Sunday, June 4, 2006
Shalom Lappin addresses the various anti-Israeli academic boycotts (emphasis mine):
As in the case of the creationists, there is little point in pursuing a debate with the boycotters when they do not accept the basic principles of non-discrimination and universal access to academic institutions which form the basis of our opposition to their campaign. There are, of course, people of good will who may have been misled by the boycotters’ propaganda, particularly by the false and misleading comparison between their movement and the boycott of apartheid South Africa. It is important to engage these people in constructive dialogue. However there is no point in expending valuable resources in an enervating ritual that leaves us permanently on the defensive in a debate controlled by our adversaries. It is futile to attempt to persuade bigots that they are mistaken. One’s main concern should be simply to prevent them from implementing their ideas in a manner which disadvantages innocent people.
There are, I think, two elements worth pursuing in a more efficient strategy for dealing with the boycott. First, individuals and institutions that engage in acts of discrimination against Israeli (or other) academics on grounds of nationality or location should be exposed and vigorous legal action taken against them using current anti-discrimination legislation. If these actions are successful, they will set important precedents that will deter boycotters in the future...
And Norm (from whom, the link) is exactly right when he says:
The leaders and Stalinist opinion-determiners are beyond hope, but they do not represent the marginal case, who should always be considered and likely represents a very large number of people. The bigots have in many cases coopted the language of human rights and liberalism. There is a reason for this -- it works. It resonates. The people honestly taken in must be helped out, not pushed off.
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