Thursday, May 31, 2007
YNet: Research foundation blocks new grants for Britons
An American research foundation announced on Thursday that following the decision of the British University and College Union (UCU) to consider launching an academic boycott of Israel it has cancelled its plans to open a grant application process for UK researchers.
The $150 million Goldhirsh foundation supports scientists around the world in the quest for a cure for brain cancer funds research.
In a letter to British academic institutions, foundation leader Elizabeth Goldhirsh writes: " As a director of a $150 million foundation that supports scientists around the world in the quest for a cure for brain cancer, I am profoundly disappointed in your union's decision to boycott Israel today.
"This action represents a severe setback for academic freedom and open discourse. Moreover, the decision to single out and demonize Israel above and beyond all other countries - remaining silent over Russia's brutal occupation in Chechnya, for example, or China's ongoing oppression of Tibet - is, at best, troubling. At worst, it points to a far more sinister and tragic motivation.
"Equally disturbing is to do so at a time when Israel's civilians are facing near-daily missile attacks from Gaza and her partner for negotiations is an organization that dispatches suicide bombers and refuses to recognize the Jewish State's right to exist.
"Given this decision, I am deeply saddened to say that while my foundation had been considering opening up our scientific grant process to British researchers we will no longer be able to do so. I urge you to work against this boycott and restore learning's highest ideal of fairness free of prejudice to British academia."
'Freezing Jewish donations to UK institutions'
Meanwhile Immigrant Absorption Minister Ze'ev Boim has suggested that Jewish donors supporting academic institutions in the United Kingdom freeze their donations following the boycott proposal...
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I'm not sure this is a good thing. By involving British academics in the intellectual life in Israel and effectively giving them opportunities to break the boycott, the foundation can help make the boycott meaningless.
There are the Rhodes Scholarships for studt at Oxford and Cambridge.
Israel institutions are easily the match of these in science, technology, and medicine. Maybe we need the counterparts of these for study in Israel. This would be open to non-Israeli residents.
Bob,
Don't forget that it was at Oxford that Israelis attempting to do research towards a doctorate were refused admission.
Israelis were fired from reviewing papers and so on and so on.
As for the British well now I just see them as opportunists. Maybe the Saudis made them an offer they could not refuse?
Two or three years ago the EU started sponsoring European medical specialists for training in Neurology at the Hebrew University because of its outstanding level of competence in the field but obviously the Brits don't agree so why run after them?
An interesting post on EU Referendum
Rampant idiocy
How else can one explain the examples Leo McKinstry brings up in his article?
“What is particularly disturbing is the way opposition to the Jewishstate descends into vicious antagonism against Jews themselves, as shownby this sickening recent outburst from writer Pamela Hardyment, a memberof the National Union of Journalists, which in April voted to boycottIsraeli goods.
Explaining her support for the NUJ's stance, Ms Hardyment described Israel as "a wonderful Nazi-like killing machine backed by the world'srichest Jews".
Then, like some lunatic from the far-Right, she referred to the"so-called Holocaust" before concluding: "Shame on all Jews, may your lives be cursed."
Such words could have come straight from Hitler or the most fervent supporter of Osama Bin Laden.
But Ms Hardyment is hardly unique.
http://www.petitiononline.com/stopucu/petition.html