https://allegralaboratory.net/an-educators-perspective-on-the-academic-boycott-of-israeli-institutions/ Anthropology for Radical Optimism Sun, 28 Jun 2026 14:04:42 +0000 hourly 1 https://allegralaboratory.net/an-educators-perspective-on-the-academic-boycott-of-israeli-institutions/#comment-71885 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 17:53:10 +0000 https://allegralaboratory.net/?p=15068#comment-71885 An academic boycott is counter productive, counter intuitive and a contradiction in terms. If you want to convince the Israeli population of the justice of the Palestinian cause, you need to engage them in a process of education and discussion. A boycott only strengthens the hands of those who argue that the BDS movement is antisemitic, because it shows that you are not willing to engage in an open debate, but want to avoid hearing the apposing view. In short, academics is is the process of debate, not avoiding it. If you want to win the debate with Israel, you need to at least come to their places of learning and take part. Boycotting Israeli academic institutions only says, that you are not willing to enter into an academic debate in the first place.

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