British Ambassador Simon McDonald
'Academic boycotts are counterproductive and retrograde'
Photo: CD Bank
Zero tolerance for anti-Semitism
Reports of anti-Semitism in Britain are exaggerated. A response to Eytan Gilboa
Prime Minister Tony Blair will tomorrow welcome Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to London. Although the two have met several times, and spoken on the phone in recent weeks, this will be their first meeting since Olmert became prime minister. Negotiations with the Palestinians and Olmert’s realignment plan will be top of the agenda, and the visit will also strengthen the already close relationship between our two countries.
UK Boycott
Eytan Gilboa
Anti-Semitism, not policy criticism, is the motor driving anti-Israel efforts in England
Israel is of utmost importance to the British government, which is why we must not allow decisions by organisations independent of government, such as the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (NATFHE), to sour our relationship.
The British government regrets the decision by NATFHE to boycott Israeli academics and institutions: the decision in no way reflects the British government’s position on Israel, nor indeed British public opinion.
NATFHE is in the process of merging with the Association of University Teachers (AUT) and last month’s decision will not be binding on the new organisation. Although a small minority within the AUT voted last year to boycott Bar Ilan and Haifa universities, that decision was overturned within one month when the wider AUT executive board met.
Exaggerated reports
The British government fully supports both academic freedom and the independence of bodies such as the AUT and NATFHE. We do not interfere in an organization’s internal decisions. However, my government believes that much more can be achieved through dialogue and academic cooperation. Academic boycotts such as the one approved by 106 delegates at the NAFTHE convention last week are counterproductive and retrograde.
Eytan Gilboa recently claimed on these pages that an anti-Israel and anti-Semitic wave was sweeping over Britain; I think that takes things out of proportion. This year marks the 350th anniversary of the reestablishment of the Jewish community in Britain. The Jewish community is an integral part of the social fabric in my country.
Zero tolerance
The British government has a zero-tolerance policy towards anti-Semitism and all other forms of hatred and xenophobia. Figures from the Community Security Trust, the body that advises and represents Britain’s Jewish community on matters of anti-Semitism and general security, show a 14 percent fall in the number of anti-Semitic incidents last year compared to 2004. We will persist in the fight against anti-Semitism and racism, and our police will continue to work together with communities to ensure their safety and security.
The need to work towards a long-term solution to the Middle East conflict will dominate the agenda during Mr. Olmert’s visit to London. But there are many other areas where we work together: in business, science and technology, the arts and education. Co-operation between academics is something we have always encouraged; looking to the future, we want to build on what we have achieved, not stop it dead in its tracks.
Simon McDonald is the British ambassador to Israel
