The UCU Boycott Backfires!

For the past 3 years the University and College Union of Great Britain has tried to impose upon their members a boycott of all Israeli academic professionals. They claim that this will help bring attention to their beleaguered colleagues in the West Bank and Gaza. Colleagues that the Israelis are keeping from discovering new theories and inventions that the Israelis are preventing them from discovering. Or so they say.

But the majority of the membership is against such a move. As is the majority of American Universities who have stated if such a boycott would result in a boycott of British academics by American Universities.

In the face of US opposition and British Law, the UCU stepped down. But not quite. They still want a boycott of Israeli academics. They just can't do it legally.

To counter this, the rank and file just go along with their every day lives.

A new academic initiative entitled “Making Connections” will bring together scientists from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel with their counterparts from top-level research institutions in the UK, including the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London (ICL) and University College London (UCL).

The project’s launch comes amid continuing attempts to impose in England an academic boycott on Israeli institutions. The UK University and College Union has just announced that it is ending its academic boycott of Israel.

Weizmann Institute President Prof. Daniel Zajfman said, “Scientific ideas and discoveries benefit all humankind. Thus it seems only natural that scientists worldwide should focus their efforts collectively in broadening the boundaries of human knowledge." He further stated his vision that the program will develop into a prestigious, bi-national project, akin to existing programs that Israel has developed with the U.S. and Germany.

The Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, is a leading multidisciplinary research institution. Home to 2,600 scientists, students, technicians and supporting staff, the institute research projects include the search for new ways of fighting disease and hunger, examining leading questions in mathematics and computer science, probing the physics of matter and the universe, creating novel materials and developing new strategies for protecting the environment.

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I find it strange that the Saudis do not fund scientific research on any level. And why is it that with all their money the Arabs of the world do not produce the best scientists, doctors or even have the best medical care in the area. It is the small country of Israel, with limited funds and great talent that invests in the future of science.

The UCU would like all their colleagues to study with Saudi Scientist. Not to bring up the Saudi level of scientific endeavour, but to pay off the Saudi government for all the money that they have invested in British Universities and Colleges building Islamic Study Centers.

And British scientists just might start to believe the JUNK SCIENCE that prevails the whole Arab world.