Crow shows support for Israeli academics

ASU President Michael Crow has signed an online petition against a proposed British university union boycott of Israeli academics.

The petition, sponsored by the group Scholars for Peace in the Middle East, is designed to bring attention to a recent resolution passed by the British University and College Union (UCU) calling on its members to “consider the moral implications of links with Israeli academic institutions.”

The petition has drawn thousands of academics declaring solidarity with their Israeli counterparts. Along with Crow, numerous university presidents, prominent researchers and Nobel laureates have signed the document.

The petition reads:

“We are academics, scholars, researchers and professionals of differing religious and political perspectives. We all agree that singling out Israelis for an academic boycott is wrong. To show our solidarity with our Israeli academics in this matter, we, the undersigned, hereby declare ourselves to be Israeli academics for purposes of any academic boycott. We will regard ourselves as Israeli academics and decline to participate in any activity from which Israeli academics are excluded.”

The petition and full list of signatures can be found online at www.spme.net/cgi-bin/display_petitions.cgi?ID=9