Ramblings & Musings

I was really dismayed to read the proposal statement. While rejecting the obviously wrong calls to boycott Israeli academic institutions from the bunch of third-rate scientists, hypocrites and anti-Semites, it gives the credibility to the old canard they used by them to justify such calls. What is more: this statement hides the fact this time the proposed boycott targets not only Universities but also individuals:

"Conference invites members to consider their own responsibility for ensuring equity and non-discrimination in contacts with Israeli educational institutions or individuals, and to consider the appropriateness of a boycott of those that do not publicly dissociate themselves from such policies." ( http://www.ucu.org.uk/circ/rtf/ucu22.rtf)

Should I remind that our Academy was silent at terrorist attack on Mt. Scopus Campus of the Hebrew University, which killed 7 people and wounded 80, most of them international students and researcher?

Or when Hezballah was indiscriminately shelling Haifa, home of Technion and Haifa University, where many of our colleagues work?

Or when Hamas converted Palestinean Universities into their strongholds and terrorists shelters?

Or when our own member, Dr. Elmasry confirmed that everyone in Israel and anyone and everyone in Israel, irrespective of gender, over the age of 18 is a valid target (this is from original transcript)? Should I remind that it includes all of our colleagues and almost all students?

Should I also remind that arrested Palestinians in Israeli prisons can get their degrees at Israeli Universities by a correspondence (http://movies2.nytimes.com/2007/06/27/arts/television/27genz.html) while Israelis captured by Hamas and Hezballah are kept incommunicado?

Or that people with University (even Medical) degrees could be deeply involved in the terror, as recent events in UK clearly demonstrate.

As a member of Royal Society I definitely the proposed resolution deplorable. I do not think that our Academy should follow other Academies if they support obviously wrong resolution. On the contrary our Academy should demonstrate the true leadership in the same manner as our Prime Minister demonstrated during last meeting of Francofonia and as Canadian representatives did recently at few international forums, when the sole voice of Canada repelled unjust resolutions, seemingly supported by everyone else.

*) From transcript: (http://www.montrealmuslimnews.net/transcript.htm)

ELMASRY: The same, if they are women in the army...
COREN: Anyone over the age of 18 in Israel is a valid target.
ELMASRY: Anybody above 18 is a part of the Israeli army...
COREN: So everyone in Israel and anyone and everyone in Israel, irrespective of gender, over the age of 18 is a valid target?
ELMASRY: Yes, I would say.

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Victor Ivrii, Professor, FRSC (Division of Mathematical and Physical Sciences)
Department of Mathematics, University of Toronto,
40 St.George Str., Toronto, Ontario M5S 2E4, Canada
office: ES 4141

(416)978-4031 (of), (416)978-4107 (fax)
ivrii@math.toronto.edu

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WWW home page:
http://www.math.toronto.edu/ivrii/