Last update - 01:51 30/03/2007
U.K. gov't worried by growing anti-Jewish sentiment on campuses
By Amiram Barkat
The British government has stated its opposition to an academic boycott on Israel and is concerned about the "rising tide of anti-Semitic discourse and anti-Semitism on university campuses" according to the British government's response to the report of the All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry into anti-Semitism.
The government's response, released yesterday and presented by Race and Faith Minister Phil Woolas, stated: "We are specifically concerned about significant indications that, unlike other forms of racism, anti-Semitism is being accepted within parts of society instead of being condemned."
The report, submitted in response to the recommendations of the all-party committee headed by Labor Member of Parliament John Mann and published in September 2006, contains 35 recommendations on how to deal with rising anti-Semitism.
In specifically noting the problem of anti-Semitism on campus, the report stated: "We conclude that calls to boycott contact with academics working in Israel are an assault on academic freedom and intellectual exchange."
The report continued: "We are aware that current rhetoric about Israel and Zionism (from the far-right, the far-left and Islamic extremists alike) employs anti-Semitic motifs consistent with ancient forms of hatred toward Jews."
The Board of Deputies of British Jews welcomed the government response. Jon Benjamin, chief executive of the organization, said "with this robust response, neither anti-Jewish discourse nor more overt forms of anti-Semitism can be brushed aside."