Stephen Hawkings Boycotts Israel

Summary of Article: Tomorrow begins the Fifth Annual Conference of Presidents in Jerusalem. Great leaders from around the world (President Clinton, Tony Blair, Gorbachev, etc.), leading academics and innovators will assemble to discuss new ideas, host panels and attend classes. Stephen Hawkings, a British professor and famous physicist, was supposed to attend. Yesterday he announced he will not attend in order to academically boycott Israel. To many, this seems hypocritical because he likes to champion freedom of thought. Also, Hawkins has Lou Gehrig's disease, which has rendered him unable to speak. He communicates through a voice system that operates on an Intel chip designed by Israel. Some are saying that if he is going to boycott Israel, he should also boycott his Intel chip.

Discussion with Kids:

• Summarize article
• What does hypocrisy mean? (To have a set of values or morals to which you do not conform) How is Hawkings acting hypocritically? (Using the Intel chip but boycotting Israel.)
• We all have opinions. If Hawkings wants to show he supports the Palestinian people, he has that right. But why is an academic boycott wrong? (Because who does it hurt? Freedom of thought; Israeli professors and individuals) 
• Many people become part of the boycott movement against Israel because they want Israel to leave the "occupied territories" of the West Bank. What they do not realize is that the boycott movement's actual goal is to get rid of the State of Israel, and a cover for bigotry and anti-Semitism. Before joining a movement or cause, it is critical to educate yourself fully about what you are joining. What are ways of educating yourself? Here is an article about the boycott movement, for instance, that Hawkings should read.