Madam, - As a former lecturer in Jewish Studies at Trinity College, Dublin I was saddened to see the letter from Irish academics calling for a boycott of Israeli academics and institutions (September 16th).
Having lived in Israel for several years as a student and as an academic, I can confirm that Israeli academics are among the most outspoken and articulate critics of Israel's occupation and human right violations. They are involved in co-operation projects with Palestinians, teach Palestinian students and are very active in human rights organisations. A boycott would hurt the wrong constituency.
I find it also rather hypocritical of Irish academia to focus on Israel's crimes while at the same time courting Chinese institutions in the hope of gaining financially from co-operation with a huge economic power, while conveniently ignoring the blatant human rights violations there.
In my understanding, academia is about critical dialogue and international co-operation. Palestinians would gain nothing if EU funding for Israeli institutions were suspended and Israeli academics no longer invited to international conferences.
However, Palestinian academics and students would benefit enormously if the vocal condemnation of Israel were translated into practical support by providing studentships for Palestinian studentships at Irish universities, raising financial support for Palestinian libraries and laboratories and offering host programmes to Palestinian academics to enable them to spend research time in Ireland. Or are Irish intellectuals only willing to express solidarity with Palestinians as long as it does not cost them a cent? - Yours, etc,
Dr MARIA DIEMLING,
Department of Theology
and Religious Studies,
Canterbury Christ Church
University,
Canterbury,
England.