The boycott movement claimed a major victory earlier this year when Stephen Hawking pulled out of a conference in Israel. A prestigious US academic body has joined a growing movement to boycott Israel in protest at its treatment of Palestinians, in a move both welcomed and condemned in a bitterly divisive international arena. The American Studies Association (ASA), which has more than 5,000 members, is the most significant US academic organisation to back a boycott of Israeli educational institutions following a two-thirds majority vote. Around a quarter of members took part in the ballot. The ASA resolution was in solidarity with scholars and students deprived of their academic freedom, the organisation said in a statement. It cited Israels violation of international law and UN resolutions; the documented impact of the Israeli occupation on Palestinian scholars and students; [and] the extent to which Israeli institutions of higher education are a party to state policies that violate human rights. Other British personalities who have declined invitations to visit Israel include Elvis Costello, Roger Waters, Brian Eno, Annie Lennox and Mike Leigh. Many others, however, including the author Ian McEwan, have resisted pressure to join the boycott on the grounds that it is ineffective or misguided.
Posted on: Sat, 12 Jul 2014 21:07:04 +0000
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