US chancellors slam boycott

Ynetnews:

American university and college chancellors met with Education Minister Yuli Tamir on Monday evening in Tel Aviv, and agreed to work together to forge academic cooperation between Israeli and American academic institutions.

During her speech, Tamir addressed the boycott resolution passed against Israel in May by Britain's main academic union, saying, 'Not only is the boycott misguided, it is also a destructive tool. It targets the people who keep their doors open even during the worst of times, the academics, who talk with Palestinians. It's an ironic step.' ...

Mark G. Yudof, Chancellor of the University of Texas, described the boycott as "a genuinely stupid move".

"I don't see any boycotts being proposed of African countries, or a boycott being proposed against Libya," he said.

"It's a double standard in my view. As the minister said, it's ironic to target the community which keeps dialogue open during national disputes. I think you'll see many American academics joining Lee Bollinger, President of Columbia University, in his condemnation of the boycott," Yudof added.

"My English friends told me I shouldn't take the boycott too seriously, that the group is not mainstream. But all I can do is judge them on their name and their actions," he added. ...

During a question and answer session, a number of academics told Tamir they were unhappy with the US State Department's decision to issue Americans wishing to visit Israel with a travel warning, saying the decision impeded academic cooperation. Tamir agreed, and added that the Israeli government has attempted to overturn the decision.