Friday, May 13, 2005

3 UK Universities Reject AUT Boycott

LittleGreenFootballs Weblog reports that the faculties of Oxford, Warwick and Sussex universities faculty has rejected he boycott of Haifa and Bar Ilan universities by Britain’s Association of University Teachers, reported on Israel Radio on Friday morning.

The decision by Oxford faculty to reject the boycott came in advance of the proposed May 26 emergency meeting at which it was expected that the anti-boycott faction would try to overturn the boycott. A source told The Jerusalem Post that the AUT accepted a letter with the required 25 signatures submitted by John Pike of the Open University, calling for the special session, and for a “comprehensive debate of the issue.”

The controversial boycott recently came under fire, not just by pro-Israel groups, but also by British university lecturers and professors.

Haifa University Threatens to Sue British Teachers on Boycott

(from www.IsraelNN.com)
Haifa University has threatened to sue the British university teachers' union which recently voted to boycott the Haifa and Bar-Ilan universities. The teachers' union is to meet soon to reconsider its decision.Haifa University said that the boycott, which charges the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Ben-Gurion University of Ramat Gan for supporting Israel's presence in Judea, Samaria and Gaza (Yesha), was published on a web site and defamed them. Haifa has been cited for alleged mistreatment of pro-Arab lecturer Ilan Pappe. Different Jewish academic bodies in the United States have sharply criticized the British boycott

Remembering Maalot

Extract from an article on Israel National News, by Larry Domnitch...

Thirty one years have passed since twenty high school students on a field trip were murdered, and dozens were wounded in the northern Israeli town of Maalot..........terrorists opened fire upon ........ninety children held hostage as they tried to escape. As the victims were being laid to rest, in the same cemetery as young victims of a school bus ambush three years earlier, thousands converged upon the northern Galilee town to mourn, grieve and express their outrage.

The reaction to Maalot from the Arab world was silence. But Arab leaders were quick to condemn Israel following its retaliatory raids against the terrorist bases the following day. Egypt's Foreign Minister, Ismail Fahmy, who for weeks was threatening Israel with another military strike if it continued to retaliate for acts of terrorism, predictably labeled Israel's acts as 'terrorism'.

Since Maalot, there have been countless more funerals for victims of Arab terror, countless more grieving survivors. Israelis continue to mourn and ask themselves how many more tears must be shed, while the world community continues to demand more concessions.

The young victims of Maalot must be remembered. Their deaths should serve notice that Arab terror must be defeated.

In their memory, may terrorism finally be eradicated from the face of the earth.

For the full article see http://www.israelnn.com/article.php3?id=5115

Wednesday, May 11, 2005

122 Child Victims

It’s Yom Hazikaron – take a minute to reflect on the children slain in Palestinian terror attacks between October 2000 and January 2005.

They too deserve to be remembered amongst those who died defending Israel.

For a new PowerPoint presentation in in their memory, see http://www.israel-wat.com

Tuesday, May 10, 2005

Silk “Perspectives”

The recent Thursday 5 May 2005 “Perspectives” programme on Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) Radio National gave Paul Heywood - Smith QC, Chairperson of Australian Friends of Palestine Association, a platform to vent his virulent attack on Israel’s legitimacy as a state. The tone of his “comments’ can be exemplified by a single quote: “The real problem for apologists of Israel is that Israel is a racist state.” …and so it goes on…

Follow the link for a full Program Transcript.

The Ted Lapkin (AIJAC) programme to which Heywood-Smith refers is transcribed at http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/perspective/stories/s1342920.htm

Address your comments to Producer, Sue Clark at perspective@your.abc.net.au

Copy us on your letters to the ABC on this topic, at http://groups.google.com.au/group/wajiw