From Professor Sandra Fredman, of Exeter College, Oxford:
1 May 2005From a number of alumni and students of British universities:Dear Sally Hunt
I write after a great deal of soul searching to tender my resignation from the AUT in protest against the decision to boycott Haifa and Bar Ilan Universities. I have belonged to the AUT for 17 years, from the very beginning of my first academic job. As a human rights and labour lawyer, I have given all my professional and personal commitment to the pursuit of human rights; and have written and campaigned for the protection and strengthening of trade unions and their members. I cannot see how either of those goals is served by this decision.
Sue Blackwell is quoted in Saturday's Guardian as declaring herself to be 'proud today to be a member of a union that is prepared to stand up for human rights round the world.' Does this mean that we are now examining the records of complicity or silence in order to boycott universities in all the countries in the world with bad human rights records? Why have we not boycotted universities in China, in Sudan or in Syria? And should we ourselves not face boycotts from French trade unions, on the basis that the UK has illegally waged war in Iraq? Are we about to refuse to accept as students those who served in Iraq? Many universities could well be justly criticised for actions analogous to those for which we are boycotting Haifa University and Bar Ilan University. This does not mean we should not criticise where criticism is due. We should. But such selectivity raises serious doubts as to the motives behind the boycott. As a Jewish academic who has always fiercely opposed Sharon's policies, I can no longer feel that I have a place in the AUT.
But there is a wider point of principle. If we disagree with the policy of a university, or with its manner of dealing with its staff, we should certainly raise the issue with that university. We could call for solidarity with the member of staff who has been wrongly treated. But why do we penalise all its members regardless of their support or otherwise for that policy? It is against a fundamental principle of academic freedom to treat academics in other institutions according to a single generalisation; and to penalise all for actions either of their governments or of their institutions. It is well known that academics in many universities, including those in Israeli universities, have stood up against human rights abuses of all kinds. It is just as well known that academics in universities all over the world, including our own, have stood by or been complicit in human rights violations. Equally commonly, academics have disagreed with each other as to when a human right has been violated, as to what a human right is, and as to what the appropriate response should be. Universities are by nature institutions where such debate and disagreements must occur. We need to win the debate by the strength of our arguments, not by group punishment, nor by selective and inconsistent application of coercive methods.
It is not an easy decision to become a trade unionist without a trade union. It is with a sense of great regret that I find myself forced into this position.
Yours sincerely
Sandra Fredman
Professor of Law, Oxford University
Fellow and Lecturer, Exeter College, Oxford.
To the President and General Secretary of the Association of University Teachers:As alumni of, and current students in, degree programs at British universities, we wish to express our revulsion at the Association of University Teachers' boycott of Bar-Ilan University and Haifa University in Israel.
Our opposition to the boycott stems from our commitment to the principles of freedom of speech, opinion and research. A university teachers' union should vigorously promote those principles. It should not betray them as the AUT boycott does.
Sincerely,
1. Benjamin Bar-Yoseph, (MBA, City University of London, 1990; PhD in International Business, City University of London, 1996).
2. Michael Baum, MD, ChM, FRCS, FRCR (Professor emeritus of surgery and visiting professor of medical humanities, University College London).
3. Gila Bell (MSc in political theory, LSE, 1995).
4. Claire Berlinski (BA in Modern History, Oxford University, 1991; MPhil in International Relations, Oxford University, 1993; DPhil in International Relations, Oxford University, 1995).
5. Josh Chafetz (MPhil in Politics, Oxford University, 2003; DPhil in Politics, Oxford University, 2004).
6. Joshua Cherniss (MSt Historical Research, Oxford University, 2003; DPhil Candidate, Balliol College, Oxford).
7. Kelley Eleana Gordon (MA, Philosophy, Politics and Economics, Oxford
University, 1993).
8. John Gould (MSc in political theory, LSE, 1995).
9. Gur Hirshberg (MSc in political theory, LSE, 1995).
10. Dan Margolin (BA, Ancient & Modern History, Oxford University, 1993).
11. Tony Mason, (BSc, applied biology, University of Bath, 1982).
12. David Papo, (MSc in experimental psychology, University College London, 1997).
13. Carlo Rossotto (MSc in Regulation, LSE, 1996).
14. Karen Rossotto (MSc in Regulation, LSE, 1996).
15. Judith Levy (MLitt, International Relations, Oxford University, 1993).
16. Damian Counsell ((BA Physiological Sciences, Balliol College, Oxford University, 1990; MSc Physical Science and Engineering in Medicine, Imperial College, 1996; PhD candidate in Bioinformatics, Institute of Cancer Research, London University).