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On Fri, 31 May 2002, JP ROOS wrote: > One more small point concerning the "special treatment". Although > parallels are always problematic, in the case of the boycott against > South Africa, there never was any unclarity about those South > Africans with whom we were cooperating regardless of the boycott, > accepting their papers and inviting them to participate in meetings: > they were against the apartheid policies. Dear JP: Its seems that from far-away everything looks like simple and clear-cut even for such an experienced sociologist as you are. But image yourself that Israeli academy including several thousand scientists, 95% of them are completely unrecognized abroad or even within the country for most of the colleagues. The majority are juniors who are scared to open their mouths, in order not to be hurt by nobody.Even in my own department with approximately 40 members I hardly what are the political inclinations and practices of about half of them. Do you want to establish a police of thoughts, or to make inquire about any Israeli who would apply to a conference in your institution, or you'll ask for the name of the author and political affiliation or attitude of any peer-review you'll required to do, etc. etc. etc. Imagine for yourself how many silly situation you can expose yourself and how they fit basic academic freedom standards. It is so easy to be "pure" and support only good guys, and at the same time to distorted our own basic values. > The same should apply > here, with no need to any bureaucratic structures. What I don't > understand is that Baruch Kimmerling joins forces with "Professors > for National Strength" i.e. those supporting most actively the > "apartheid" regime and the occupation of territories. Kimmerling never "joined forces" with that group. He is just objecting for every reasons in the world academic boycotts, even its sounds so politically correct and located him in the category of the "good guys". Self evidently and without any connections with my reasoning, that group is also against the boycott for very different reasons. By the way, some Nazi groups strongly support the same boycott you support, did I ever argued that you "joins forces" with Nazis? yours, Baruch Kimmerling.