Have resisted getting into this controversy for a while. But really, as an
opponent of the Israeli regime since 1967, I suggest you concentrate your
opposition on other targets.
Firstly, Israeli academics - in Israel and outside Israel - have been in
the forefront of the campaign against the Israeli regime, and their actions
and publications have been used effectively by opponents of the regime.
Being in a university, as we all know, gives us a centre from which to
conduct our oppositional work, be it teaching, writing, researching, or
influencing policies. My recent collection with Nahla Abdo on Palestinian
and Israeli women's narrative of dislocation has been used by many students
and scholars, as have Kimmerling's books, and books by Pappe, Simona
Sharoni, Oren Yiftachel, Ella Shohat, Uri Ram, Ayala Emmet, to give but
very few examples.
Secondly, as has been suggested by several people on the list, if the ESA
decides to boycott Israeli universities, it MUST boycott US and UK
universities. The reasons for a boycott are the same, of course, but bear
in mind how much more precarious it is for Israeli academics to voice their
opposition in a climate of hightened security, moral panic and the tribal/
familial togetherness of Israeli society. Taking glory in the 2 million
demonstrators against the war, Stephen, is disingenuous - many Israelis
(including many academics) not only demonstrate against the occupation, but
also take dangerous actions to support Palestinians, at roadblocks,
harvesting olives, re building demolished houses, organising medical and
legal aid etc etc - when was the last time you participated in any of the
above for any Iraqi or Afghani?
Thirdly, as Baruch Kimmerling argued, it has not been proven that
boycotting academic institutions has done anything to end Apartheid, for
instance - an economic boycott is quite another thing.
Fourthly, an overall boycott is not clever - if you have a specific
complaint against a specific Israeli academic institution for a specific
pratice, you can decide not to enter into negotiations with this particular
institution - don't go to conferences organised by academics who you think
serve the occupation; don't do joint research projects with institutions
you believe serve the occupation etc.
Fifthly, It is much more important to target our efforts more precisely. As
Kimmerling suggests, why not write a UK sociological study condemning Blair
as he has done in relation to Sharon? Why not join Chomsky, Zizek, et al in
writing a sociological analysis of Bush's imperialist war against Iraq,
Afghanistan etc? And why not, on the other hand, support those Israeli
academics who are silenced by their universities when they express
opposition to the regime?
The point is not to lessen the opposition to the Israeli occupation, but to
find another tree to bark against.
Ronit
Dr Ronit Lentin
Course coordinator,
MPhil in Ethnic and Racial Studies,
Department of Sociology, University of Dublin,
Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland.
Tel: 353 1 6082766. Fax: 353 1 6771300.
Email: [log in to unmask]
http://www.tcd.ie/Sociology/mphil/mphil.htm
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