ASA National Council Votes Unanimously To Endorse Academic Boycott of Israel

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American Studies Association:

 

One year ago, the Academic and Community Activism Caucus of the American Studies Association (ASA) asked the Executive Committee (EC) to consider a resolution to honor the call from Palestinian civil society to support the academic boycott of Israel. The EC forwarded the resolution to the National Council. Following the deliberative procedures detailed below, the Council unanimously decided to issue a revised version of the resolution, which we now recommend to members of the ASA. Please follow this link to read the resolution.

 

The Council voted for an academic boycott of Israeli institutions as an ethical stance, a form of material and symbolic action. It represents a principle of solidarity with scholars and students deprived of their academic freedom and an aspiration to enlarge that freedom for all, including Palestinians.

 

We believe that the ASAs endorsement of a boycott is warranted given U.S. military and other support for Israel; Israels violation of international law and UN resolutions; the documented impact of the Israeli occupation on Palestinian scholars and students; the extent to which Israeli institutions of higher education are a party to state policies that violate human rights; and the support of such a resolution by many members of the ASA.

 

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H/T Legal Insurrection


The Nation

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Roger Waterss Anti-Jewish Paranoia

Jonathan Marks

12.15.2013

 

If you want to get supporters of boycotts against Israel into high dudgeon just try observing, as Larry Summers has, that such boycotts are anti-Semitic in their effect if not necessarily in their intent. Summers has called the most recent boycott effort at the American Studies Association abhorrent because at the same time that it singles out Israel for condemnation among all the countries in the world that might be thought to have human rights abuses, it ignores the existential threat Israel faces.

 

Nowadays, if you make such a charge you are likely to be greeted with the protest that the boycott movements core principles include the opposition to every form of racism, including both state-sponsored racism and anti-Semitism along with cries that you are trying to distract people from the main issue. Why then, is former Pink Floyd front man Roger Waters a hero of that movement?

 

Supporters of the proposed American Studies Association academic boycott (about which more here) have hoisted up Waterss letter of support for their cause like a trophy. But it is not only the American Studies Association but also the movement altogether that has hugged Waters hard.

 

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Then

 

 

 

Now?

 

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The ASAs Guide to World Peace

 

 

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Roger Waters Solid Proof you can be a great bass player and a world class idiot at the same time.

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Boycott, Divest and Sanction the American Studies Association

William A. Jacobson

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

 

I really hate boycotts. I have been highly critical of various forms of boycott, not just limited to the anti-Israel and mostly anti-Semitic Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS)movement.

 

At some point though, unilateral disarmament doesnt work anymore. Even those who love peace sometimes need to fight back.

 

This is not a partisan issue support for Israel among the American public and in Congress and State Houses is at historic highs and cuts across both political parties. American civil and political society stands with Israel.

 

The hatred of Israel is not a significant part of our national landscape, except in some parts of academia and the BDS movement.

 

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Adam Golub @adamgolub

 

 

Been @AmerStudiesAssn member since 1998. Served on 3 committees, presented/chaired 9 panels. Sad to see it go this direction. I'm leaving.

9:59 AM - 16 Dec 2013

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Also See Anti-Semitism Rising on College Campuses

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Brandeis Univ. drops American Studies Association membership over Israel boycott

William A. Jacobson

Dec.18/13

 

 

Brandeis University becomes the second confirmed university to drop its Institutional Membership in the American Studies Association over the anti-Israel academic boycott.

 

Earlier we reported that Penn State Harrisburg would be dropping its membership. The real key will be whether universities also will refuse to allow university funds to be used to subsidize attendance at ASA events, which is how ASA makes most of its revenue.

 

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The Brandeis statement reads:

 

A Statement from the American Studies Program on the recent move by the American Studies Association to boycott Israel:

 

 

It is a with deep regret that we in the American Studies Program at Brandeis University have decided to discontinue our institutional affiliation with the American Studies Association. We view the recent vote by the membership to affirm an academic boycott of Israel as a politicization of the discipline and a rebuke to the kind of open inquiry that a scholarly association should foster. We remain committed to the discipline of American Studies but we can no longer support an organization that has rejected two of the core principles of American culture freedom of association and expression.

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