January 10, 2016
The B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC) has expressed its satisfaction with the vote by the American Historical Association (AHA) that blocked two resolutions accusing Israel of engaging in “violence and intimidation” against Palestinian academics and archives, and damaging “Palestinians’ sense of historical identity as well as the historical record itself.” The resolutions also urged the AHA to “monitor Israeli actions”.
The motions were lodged by Historians Against the War, a group that supports the BDS. Earlier, the executive council of the AHA had rejected HAW’s proposal for a comprehensive boycott of Israel, stating that the content of the resolution was “beyond matters of concern to the Association, to the profession of history, or to the academic profession.”
Dr Dvir Abramovich, Chairman of the ADC, has today issued the following statement:
“We are delighted that the American Historical Association sensibly rejected these deeply biased and fundamentally distorted motions that singled out the Jewish state for opprobrium. This is another blow to the solar plexus of anti-Israel advocates who are using strong-arm tactics to infect the academic world with their false and manifestly unjust anti-Israel agenda. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is highly complex, and embracing intellectual warfare against Israel will not foster cooperation, and reconciliation between the two parties. Such hostile partisanship should be soundly condemned since it fans the flame of division and damages the credibility of scholarly associations. Academics should be at the forefront of fostering the free exchange of ideas and cultivating coloration with people on both sides of this dispute so as to build bridges of understanding and genuine dialogue.”
For further information please contact Dr Dvir Abramovich on (03) 9272 5677
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