Most Norwegians are decent people who do not go looking for trouble. We do however get led astray sometimes. At NTNU a very vocal, well-organized group of Israel-critics have been working hard for a long time in order to bring about an academic boycott of Israel. They have called for a boycott and organized a top-tier seminar series on Israel where the speakers were characterized by Haaretz as being an all-star team of Israel-haters. Now, on November 12th, NTNU’s board will have to decide whether or not to act on the call to boycott.
Make no mistake, this will be no pushover. A strong anti-Israel lobby has demonized and criticized Israel for a long time, and there are many intelligent and hardworking people among them. On the 12th, a Norwegian board will have to decide whether a Norwegian university is to boycott the country in the Middle East which scores highest on democracy, women’s rights and freedom of speech – Israel.
Now an international community of scholars are saying – enough. Boycott Israel, they state, and we will boycott you. Mark, this is not the Israel-lobby speaking. This is a choir of the voices of decency, and there are many Norwegians among them. For Norway to boycott Israel would be madness.
We, the undersigned Nobel Laureates, scholars and members of the international academic, research and professional community, refute and condemn the campaign to boycott Israeli academics and academic institutions at Trondheim University.
We stand in solidarity with Israeli academics and academic institutions; if you boycott them, boycott us as well.
Here are a few of the comments entered by the signatories:
A man of principle: “I am against any academic boycott, not only because I am Israeli, but also because I believe it is basically wrong to mix academic issues with politics”.
A Stanford professor scores a point: “Boycotts like this are an anti-semitic travesty. No other country whose policies are in question is ever subjected to similar boycotts”.
Someone up in Canada is definitely in the know: “Trondheim is GALTUNGLAND”.
A Paris-based linguist appeals to the better nature of her colleagues in Trondheim: “I urge my linguist colleagues at Trondheim U. to oppose this anti-Israeli campaign”.
Beeing a historian (on Mide East) from the very same NTNU that these days spend its intellectual and administrative capasities on boycott-attemt that not only try close out Israel, but practically made-in-Israel-USB sticks, laptops, mobile phones – all together with a great international community of scholars and academies that never would even consider such a silly un-academical action. I’m very conserned about the reputation of my university after this, and condemn those forces who come with cold winds from shadows of our sommon history and almost succeed. Please, help us take curtain away so we see and realize what hide behind this inhuman actions; even though, I may imagine who’s there. Knowing our history.
Dear Roy Vega
Good to hear from you. Sophie and I have read some of your articles on Document.no and we are in complete agreement with you on many issues. As for NTNU, it is a shame to see one of Norway’s finest universities drag itself into the gutter in this manner. Yet there are many good people up there (Sophie says). Let us keep our fingers crossed.
Best regards
NIJ