Black college president lends her support against a education boycott that targets Israel
(ynetnews.com) The president of one of America’s best known African-American colleges has added her voice to the chorus of condemnations coming from the US of the academic boycott against Israel being waged by Britain’s main academic union, the University College Union (UCU).
In a letter sent this week to an American-Jewish leader, Marvalene Hughes said: “It has come to my attention that an effort is underway to boycott Israeli academics. We find such efforts antithetical to the values of academic freedom and civility. Dillard University is an historical Black University that unequivocally detests the effort to silence, isolate, discount and ignore academic values of free expression and open discourse.”
Hughes’s letter was addressed to Rabbi Marc Schneier, President of The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, who responded by saying: “We are encouraged by President Hughes’ strong, principled position, similar to the one taken recently by Columbia University’s President. We are certain that the ideologues behind this effort in the UK will think twice about their totally unacceptable initiative when they see where mainstream America, represented by Dillard University and others, stand on this issue.” (more…)
Related article: “Boycott leader: I’m being vilified“
Schools should stay out of the boycott game and stick to teaching. The actions of this union sound very similar (minus the boycott) to the actions taken by Duke University professors who took out a full page ad condemning the Lacrosse team for a crime they did not commit.
Those of us fighting the insidious anti-Israel and anti-Semetic struggle of those British academics and professionals who would boycott Israel thank President Hughes for her strong and forthright statement. We urge all academics and professional to join in protesting the proposed boycott by going to http://www.spme.net/cgi-bin/display_petitions.cgi?ID=9 to sign and circulate a statement of solidarity with our Israeli colleagues. Many thanks.
Comment by Dr. Edward S. Beck, President Scholars for Peace in the Middle East | July 26, 2007
‘Teaching’ is not the only purpose of a modern university. In fact, universities distinguish themselves by their ability to conduct research — which represents millions (if not billions) of dollars to these institutions in the form of grants and endowments.
Thus, a boycott is a proper response for a university or group of universities to wield against its counterparts in nation-states that systemically violate human rights and international law. Boycotts properly applied can result in the rapid adoption of political and legal reforms intrensic to socioeconomic development (as in the example of South Africa).
Comment by MIB | July 26, 2007
The last I checked, tuition as well as government funding for such institutions were solely for educational purposes only. The reasoning behind such an open idealistic policy that allows such actions from educational institutions has a hole big enough to fit the likes of a Ward Churchill.
Comment by Duane | July 27, 2007
Tuitions are but one revenue item of a university. Fellowships, endowments, and research grants are also revenue sources intended for purposes other than education (in its narrowest context).
Comment by MIB | July 27, 2007