U.K. ambassador: Academic boycott of Israel 'not productive'

Last update - 19:03 10/05/2006


U.K. ambassador: Academic boycott of Israel 'not productive'

By Tamara Traubmann, Haaretz Correspondent

Britain's ambassador to Israel, Simon McDonald, has said that his government did not believe that academic boycotts were productive and prefered academic cooperation.

He was responding to a report in Haaretz on Tuesday according to which academics in the United Kingdom were planning to back a far-reaching boycott of Israeli academics and academic institutions that do not dissociate themselves from Israeli government policy in the territories.

"The British government fully supports academic freedom and appreciates the independence of NATFHE and therefore cannot interfere in its decision," he said on Tuesday.

"However, we do not believe that such academic boycotts are productive - far more can be obtained through dialogue and academic cooperation."
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http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/714427.html

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