AUTism
Aussie Dave | May 10, 2006 | 3 comments
Hey boys and girls!
Do you know what time it is?
That’s right..it’s boycott time!
The academic and cultural boycott of Israel debate is likely to return this month as the trade union conference season, that began in April and culminates with the Trade Union Congress in September, continues.The Association of University Teachers (AUT), which last year passed a motion calling for a boycott of the University of Haifa and Bar-Ilan University before it was eventually overturned, holds its conference this week.It is believed the AUT will not have a boycott motion on the agenda, however a commission, set up by its Special Council after the overruling of the boycott motion, will propose that a boycott be used as a last resort and only implemented when requested by a trade union at a university or college concerned.At the end of May, the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (NATFHE), the largest university and college trade union in the UK, will discuss two motions at its annual conference.One of them calls for academic responsibility, noting “the continuing Israeli apartheid policies, including construction of the exclusion wall, and discriminatory educational practices.”
Here’s my favorite part..
It calls on union members to “consider their own responsibility for ensuring equity and non-discrimination in contacts with Israeli educational institutions or individuals and the appropriateness of a boycott of those that do not publicly dissociate themselves from such policies.”
Yep. Nothing shouts out equity and non-discrimination in contacts with Israeli educational institutions like boycotting them. (I am guessing non-discrimination means boycotting every single one of them, without exception?)
But it gets even more ridiculous.
The other motion acknowledges the victory of Hamas in the Palestinian Legislative Council elections: “The conference condemns the hysterical reporting of the result by most of the British news media and the outrageous bias shown by UK government statements against the outcome of a democratic process.”
So in other words, Israeli academic institutions that do not publicly dissociate themselves from the government’s policies (such as the construction of a security fence to defend her citizens against terror attacks) should be boycotted. And the Hamas government, whose policies include orchestrating terror attacks, and calling for Israel’s destruction, must be supported.
So it’s no surprise that the AUT also call for supporting palestinian institutions that do not publicly dissociate themselves from their government’s policies.
It also calls for the protection and support of Palestinian academic institutions “in the face of continual attacks by Israel’s government.”
Interesting, because I could have sworn it was the Israeli academic institutions attacked by the palestinian Hamas government.
All of this insanity leads me to the only possible logical conclusion: they just plain hate us.
About the Author
An Australian immigrant to Israel, Aussie Dave has been blogging since early 2003.Filed Under: General
It’s not that they hate us, it’s that they haven’t got a clue of the situation at all. They are informed by the kool British media, that’s why.
Shame on these ignorant partisans…
I’m sure you know that Edinburgh University Student Association passed a motion on making Bir Zeit University a sister university?
(Iwould really like to know how history is taught in Britain, esp. 20th century history…)
but are anyone really against the boycott in the haifa university?
they are so leftists and arabists that may they support it hehe
It is a lame excuse for them. These people are supposed to be educated to have their own opinion and to know to read between the lines. If they really want to get the truth, they would get it. They don’t.