Monday, December 16, 2013

Professors Association Endorses Boycott of Israel

Article: The American Studies Association, an association of American professors with roughly 5,000 members, voted today to boycott Israeli colleges and universities. This makes it the largest academic group in the U.S. to endorse such a boycott and move to isolate Israel, ostensibly for Israel's treatment of Palestinians. Only about a quarter of its members voted on the resolution. If effective (dependent on individual universities and colleges), no American school or academic group will collaborate with an Israeli institution. Individual Israelis can still lecture at American universities and do research but only as long as they forswear allegiance to Israeli government policies. The American Studies Association has not previously boycotted any other nation.

Discussion:

  • Why are people who love Israel worried about this boycott? 
  • Why is it wrong that the association, which does not boycott any other nation in the world (including Iran and Syria!), boycotts Israel for "human rights violations"? 
  • If you were an Israeli professor, why would this make you worried? 
  • What can be done about this? 















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