Academic boycott of Israel takes off in Italy

An image from a January 2014 jobs fair at Israel’s Technion, which featured numerous arms companies to which the university has close ties. Hundreds of Italian academics are urging a boycott of Israeli institutions, in particular Technion. (Source: Facebook)

Stephanie Westbrook-

31 January 2016

There have been major breakthroughs in Italy for the campaign to boycott Israeli academic institutions.

More than 200 academics from 50 Italian universities have signed a call for the boycott of Israeli academic institutions until Israel complies with international law.

This is the first time a significant number of Italian academics have taken a public stand in support of the Palestinian-led campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS).

The move comes just months after Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi lashed out at the BDS movement as “stupid and futile” in a speech to the Israeli parliament.

The Italian scholars join more than 1,500 of their colleagues in the United Kingdom, Belgium, South Africa,Ireland and Brazil who have endorsed similar pledges in recent months.

The scholars endorsing the Italian call, which echoes the pledge signed by UK academics last October, are committing to refuse invitations from Israeli academic institutions and not to act as referees or participate in conferences funded, organized or sponsored by Israeli institutions.

Consistent with the guidelines set out by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), which targets institutions not individuals, the academics clarify that they will “continue to work and cooperate with [their] Israeli colleagues individually.”

They also reiterate the anti-racist nature of the boycott campaign.

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