It's always good to read Baruch Kimmerling's quite precise comments.

For those of you who have asked for more arguments (e.g. Paul Reynolds and David Seddon: you are cordially invited to read the full declaration opposing the boycott on www.european-association.org in English, German or French.

I am really surprised about the lack of understanding of the functionning of institutions in modern democracies by some of my social science colleagues. It is absolutely absurd, and, if that matters, immoral to link autonomous research institutions and researchers with their governments and to punish them. This is against all academic values; we regularly do not question political attitudes of colleagues with whom we collaborate. If we, however, find out, that somebody whom we intend to collaborate has unacceptable opinions we would probably drop the collaboration with such a person. Most likely, however, not necessarely with the whole institution. Why should that be different with Israeli institutions?

Some examples: Nobody called for a boycott, say of the UCLA during the Vietnam war. We opposed the occupation of Grenada without dropping our collaboration with US research organisations (provided we had any). Another example: I am pretty sure that a lot of my British colleagues would be upset if I were to identify them with, say, Thatcher's social policy. WHY IS THIS SO DIFFERENT IN THE ISRAELI CASE???????? I have not yet heard any argument for this, and I don't hink that there are any.

By the way, in yesterday's Libération there was a very interesting observation that a lot of those people who argue in favour of a boycott of the Israeli academia are as well among those who opted against sanctions against the Iraq argueing that such a boycott would just harm the population. Why is that to harm innocents in the Iraq would be unacceptable whilst doing a harm to the Israeli academia as a whole? Most of us know that there is a lot of people coming from the academia supporting the peace movement - of course there are others as well as Israel happens to be a democracy... But does that really justify a boycott????

To your information I include the statement of the EU-Commissioner for Research regarding the proposed boycott. His clear words might be less complicate than my own arguments...

Best wishes,

Ronald J Pohoryles

Dear Colleagues: I am sending you an important document. It is a formal statement issued by EU commissioner for research Philippe Busquin. His response is encouraging; however it is becoming increasingly evident that that those calling for the boycott have engaged in this struggle as if on a holy crusade.

April 25, 2002

D/0050/02 PR4/02

PRESS RELEASE

EU COMMISSIONER FOR RESEARCH PHILIPPE BUSQUIN REPLIES TO CALL FOR BOYCOTT ON SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL

On 23 April 2002, EU Commissioner for Research Philippe Busquin replied to one of the academics who signed a petition calling, among other things, for the EU to suspend scientific and cultural relations with Israeli bodies. The text of the letter follows:

"I thank you for your letter of 12 April by which you sent me the text calling for a moratorium on cultural and scientific relations with Israel.

As mentioned in your letter, the Middle East policy of the European Union aims at contributing to the resolution of the conflict and to a return to peace. As recently said on several occasions by the President of the European Commission, Mr. Romano Prodi, the European Commission is not in favour of a policy of sanctions against the parties to the conflict but rather advocates a continuous dialogue with them which is the best way to bring them back to negotiations. Moreover, the Council of Ministers took the same position on April 18^th.

More particularly, concerning Research, I draw your attention to the very positive effects played by the scientific co-operation conducted at the level of the European Union between European, Israeli and Palestinian institutions and scientists, and in which other Middle-East countries participate as well. Indeed, this co-operation, which addresses critical regional issues such as agriculture or water management, is a concrete example of dialogue, in particular between Israeli and Palestinians, which, is certainly more effective than many well-intentioned words without any concrete impact.

Yours sincerely

Philippe Busquin"

For more information please contact David Kriss, tel: 03-6137799 (ex 206) or 050-930516.