British academic boycott of Israel gathers pace
Andy Beckett and Ewen MacAskill British academics have delivered a series of snubs to their Israeli counterparts since the idea of a boycott first gained ground in the spring. In interviews with the Guardian, British and Israeli academics listed various incidents in which visits, research projects and publication of articles have been blocked. Colin Blakemore, an Oxford University professor of physiology, who supports a boycott, said: "I do not know of any British academic who has been to a conference in Israel in the last six months." Dr Oren Yiftachel, a left-wing Israeli academic at Ben Gurion University, complained that an article he had co-authored with a Palestinian was initially rejected by the respected British journal Political Geography. He said it was returned to him unopened with a note stating that Political Geography could not accept a submission from Israel. Mr Yiftachel said that, after months of negotiation, the article is to be published but only after he agreed to make substantial revisions, including making a comparison between his homeland and apartheid South Africa.
Thursday December 12, 2002
The GuardianEvidence is growing that a British boycott of Israeli academics is gathering pace.
What the Guardian doesn't mention is that this comparison was already old hat for "Mr." Yiftachel. See, e.g., "From Fragile ‘Peace’ to Creeping Apartheid: Notes on the Recent Politics of Israel/Palestine" by Oren Yiftachel or "PALESTINE: Sharon's Victory Boosts Apartheid" by Oren Yiftachel and, for our old friend Tikkun, "Between Apartheid and Peace: Can Israel Learn from International Experience?" by . . . guess who?
