31 May, 2006
British Jewish leaders and students have strongly criticized a decision by the British teachers union National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education to recommend a boycott of Israeli academics. Monday’s vote by the union calls on Israeli academics to “publicly declare their political views and subject them to the scrutiny of British academics, is especially pernicious,” the Board of Deputies of British Jews said in a statement. The boycott applies to Israeli lecturers and academic institutions that do not publicly declare their opposition to Israel’s presence in the West Bank. The move has sparked international outrage among academics and Jewish groups for being both one-sided and counterproductive. The resolution is being seen as largely symbolic, since it only “invites members to consider their responsibility” instead of enforcing a boycott. Trevor Phillips, the press spokesman for the association, told JTA, “The resolution is not a union boycott, it is a matter for personal consideration. It was meant only to open up a debate about this topic and encourage members to think about their own responsibility in the issue.” Philips' association is set to merge soon with the Association of University Teachers, which also voted to boycott Israeli academics last year because of Israeli policy toward the Palestinians, but has since rescinded the decision following international pressure.
