The Board’s reaction to call for academic boycott

Responding to a call from a number of academics to boycott Israel in an ad in today’s Guardian, Senior Vice President Richard Verber said: “We would ask why these academics are singling out Israel in such a discriminatory fashion? At a time of immense, often barbaric upheaval in other parts of the Middle East, Israel remains a beacon of academic excellence and progressive thinking, with women, minorities and LGBT people at the forefront of many initiatives. It is telling that these academics have nothing to say about the recent wave of terror directed towards Israeli citizens nor the incitement of Hamas and Fatah. In the complex conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, boycotting either side will lead to zero progress. Their energy would be much better spent encouraging academic dialogue and relations between like-minded Israelis and Palestinians who believe in a brighter future.”