Boycott of Israel... ???

Yesterday, the UK's University and College Union (UCU), which represents 120,000 academics in Higher Education, had a debate about issuing a boycott of Israel academics. This debate already has a history, as in the past 2 years the academic unions in the UK have discussed if such a boycott is to be implemented. They followed here a call from Palestinian trade unions.

Concluding yesterday's debate, the delegates voted to call on British lecturers to "consider the moral implications of existing and proposed links with Israeli academic institutions".

I am not a member of UCU, but as an academic in the UK, the actions of UCU also influence my work. So I take up the call and "consider": and the result of my consideration is that such links with Israeli academic institutions are valuable and helpful in overcoming the divisions in the Middle East. The boycott proposed by UCU is not helpful.

But this anti-Israel attitude has tradition here in the UK, among the well-meaning "intellectuals" who have such a large heart for the supressed in this world: just a month ago the British National Union of Journalists (NUJ) issued a boycott of goods from Israel.

The question arises, why unions whose focus should be in affairs within the country, go to these lengths and mingle in global issues. Does that mean they have given up on their original task, to negotiate salaries and working conditions for their members?

Maybe in Britain there is still the felt global responsibility for "the Empire" which has long gone. Maybe there are still some hard feelings, for having been kicked out of Israel in 1948.

Journalists should report unbiased the news. This siding of their main union taints this objectivity. 270 journalists from the BBC have signed a petition AGAINST this boycott. The same NUJ also supports Chavez in Venezuela who just has closed opposing TV stations - yeah, great support for democracy.

I personally am ashamed of the UCU actions, and I am not going to support this boycott. Sure, Israel has done quite a bit to discredit itself, but the policy of that state should not be held against its citizens. The Israel population has pluralism, there are many voices, opinions, there is also a significant peace movement, often protesting against the government. Where can protests against governments be found in the countries surrounding Israel? Nowhere. Because these are all not real democracies, but are ruled by monarch-like figures who inherit their office from their family. Israel is the only democracy there, with changing governments, separation of power etc., the only country there which carries the flame of secular enlightenment, which is the biggest achievement of mankind. Sure, within itself it too has those religious right-wing zealots, which want to turn the wheel of history back - but Israel has to deal with them, and will deal. The majority of the population is not following those radicals there. Quite in contrast to the situation in the palestinian territories, where the people only had the choice between a corrupt nepotistic Fatah and the radical faschist Hamas - and these two are right now fighting against each other, in the long tradition of radical middle-east civil war.

It is quite ironic that the Britsh journalist Alan Johnston who had been very sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, is now captured by them. I am curious what he has to say when he is released. But not even this crime causes our well-meaning UCU and NUJ to boycott Palestine, nor do they issue a resolution against the daily suicide bombers anywhere in the Middle East... instead the go for the cheap Israel-bashing. And of course, they deny any trace of Antisemitism in their actions ...


I will not participate in this boycott; in fact I will undermine it: I hereby invite academics from Israel to establish links with me - as Professor of Creative Technology at Leeds Metropolitan University I am open to joint projects, research activities, and technology development.

This invitation also goes to all academics from institutions in the Palestine territories - they are very welcome to establish links for collaboration and partnerships!

The world urgently needs more collaboration, not more boycotts and divisions.