Sebastian Coe, the British Olympic champion and chief organizer of the 2012 games in London, chastised efforts of a British professors' union to shun Israeli colleagues in protest of Israeli mistreatment of Palestinians.

"The fact that I'm here at this time shows what I think about the academic boycott," Coe said during a panel discussion Wednesday at the University of Haifa, according to a release issued by the university.

Last week, delegates of Britain's largest union of university and college teachers asked local branches to discuss a boycott. If approved, the measure would prevent Israeli and British professors and university staff members from collaborating on projects.

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Bill Rammell, Britain's minister of state for higher education, has said the proposed boycott does nothing to promote the Middle East peace process. Rammell is planning to visit Israel to personally express the British government's opposition to the plan.

Coe's statement came during a sports discussion panel at the University of Haifa, itself the subject of a 2005 boycott effort in Britain for alleged maltreatment of a pro-Palestinian history professor.

The panel also included Alex Gilady, an Israeli member of the International Olympic Committee, and Yael Arad, whose silver medal in 1992 made her the first Israeli to capture an Olympic medal.

Coe, a decorated middle distance runner, won gold in the 1,500 meters and silver in the 800 meters at both the 1980 and 1984 Olympics.

He subsequently served in the British Parliament and now heads the organizing committee for the London games. He also is considered a potential future head of the IOC.

Coe has previously proposed holding a ceremony to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the deadly attacks on Israeli athletes at the 1972 games in Munich.

A spokesman for the games said no plans had been finalized.