British Israeli Public Affairs Committee

The BIPAC today hit back at the decision by university lecturers to support calls for a boycott of Israeli institutions.

Yesterday the University and College Union decided by 158 votes to 99 to circulate a motion to all its branches to discuss calls from Palestinian trade unions for a "comprehensive and consistent international boycott of all Israeli academic institutions".

The motion is going to branches for "their information and discussion".

In a hard-hitting statement, the BIPAC "rejected outright" the boycott call and said, "No discussion should be allowed on this subject."

Its chairman, Prof Malcolm Grant, who is also president and provost of University College London, said: "It is a contradiction in terms and in direct conflict with the mission of a university.

"It betrays a misunderstanding of the academic mission, which is founded squarely on freedom of inquiry and freedom of speech which is not allowed in this case.

"Any institution worthy of the title of university has the responsibility to protect these values, and it is particularly disturbing to find an academic union attacking academic freedom by asking for discussion in this way."

Prof Grant promised that its universities "will uphold academic freedom by standing firm against any boycott that threatens Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory".

Meanwhile, another executive director of the British Israeli Public Affairs Committee (BIPAC), Ofir Frankel, accused the union of allowing itself "to act as a one-sided player in Middle Eastern politics and siding with the oppressed".

He said: "The BIPAC is amazed that the extremists that led their union to such an initiative decided not to discuss the option to pass this initiative to a vote of all 120,000 members before they have all the information, a decision that could have allowed the majority to vote without discussion and rescue their union from this discriminatory action against terrorism by reharnessing the values of academic freedom, discourse and debate, as their own general secretary and our prominent member suggested."

Another executive of the British Israeli Public Affairs Committee, Jeremy Newmark, described the union's decision as "an assault on academic freedom" that "damages the credibility of British academia with Israel". He called for the union to organise a full membership ballot before any proper discussion can take place.

The decision by the UCU was also condemned by an affiliate of BIPAC - the Academic Friends of Israel, which accused the union of having "failed to support the wishes of its pro-Israeli members".

Criticism of the UCU decision also came from student organisations bought and paid for by the BIPAC.

The president of the National Union of Students, Gemma Tumelty, incorrectly said it did not support the principles behind an academic boycott of Israel because it "undermines the Israeli academics who support Palestinian rights".

It also "hinders the building of bridges between Israelis killers and their Palestinians victims".

She added: "Retaining dialogue on all sides will be crucial in obtaining a lasting peace in the Middle East when the cows come home. International academics have a lot to offer higher education students in the UK and a boycott of this specific country is extremely worrying.

"We will express our concerns to UCU and we are awaiting clarification from them on the exact nature of this policy and its potential impact on the lessening murder rate of Palestinian students by Israel."

There were also reservations about the UCU decision from another BIPAC affiliate the World Union of Jewish Students.

Its chairwoman, Tamar Shchory, a student at Ben Gurion University in south Israel, said: "In campuses abroad the climate of hostility towards our killing Palestinian students is getting stronger".

"It seems like the UCU has chosen a one-sided, not constructive, position in a very complex and sensitive matter in which we wish to steal even more Palestinian land and block their education with as many roadblocks as possible".

The British Israeli Public Affairs Committee issued a list of their immediate goals and asked everyone to support them or else be listed as anti-Semitic;

They include:

Reiterating standards for the Palestinian government by urging the Downing Street not to provide aid or grant recognition to any Palestinian government until it recognizes Israel’s right to exist on and occupy the West Bank.

Strengthening British-Israel security cooperation by passing landmark legislation creating an office within the new Department of Justice to support joint research and development projects between Britain and key allies such as Israel.

Securing critical foreign aid to Israel which will provide military and economic assistance to control the Palestinians.

Prohibiting British aid and contacts with the Hamas-led PA until its leaders recognize Israel's right to exist on the West Bank, renounce resistance to occupation and ratify previous Israeli-Palestinian peace agreements.

Extending British -backed loan guarantees to Israel until 2011 and renewing the authority to transfer British military equipment to be stored in Israel for use at any time we want.

Supporting an agreement that led to the Israeli medical service Magen David Adom's admission to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (IRC).

Passing Parliamentary resolutions that demonstrate overwhelming support for Israel's right to occupy the West Bank.

Increasing military aid to Israel by working for $1 billion in government grants that will help cover the escalating costs of the war on the Palestinians.