UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) has written to the Vice-Chancellor of the University of East Anglia (UEA) calling for an urgent investigation after a senior academic refused to consider a research application because it was from a scholar at an Israeli university.
A professor of social science at UEA had declined to consider a request by an Arab Israeli postdoctoral researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI) to undertake a research visit to UEA. The UEA professor explained that this decision was taken “primarily as Palestinian colleagues have asked us not to work with Israeli universities at this time,” while noting that this was “a personal position rather than that of my University”.
UKLFI’s letter to the Vice Chancellor pointed out that such conduct is likely to breach the Equality Act 2010, which prohibits discrimination based on protected characteristics including nationality, and exposes both the professor and the university to legal liability.
UKLFI further emphasised that “such boycotts are contrary to fundamental academic values, recognised by international instruments as well as UEA’s own policies”.
UKLFI’s letter highlighted that such boycotts conflict with UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Status of Higher-Education Personnel, UEA’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy, and also its adoption of the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism, noting that academic boycotts targeting Israel disproportionately impact Jewish academics.
UKLFI commented: “A refusal to consider an applicant because of her Israeli affiliation directly undermines the principles of fairness, equality, and dignity that the University professes to uphold.”
UKLFI has called on UEA to:
- investigate the Professor ’s conduct;
- identify whether similar boycott practices exist elsewhere in the institution;
- take appropriate disciplinary action;
- ensure that the HUJI researcher’s application is reconsidered fairly;
- issue a clear institutional statement banning discriminatory academic boycotts; and
- introduce or update compulsory Equality Act training for staff.