AUT ISRAEL-BOYCOTT UPDATE: John Lyons, Lecturer in New Testament at Bristol University, e-mails to let me know that the Bristol chapter of the AUT has just passed the following motion. I understand that similar statements have been passed by Oxford, Cambridge, Sussex, and Warwick Universities.

This association regrets and deplores the resolution of the AUT Council to implement an academic boycott of Haifa and Bar-Ilan Universities in Israel. The ideals of an academic community and of academic freedom are such that a boycott of this nature could only be even contemplated after the case and the evidence for it had been searchingly examined and widely debated amongst members. Yet Council passed its resolutions on the basis of a perfunctory and one-sided debate.

The politics of the region are complex and members properly take a range of different views on the conflicts there. Moreover, it is perverse and counterproductive for British academics to seek to isolate members of the Israeli academic community, many of whom have been among the most vocal members of their society in opposing their government's policies. To single out Israel in this manner, whilst continuing to maintain relations with universities in such countries as China and Russia, is a sign of an unwarranted selectivity.

We should also be mindful of the effect on our own members. There are a significant number of Jewish members of the Association, many of whom identify with Israel as the Jewish national homeland. We take no view here for or against Zionism. But we recognize that such members of theAssociation are bound to feel marginalized and excluded by this resolution. Again, only the most compelling of cases, searchingly examined and widely debated, could warrant a decision with such a side-effect. No such examination or debate took place.

Accordingly, we resolve:

(1) to reject the call to boycott Israeli universities.

(2) to call on the AUT nationally to reverse its policy, which we deplore.

(3) to call on the AUT National Executive to call an emergency or extraordinary meeting of Council to discuss this policy.

(4) To take no measures locally to implement the current national policy on this matter.

(5) to deplore the fact that AUT Council made such a decision on the basis of a perfunctory and one-sided debate.'

Well done.

As a side note, the British government has finally made a statement on the boycott:

Howells wants end to Israeli boycott dispute

Polly Curtis, [Guardian] education correspondent
Tuesday May 17, 2005

The government made its debut in the row over the academic boycott of two Israeli universities today when the middle east minister, Kim Howells, issued a plea for a "peaceful" resolution to the row.

[...]

Mr Howells, who was minister for higher education until the post-election reshuffle and at the time that the boycott was agreed, said in a carefully-worded statement today: "I welcome the fact that the Association of University Teachers is to reconsider, on 26 May, its decision to boycott Bar Ilan and Haifa universities. I hope that the AUT will ensure the issue is fully-debated and will invite the two universities to express their views.

"The British government fully supports academic freedom and appreciates the independence of the AUT. But as a friend of both Israel and the Palestinians, we believe that we can best encourage both sides to take the steps needed for progress through close engagement to achieve a peaceful resolution."

[...]

The statement is indeed carefully worded (although not so carefully that the Guardian reporter couldn't misread it -- the "peaceful resolution" refers to the Israel/Palestine conflict, not the AUT controversy.) But it does make clear that the government thinks the boycott is a bad idea, which is all to the good.

But then there's this:

ADL's boss threatens boycott of UK academe
By Yair Sheleg (Ha'aretz)

The Anti-Defamation League is considering launching a counter academic boycott against British academia if Britain's Association of Union Teachers (AUT) fails to cancel its boycott of Bar-Ilan and Haifa universities, ADL National Director Abraham Foxman told Haaretz.

Such a counter boycott would not be restricted to Jews. "We would approach all the leading universities in the United States, and say to them: `If you believe in academic freedom and freedom of expression, don't accept the British boycott,'" said Foxman.

[...]

It's not entirely clear what Foxman has in mind, but if it really involves a boycott of British universities, it's not very helpful and doesn't show a clear understanding of the situation. The AUT does not speak for British academics or British universities and it would be ridiculous to punish us all for the AUT's bad decision. Please do back up those of us who oppose the boycott, but not this way.