Juan Cole condemns the proposed blacklist of Israeli academics

Juan Cole, currently President of the Middle Eastern Studies Association, has a consistent record of support for academic freedom and of opposition to academic blacklisting (or "boycotts"). He now calls for academics to "stand up" and oppose the proposed blacklist of Israeli academics by the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (NATFHE) in Britain.

Yet another attempt is being made to institute an academic boycott in Europe of Israeli professors. Academics, please sign this petition and stand up [my emphasis --JW]. Israeli academics as a class have not done anything wrong and it is not right to subject them to a blanket ban.

See the Committee for Academic Freedom letter from the Middle East Studies Association on this matter last year this time. See also my Chronicle of Higher Education piece on this issue.

=> And see also this roundup from infotainment rules, "stand up against the blacklist of israeli academics":

Juan Cole has asked his academic readers to sign the petition in support of Israeli scholars: [....]

Bravo to Cole.

Jeff Weintraub is also urging his readers to sign the petition.

Al Quds University president Sari Nusseibeh is urging his Palestinian colleagues to oppose the blacklist on Israeli scholars.

And there is an extraordinary cri de coeur by David Hirsch [Hirsh], of the University of London, against the blacklist. [....]

As Juan Cole properly says: Academics (and other scholars), stand up!

Yours for academic freedom & political sanity,
Jeff Weintraub