Personally, I think that rational humanistic thinking would better serve our cultural, legal and moral discourse more so than would Jewish tradition. It is all a matter of opinion.

Jews are experts at that. But there are principles at stake here that can't be ignored because by doing so Israel would send the message that it's OK to insult and degrade Israel, that it deserves it. On the contrary. There should be strong and constant responses to all attacks to Israel. Furthermore, Israel should not just be on the defensive but it should become pro-active, exposing each and every one of the flaws in the enemy camp. This is the age of the media. What is reported and how it is reported becomes Reality. So far, a very passive and almost non-existent Israeli PR has allowed a web of lies to spread world-wide, with the awful result that new generations are growing up with a distorted view of Israel's reality and history. No wonder UK students, academics and laborers are all ganging up against Israel. So, go on the attack with a pro-Israel campaign to educate the UK and all international public. Do not withdraw inside your castle pretending nothing that is said or done out there matters. You're under siege already.

0.1% of a union voted that others should consider taking into account the "occupation" when working with Israelis. Way to blow it out of proportion.

Israel will do much better without britain. Besides, british unversities, for theones who realy know reality, only care about money and adverasing themselves. No real substance or cutting-edge research here.

I think that this boycott will only be good for Israel. It highlights the bigotry out there and removes the blurry line between anti-zionism and anti-semitism. The British have never done anything for our country. Let them enjoy the Ramallahzation of London. I wonder how many Nobel winners will come for the new liberated levante (Arab Lands).

The need for everyone to hold Israel to task in a way that no other country is held accountable...that is the problem...wake up Danny. That is the problem. If u can't see that u miss the whole point!

honestly, i prefer that the boycott takes place because it removes the veil of what britain has become. it is true that britain has been against us since 1948 but we still traded with them. we kept up appearances for the sake of trade. in recent times up till now bbc has been outright hostile toward israel. this has an effect on public opinion which has also become hostile. i prefer that we see britain for what it is. we're better off knowing and seeing things as they are. the brits are spineless and have no regard for truth. of course, not every brit is one way or another... when we refer to "british character" is really means "without character". i just hope the minority of sensibe brits can take back their home. though, i'm not going to hold my breath.

So, let's start from the beginning! Boycott, Charles Cunningham British land agent in County Mayo, Ireland, 1873–86. He strongly opposed the demands for agrarian reform by the Irish Land League, 1879–81, with the result that the peasants refused to work for him; hence the word "boycott", meaning to isolate an individual, organization, or country, socially or commercially. In 1886 he left Ireland permanently.

This is not representative of British public opinion. It also gives the lie to just how 'intellectual' our intellectual classes actually are, when they ignore a staggering amount of evidence to the contrary assuming the benign, downtrodden 'plight' of your neighbours. The lecturers concerned appear to lack within themselves one of the major advantages a university education is supposed to impart to its supplicants; that of critical thinking. Israel - we are not all like this in Brtitain - please excuse our lazy loony lefties (I know you have your own too). An awful lot of ordinary Brits support you - probably more than you think.

You sound like a Jew from Pre-War Germany or even like a Jew from pre-Bolshevick Russia... Without Torah, all ideas of so called "enlightenment" and "humaninsm" lead to outright barbarity and inhumanity. As the famous saying goes "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" Haven't we learnt anything?

This proposed boycott of Israeli acadmics is really a boycott of Israeli JEWISH acadmics.

Please sign the online petition against the UCU boycott at: http://www.petitiononline.com/stopucu/petition.html Thank you!!

Tevyeh. It is a clear embarrassment, but as the author alluded to, it is mostly your own, homegrown, crackpot communist academic leftists who are affected. People still capable of thinking (which clearly does not include the news media, with their own wacko agendas) can see through this nonsense.

Write the thugs in Britain and tell them about a boycott that must be launched locally in the States..after all, we can buy from Mexico and Canada. That is the language these anti-Semites (caus that what it really is). understand best, just as the Palestinian Hamas criminals understand the power of F15s and helicopter gunships.

I find it very interesting that the British academisians have time to point a finger at Israel but nothing is ever mentioned about the sordid history of British imperialism and the horrid things that were done to others around the world in the name of Britania. You so called academisians seem to shrivel in the light of truth. How many cultures not to mention people has your country destroyed in the name of the King. Your country's foreign affairs are still wreaking havoc to this day. Stand in front of a working mirrior and get busy!

To help these British boycotters, I have prepared a list of Israeli academics whom they should immediately begin boycotting: Ilan Pappe (University of Haifa), Neve Gordon (Ben Gurion University), Oren Yiftachel (Ben Gurion University), David Newman (Ben Gurion University), Avraham Oz (University of Haifa), Anat Matar (Tel Aviv University), Anat Biletzki (Tel Aviv University), Ran HaCohen (Tel Aviv University), Moshe Zimmerman (Hebrew University), Yuval Yonay (University of Haifa), Yoav Peled (Tel Aviv University), Shlomo Sand (Tel Aviv University), Lev Grinberg (Ben Gurion University), Colman Altman (Technion, emeritus), Jacob Katriel (Technion), Ron Kuzar (University of Haifa), Yehuda Shenhav (Tel Aviv University), Kobi Snitz (Bar Ilan University), Menachem Klein (Bar Ilan University), Dan Rabinowitz (Tel Aviv University), Uri Ram (Ben Gurion University) You can find many more names of Israeli academics who can be boycotted by the British at the web site of www.israel-academia-monitor.com

Here are links to lists of British companies: http://www.britishcompanies.co.uk/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FTSE_100_Index http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FTSE_250_Index http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_companies http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Companies_of_the_United_Kingdom

The 'funny' thing of course is that the British academics have managed to boycott the one group in Israel that by and large has always opposed the occupation and supported Israeli withdrawals, etc. So it is kind of ironic that Israeli academics have brought this on themselves. Nevertheless, it would, indeed be worrisome if the boycott idea spread to other countries in Europe and elsewhere. There is, unfortunately, a lot of fertile ground for it in Europe.

Hevre, should we also boycott the HP and the Deathly Hallows? I mean, if we start a flashmob right now and convince most of potential purchasers till July 21st, this might be something noticeable indeed. (Unless it harms the Steimazki more than JKR.)

can't win over the determination of a kid to see Harry Potter. It would be a lost cause. Believe me.

i agree with hevroni and would add that israel is paying for global semitism,not for its 'policies'. It may be time to renew it's own traditions and also relations with it's less 'liberal' friends.

at least a refreshing view of this issue. congratulations!!