Posted on 05/08/2013 6:02:16 AM PDT by servo1969
The academic boycott of Israel organized by the BDS movement claimed a big success when the Guardian ran an article yesterday, Stephen Hawking joins academic boycott of Israel.
That report set off a furious response, since the academic boycott of Israel is anathema to almost all academics.
In the U.S., only the disreputable actions of the Association of Asian American Studies, led by U. Mass-Boston Professor and Associate Provost Rajini Srikanth, have given any legitimacy to the boycott. The boycott, which singles out only Israel, attracts open and de facto anti-Semites and those in the leftist-Islamist coalition who seek Israel’s destruction.
So when a renowned physicist, who is dying of a disease for which Israelis are working on a cure, allegedly joined the boycott, it was big news.
But it may have been a lie, the BDS equivalent of Pallywood.
The Commentator reports, Prof. Hawking trip NOT cancelled due to Israel boycott:
New details about the cancellation of Professor Stephen Hawking’s trip to Israel have emerged today after numerous news reports claiming that Prof. Hawking had chosen to boycott the State of Israel.The Guardian, which broke the story late last night, claimed that Hawking was due to boycott Israel after receiving an erroneous statement from the British Committee for the Universities of Palestine (BRICUP), apparently with Hawking’s approval.
The statement said that the move was “his independent decision to respect the boycott, based upon his knowledge of Palestine, and on the unanimous advice of his own academic contacts there”.
However, a Cambridge university spokesperson has confirmed to The Commentator that there was a “misunderstanding” this past weekend, and that Prof. Hawking had pulled out of the conference for medical reasons.
Responding to an e-mail including an open letter to Prof. Hawking, shared nearly 2000 times, a University spokesman said: “Professor Hawking will not be attending the conference in Israel in June for health reasons – his doctors have advised against him flying.”
When asked for further information, the spokesperson confirmed that the BRICUP organisation had “assumed” Hawking’s position on the matter, and that it was fundamentally untrue.
The Montreal Gazette further reports:
Tim Holt, media director at the University of Cambridge spokesman, said Hawking’s decision was based strictly on health concerns.“For health reasons, his doctors said he should not be flying at the moment so he’s decided not to attend,” said Holt. “He is 71 years old. He’s fine, but he has to be sensible about what he can do.”
A University of Cambridge statement released earlier Wednesday cited “personal reasons” for his decision. Hawking suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
CIF Watch has the email:
I give, What is BDS?
That piece of information would have added a lot to the story.
The BNC’s mandate and role is:
• To strengthen and spread the culture of boycott as a central form of civil resistance to Israeli occupation, colonialism and apartheid;
• To formulate strategies and programs of action in accordance with the 9 July 2005 Palestinian Civil Society BDS Call;
• To serve as the Palestinian reference point for BDS campaigns in the region and worldwide;
• To serve as the national reference point for anti-normalization campaigns within Palestine;
• To facilitate coordination and provide support & encouragement to the various BDS campaign efforts in all locations.
The BNC’s main activities include:
• Campaigning with BDS activists locally and worldwide by preparing and disseminating BNC statements; public speaking; organizing the annual Global BDS Action Day on 30 March (Palestinian Land Day);
• Advocacy by briefing and lobbying policy makers;
• Monitoring & Rapid Response by means of BNC calls for action against projects and initiatives which amount to recognition of or cooperation with Israel’s regime of apartheid, colonialism and occupation (i.e., normalization);
• Media Outreach in Palestine and abroad, based on a professional media strategy;
• Coordination with BDS activists locally and worldwide, including preparation of regional and international organizing meetings and conferences;
• Awareness Raising & Training activists and organizations about BNC analysis, standards and BDS campaign work; through workshops, BNC information materials and the BDS campaign website (www.bdsmovement.net)
• Developing the BDS Campaign in Arab countries;
• Research and BDS Strategy Development.
The current members of the BNC are:
Council of National and Islamic Forces in Palestine
Palestinian NGO Network (PNGO)
Palestinian National Institute for NGOs
Global Palestine Right of Return Coalition
Palestinian Trade Union Coalition for BDS (PTUC-BDS)
Federation of Independent Trade Unions
General Union of Palestinian Workers
Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions
General Union of Palestinian Women
Union of Palestinian Farmers
General Union of Palestinian Teachers
General Union of Palestinian Writers
Palestinian Federation of Unions of University Professors and Employees (PFUUPE)
Union of Professional Associations
General Union of Palestinian Peasants
Union of Public Employees in Palestine-Civil Sector
Grassroots Palestinian Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign (Stop the Wall)
National Committee for Grassroots Resistance
Popular Struggle Coordination Committee (PSCC)
Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI)
National Committee to Commemorate the Nakba
Civic Coalition for the Defence of Palestinian Rights in Jerusalem
Coalition for Jerusalem
Union of Palestinian Charitable Organizations
Palestinian Economic Monitor
Union of Youth Activity Centers – Palestine Refugee Camps
Occupied Palestine and Syrian Golan Heights Initiative
Bush derangement syndrome.
Legal Insurection is run by William A. Jacobson, Clinical Professor of Law, Cornell Law School. I would guess most people in his line of work are all too familiar with the BDS movement. It probably slipped his mind that most people might not recognize the name.
BNC bedoiun nut committee?
Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel.
They may want to check out the article in the WSJ.
“We Didn’t Sign at the Office”
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324266904578462863802463282.html
The link may or may not work.
Yes I do pay for it.
If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
..................
BenjaminNetanyahu Drangement Syndrome?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.