Madam, - As an organiser of the letter calling for a moratorium on EU aid to Israeli academic bodies (September 16th), I am surprised at the blind opposition coming from some quarters. This letter simply asks that we stop singling Israel out and granting it uniquely favourable treatment; it echoes similar calls made across the EU. I am unaware of any other case where vast sums of EU tax money are directed towards academic institutions complicit in war crimes - if there are, I'd fully support any call to end such a misappropriation of EU funds.
To describe these Israeli institutions as bastions of decency is, however unfortunately, nonsense. While there are academic opponents of Israeli apartheid - several of whom endorse sanctions - the institutions themselves are intrinsically complicit in maintaining the occupation, whether providing justifications for war crimes or technical support for their commission, or in some cases advocating the commission of further crimes.
Significantly, none of the opponents of sanctions are concerned at the lack of Palestinian academic freedom. The checkpoints, closures and curfews Israel has imposed, as well as the ongoing harassment of academics and students, have played havoc with university life. In addition, military attacks on universities and schools also go unmentioned. Here they are in good company - Israeli academic institutions have also maintained silence.
Palestinians are mentioned only in order to claim, somewhat hypocritically, that the boycott will harm them. As Israel has already placed Palestinian academia under effective boycott, this is not only untrue but redolent of apartheid supporters claiming that sanctions against South Africa would only harm blacks.
Such arguments ignore the fact that Palestinians, like South African blacks, overwhelmingly support these sanctions, which they feel can effect change in a non-violent manner.
Thus, supporting sanctions should not be contrasted with supporting Palestinians (Dr Maria Diemling, September 21st), but as part of the same process. In fact, we are starting discussions with Palestinian academics about strengthening Irish-Palestinian contacts. I will be delighted to hear from these defenders of academic freedom on how they would best like to contribute to this process. - Yours, etc,
DAVID LANDY,
Department of Sociology,
Trinity College,
Dublin 2.