collaboration and peace in the Middle East and to marginalise the standing of NATFHE, it successor union, the UCU and British academia”
For further details, please contact Ronnie Fraser, Chair of The Academic Friends of Israel, via email (mail@academics-for-israel.org).
The Academic Friends of Israel
Email: mail@academics-for-israel.org
P.O. Box 360
HarrowHA3 9WY
Patron:
The Chief Rabbi Dr Jonathan Sacks
Advisory Board:
Dr Manfred Gerstenfeld - Chairman of the Board of Fellows, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.
Henry Grunwald Q.C. - President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews
Amir Lev
John D A Levy - Director of the Academic Study Group on Israel and the Middle East
Andrew R. Marks, M.D. - Columbia University, USA
Professor Leslie Wagner CBE
Rt Hon Lord Young of Graffham
The Academic Friends of Israel Ltd is limited by guarantee and registered in England No 5297417