Protest against call for European boycott
           of academic and cultural ties with Israel


On April 6, The Guardian published an open letter signed by 120 University
professors (90 from the UK) calling for a moratorium on cultural and
research links with Israel at a European or national level "unless and
until Israel abides by UN resolutions and opens serious peace negotiations
with the Palestinians, along the lines proposed in many peace plans..."

We, the undersigned, hereby unequivocally condemn this call for a European
boycott of research and cultural links with Israel.

Whereas we hold diverse political views with respect to the past and
current policies of the Israeli government, and whereas we recognize the
right of individuals and concerned citizens in Israel and abroad, to openly
express their opinions regarding the tragic and devastating events of
recent months, we are united in our condemnation of this unprecendented
call by European scholars to suspend European-Israeli academic and cultural
ties.

Our reasons for opposing the proposed initiative include:

1. A moratorium on scientific and cultural cooperation with any group of
scholars is diametrically opposed to the concept of freedom in the conduct
of science, one of the most basic principles of scientific ethics.

2. Restricting academic ties between European and Israeli scholars to
advance particular political goals diminishes the spirit of open
collaborative scientific scholarship. Science and research become hostages
to political agendas or moral outrage and the human value of both endeavors
is belittled.

3. The proposed boycott is an improper and immoral act of collective
punishment, unworthy of colleagues in European academic communities.

4. A unilateral boycott of Israeli academics unfairly identifies Israel as
the only party responsible for the violent shift in Israeli-Palestinian
relations and ignores ongoing attacks against innocent Israeli citizens.
Such an one-sided perspective is contrary to academic standards of
truth-seeking.

5. Many European-funded programs have explicitly aimed at enhancing
scientific cooperation between Israelis, Palestinians and Arab scholars.
Joint research projects -- for example, in water resource management,
cancer treatment, desalination, and regional disease eradication -- have
continued undeterred throughout the months of the Intifada. Other European
programs have provided important frameworks for Middle East scholars to
meet in "neutral" settings outside the region, to discuss academic topics
of mutual interest, and to build informal interpersonal ties, thus helping
to counter years of accumulated misunderstanding and animosity. Freezing
Israeli access to, and participation in, such programs would neither end
the violence nor promote meaningful dialogue. It would damage these
important frameworks and undermine the benefits to research.

6.Democratic academic communities around the world, especially in Israel,
consist of individuals who openly question and challenge the world-views of
governments and their representatives. To boycott Israeli academics would
endanger the democratic values and respect for human rights this community
works hard to foster. The moratorium would castigate the very people whose
contributions are so needed during these troubled times.

In short, we think that the call to place a moratorium on scientific and
cultural relations between Israel and Europe diminishes our ability and
common responsibility to promote collaboration between the two peoples and
to further the cause of knowledge, progress and peace.


This is the site for joining our petition:

http://www7.huji.ac.il/euroisrael2002/








Dr. Yigal Levin
Dept. of Philosophy and Religion
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
615 McCallie Avenue
Chattanooga TN 37403-2598
U.S.A.