Sir, – There is no good justification in calling for an academic boycott of Israeli institutions (Eileen Culloty, “Israel is targeting educational infrastructure in Gaza. An academic boycott is the right response”, Opinion & Analysis, October 10th).
To say such action would not target individual researchers is nonsensical, as how are they to do their research once their institutions have been defunded? It makes little sense to advocate for the “shunning” of academic institutions in order to defend “freedom and pursuit of knowledge,” when these are the very places in which hard-working individuals are aiming to make positive contributions in diverse fields, most of which have nothing to do with politics and government.
If, despite all of this, a boycott is pursued, surely those in favour would argue that it should extend to any state in the world whose government is accused of prejudice, occupation, human rights abuses, or war crimes, a point notably absent from Prof Culloty’s argument. – Yours, etc,
NAOMI DUFFY,
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Dublin 13.
Sir, – Dr Eileen Culloty of Dublin City University calls for a boycott of Israeli institutions. Perhaps Dr Culloty could be invited to write another piece explaining why DCU’s links with Chinese institutions, proudly paraded on its website, seem to be of no concern. – Yours, etc,
PAUL WILLIAMS,
Kilkee,
Co Clare.
Sir, – Despite Eileen Culloty’s claim that Israel destroyed 3,000 archaeological artefacts when the Al-Israa university was destroyed, Palestinian sources confirm that the Israel Defense Forces transferred them out of the war zone to safety, or “looted” them as they prefer to put it.
As for the claim that “illegal” archaeological excavations have been carried out “to rewrite history”, it is sad that the archaeological proof that Jews have a legitimate claim to be allowed to live safely in their ancestral homeland of Judea and Samaria (the “West Bank”) upsets her so much. – Yours, etc,
Dr DAVID WOODS,
Department of Classics,
University College Cork.