The United Synagogue

Our Views On The News


The latest press release from the Stop the Boycott Campaign


Stop The Boycott


We condemn the recent decision of the University and Colleges Union (UCU) Congress to promote a boycott of Israeli universities as the action of a small and unrepresentative minority that flies in the face of academic freedom. We therefore call on Sally Hunt, General Secretary UCU, to honour her pledge to ballot all of the UCU's 120,000 members so that the true voice of British academia can be heard.



Please make sure that you check out the Campaign Toolkit (details below) and act on it.

We are also looking for volunteers to co-ordinate locally in preparation for September's new academic year. Please let us know if you are able to volunteer for this.

Campaign Toolkit

We have prepared a toolkit of useful documents which will help every individual anti-boycott campaigner to help make the campaign a success. It includes posters, messages and ideas for letters.
The toolkit is in PDF format and will be added to as the campaign develops.

Resources so far include:

● Messaging Sheet

This gives some of the key arguments and points to make when arguing against the boycott.

● Suggested letter to your MEP
● Suggested letter to your MP

These give some ideas for writing to your elected representatives.
● Suggested letter to your local paper

Using local media is a great way to keep the pressure on. Local papers like it when you can find local angles for national stories.

● Suggested letter to the principal of your local institution

This letter, designed for students, is suitable for sending to vice-chancellors and principals of FE colleges and universities.

● Campaign flyer
● Campaign poster 1
● Campaign poster 2

For you to distribute or use in your local community.

● Useful quotes opposing the boycott

These are quotes from political figures and academics in opposition to the boycott. You may find them useful.

Keep track of the toolkit on http://www.stoptheboycott.org/ToolKit.aspx


JLC Advert

An advert from the Jewish Leadership Council about the Stop the Boycott Campaign will appear in Friday's Jewish Chronicle. A PDF version is available on http://www.stoptheboycott.org/jc


Tony Blair's comments

Outgoing Prime Minister Tony Blair offered to support work to overturn the boycott. At a meeting in Downing Street with the Jewish Leadership Council, he said:

"I find it totally despicable. We need to come down on this very hard indeed. I feel personally affronted. This is a profound double-standard. You can't allow that kind of delegitimisation of Israel to happen. We need to find a way to challenge this head-on, not just to condemn it."



Latest Polling

A new poll by Populus on whether an academic boycott of Israel would be supported by business, cultural and political leaders, has found that:

● 86% of those polled opposed an academic boycott of Israel, only 14% supported one.
● 86% those polled, and 84% of academia and NGOs believe it flies in the face of academic freedom
● 80% think that it is an unreasonable way to express disapproval with Israel’s relationship with the Palestinians
● 70% think its bad for Britain.


General UCU news

● 51 nobel prize winners, including Eli Wiesel, signed a letter condemning the academic boycott.
● 8 Canadian Universities have condemned the UCU decision and opposed academic boycotts of Israel

Other boycott news

● UNISON Conference last week passed a motion supporting the idea of a boycott of Israel.
● UNISON had already passed pro-boycott policies over the last five years.
● A representative of the UNISON leadership stated that the motion did not commit the Union to a boycott.
● A significantly stronger boycott motion was submitted by one local branch, but was not discussed.
● The Transport and General Workers Union has had a motion on boycotting Israeli goods submitted for discussion to its annual conference. Until the Conference begins, it will not be decided whether the motion will be debated at all, and in what form.


Lorna Fitzsimons and Jeremy Newmark


Stop the Boycott
www.stoptheboycott.org
support@stoptheboycott.org