Israeli Universities To US Academic Group: Don't Help Boycott

Israel’s Association of University Heads (VERA) urged the American Anthropological Association (AAA) on Monday to backtrack on its decision to support a proposal raised by Palestinian organizations to boycott Israeli universities, asking the academic group not to assist the boycott movement.

“The proposal presents a distorted picture of the reality in Israel,” a letter sent by VERA said. “Israeli universities are open to all students, both Jews and Arabs, and there is full equality among all students and researchers. The research and academic discourse in Israel operate according to the principles of academic freedom in an unbiased manner, free of political or ideological tendencies.

“It is both ironic and absurd that specifically those supporting such boycotts are using politics in an attempt to incite and introduce hatred and racism into the Israeli academia.”