"Union committee to reconsider Israeli academics boycott"
| by Anthea Lipsett Thursday March 27, 2008 Full article on the Web at: http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/worldwide/story/0,,2268513,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=8 The University and College Union (UCU)'s national executive committee (NEC) has agreed to reconsider a boycott of Israeli academics at its annual congress in May. An internal motion to discuss the possibility of a boycott of Israeli academics was put to the NEC meeting on March 14. It notes the "apparent complicity of the Israeli academy" in Israeli government policies towards the Palestinians, and states the UCU should "promote a wide discussion by colleagues of the appropriateness of continued education links with Israeli academic institutions". According to the Stop the Boycott Coalition (STB) - academics and Jewish and non-Jewish groups who are against a boycott - Tom Hickey, Brighton University academic and Socialist Workers Party activist, put forward the motion, which was seconded by Linda Newman, UCU's president. A similar motion at UCU's inaugural annual congress in May last year sparked prolonged international outrage after members agreed to take steps towards a vote on introducing an academic boycott of Israeli universities. However, in September, the UCU cancelled regional meetings organised for members to discuss the "moral implications" of existing links with Israel after taking legal advice that a boycott call ran the risk of infringing discrimination legislation and was also considered to be outside the aims and objectives of the union.... _______________________________________ | |||||||
