Israel protests exclusion from int'l archeological conference in RamallahUPDATE (14 August): The IAA letter and press release have been published at the Independent Media Review Analysis website. Information on the Ramallah Congress can be found on the WAC Congresses website.
By GIL HOFFMAN AND JOSIAH DANIEL RYAN (Jerusalem Post)
The Israel Antiquities Authority condemned the World Archeological Congress on Wednesday for holding an international conference in Ramallah dedicated to "overcoming structural violence" and the negative impact of politics on archeology.
In a fiercely worded letter to the congress's president, IAA deputy director Dr. Uzi Dahari accused the organization of excluding Israelis, not informing the IAA of the event in advance, and allowing an academic forum to be used for political propaganda against Israel.
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WAC president Claire Smith responded that Israeli archeologists had not been intentionally excluded from the conference and that it had been widely advertised. She said there had been a misperception that Israeli archeologists would not be permitted to go to Ramallah to attend the event, and that a videoconference to allow Israeli participation had been attempted, but had not succeeded.
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UPDATE (19 August): More here from the WAC.
