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Last update - 00:00 29/05/2008
U.K. academic union moves to consider boycott of Israeli academia
By Asaf Uni, Haaretz Correspondent and Agencies
Tags: University and College Union 

Members of the University and College Union in England (UCU) passed a motion at their annual conference on Wednesday to consider severing ties with Israeli universities.

Tom Hickey, who teaches philosophy at the University of Brighton, says the motion highlighting the "humanitarian catastrophe imposed on Gaza by Israel" is just shy of a full boycott, The Telegraph said.

The UCU, the largest trade union and professional organization for academics and lecturers working throughout the United Kingdom, called on its colleagues to consider the moral and political implications of educational links with Israeli institutions, and to discuss the occupation with individuals and institutions concerned.
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The motion noted "the continuation of illegal settlement, killing of civilians and the impossibility of civil life, including education" as a result of the occupation.

The Jewish physicist and Nobel laureate Steven Weinberg said he canceled plans to visit England in protest of the measure.

A Foreign Office spokesperson released the following statement: "The British Government fully supports academic freedom and is firmly against any academic boycotts of Israel, Israeli universities or academics."

"The British Government does not consider boycotts constructive," the Foreign Office said. "They do nothing to advance the prospects for peace. It is therefore all the more important to keep open channels of communication with academics and educational institutions in the Middle East and to support - as we are - dialogue between the Israeli government andthe Palestinian Authority."

Israel Ambassador to England Ron Prosor said the move runs counter to academic principles.

"Any call to an academic boycott on Israel is an act of folly since boycott stands as a contradiction of what academy symbolizes and represents," Prosor said.

John Spellar, Labor MP for Warley, has slammed UCU's motion, which he said would allow for a boycott of Israeli academia.

"It is a matter of great regret that the UCU has passed this motion, which runs contrary to the views of ordinary members and against principles of academic freedom," he said.

The motion follows last year's attempts by the union to implement a similar boycott motion, but was withdrawn by the union following undisclosed legal advice.

This year's motion was debated despite the legal advice that the Stop the Boycott campaign had obtained, which clearly states that any boycott of Israeli academia would be in breach of the union's own anti-discrimination policies, as well as British anti-discrimination laws.

The Academic Friends of Israel condemned the UCU for passing a resolution "which is clearly discriminatory and anti-Semitic and, we believe, in clear violation of the U.K. Race Relations act."

Jeremy Newmark, Joint Head of the Stop the Boycott Campaign said: "UCU has again demonstrated how out of touch it is with the vast majority of its membership and with the wider academic community. This motion does nothing to help the Palestinians."

He said the resolution "runs counter to all that a Trade Union should stand for, discriminating against some of its members instead of defending all of them."

Lorna Fitzsimons, Joint Head of the Stop the Boycott campaign, said the motion "in effect gives license to harassment and discrimination within academic institutions, the very thing the UCU is supposed to protect its members from."
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  1.   U.K. Acedemic Union Accessory To Terrorism 23:24  |  Brad 28/05/08
  2.   Boycott 23:33  |  Mike 28/05/08
  3.   Here we go again 23:33  |  Chris Linthwaite 28/05/08
  4.   U.K. academic union moves to consider boycott of Israeli academia 23:49  |  Julian 28/05/08
  5.   First ATTEMPT to boycott Israel was SHAMEFUL for UCU.Isn`t SHAME. 23:49  |  Vittorio 28/05/08
  6.   The usual suspects are at it again 23:55  |  Raymond in DC 28/05/08
  7.   They should boycott everything Israeli 23:57  |  leo 28/05/08
  8.   UK, STOP TERRORISIM IN YOUR COUNTRY FIRST 23:58  |  RW 28/05/08
  9.   Chris Linthwaite 00:04  |  rich 29/05/08
  10.   Inflated egos 00:05  |  Academic 29/05/08
  11.   Amnesty International just condemned Pals for rights abuse 00:05  |  Ben 29/05/08
  12.   Great... 00:10  |  Henry 29/05/08
  13.   Why not boycott all countries in the UN report 00:12  |  Jon 29/05/08
  14.   Find out the list of the members and diplay it on the net. 00:16  |  itzik 29/05/08
  15.   change the record already 00:20  |  Paul Freedman 29/05/08
  16.   Jews Should Boycott These SOBs 00:22  |  Tod Zuckerman 29/05/08
  17.   They would be the ones losing! 00:25  |  Maurice 29/05/08
  18.   I hope Canada follows behind 00:26  |  C`est Moi 29/05/08
  19.   What works 00:26  |  Dave Duncan 29/05/08
  20.   Deja vu all over again ... gripping stupidity of " UK academics" 00:27  |  17 29/05/08
  21.   we must attack and keep attacking such persons, actions, confront 00:29  |  ralph 29/05/08
  22.   What happens when the socialists abandon Israel? 00:51  |  Wendy 29/05/08
  23.   UK 00:53  |  Jabotinsky 29/05/08
  24.   boycotts, divestment, sanctions are an *alternative* to violence 00:58  |  ira 29/05/08
  25.   Jewish union members - seek legal advice 01:04  |  Hannah 29/05/08
  26.   This is getting old 01:07  |  Joe Frazier 29/05/08
  27.   SHAME ON SALLY HUNT 01:09  |  Union Member 29/05/08
  28.   boycott 01:18  |  Shmuelshachor 29/05/08
  29.   Boycotting Israel in favor of terrorism 01:26  |  Connie 29/05/08
  30.   OMG...again???? 01:31  |  al-kafir al-yahudi 29/05/08
  31.   To #4: Julian 01:34  |  al-kafir al-yahudi 29/05/08
  32.   Jewish university teachers should stop teaching in the UK 01:37  |  Joey 29/05/08
  33.   the only boycott ,,,, 01:49  |  pepsi 29/05/08
  34.   This illegal racist boycott will damage UK much more than Israel 01:50  |  Briton 29/05/08
  35.   Wendy`s socialists 01:53  |  al-kafir al-yahudi 29/05/08
  36.   Wendy 6 01:57  |  ChanahS 29/05/08
  37.   To #7 (Jabontinsky) 02:11  |  al-kafir al-yahudi 29/05/08
  38.   Here we go again: they just can`t stop it 02:13  |  Moshe 29/05/08
  39.   Interesting laws don`t apply when it comes to Israel 02:32  |  Gee 29/05/08
  40.   That will be the end of UK academics 02:42  |  Ben Yosi 29/05/08
  41.   outsider 02:48  |  Di, the doubter 29/05/08
  42.   Who cares? Let them enjoy the Iranian and Syrian Nobel Laureates 03:03  |  Mr. Ami Goldman 29/05/08
  43.   Australian academic 03:10  |  owen 29/05/08
  44.   UCU are to consider to join Hamas,step number 2 03:36  |  confused 29/05/08
  45.   ALLOFS to the barricades ! Arise you workers from your slumbers 03:39  |  PETER SM 29/05/08
  46.   boycotting Israel 03:42  |  wibism 29/05/08
  47.   MYTH UPON LIE UPON GARBAGE 04:04  |  Brant 29/05/08
  48.   Brits Çreated the Mideast In Order To Boycott Israel 04:07  |  Prof. Conny Spiracy 29/05/08
  49.   The Boycott 04:28  |  Bergman 29/05/08
  50.   UK ACADEMIA? 04:39  |  Roberto 29/05/08
  51.   Owen 04:44  |  Free Gilad Shalit 29/05/08
  52.   Bravo! 04:53  |  Jack 29/05/08
  53.   British academia=contradiction in terms 05:03  |  dyinglikeflies 29/05/08
  54.   For academics, this bunch are really stupid 05:06  |  Lynn 29/05/08
  55.   #7 Jabotinsky 05:33  |  TurkishJew 29/05/08
  56.   Boycott Schmoycott 05:37  |  Jabotinsky 29/05/08
  57.   The problem with academia 06:07  |  Lionel Trilling 29/05/08
  58.   What Western culture values 06:08  |  Lionel Trilling 29/05/08
  59.   OH THE HYPOCRICY 06:29  |  VIPER 29/05/08
  60.   UK is a Double Faced Backside Itch 06:40  |  The Archives 29/05/08
  61.   It should be noted: No Palestinian academic institutions existed 07:26  |  Avner 29/05/08
  62.   Justification of collective punishment ! 07:28  |  Jean Van Daem 29/05/08
  63.   British academia is painting a caricature of itself, thanks to 07:34  |  Nahum 29/05/08
  64.   Oh, yes, this really contributes to peace, doesn`t it? 07:38  |  Conroy 29/05/08
  65.   Our changing times 07:42  |  Natallie Durson 29/05/08
  66.   Why not a boycott on pure academic matters? 07:44  |  Ulf 29/05/08
  67.   Arab occupation and the settlements are legal 08:02  |  expert in I.L. 29/05/08
  68.   Boycotting Israel amounts to: 1) How little British academics 08:05  |  Uri 29/05/08
  69.   Britain is on its way to become the first Islamic state in Europe 08:23  |  Jean Van Daem 29/05/08
  70.   We should ignore the abject condemnation of the Jew-haters. 08:25  |  Jean Van Daem 29/05/08
  71.   U.K academic try again!!! 08:26  |  elaine 29/05/08