The Academic Friends of Israel
Please sign the petition opposing the ‘Antisemitic’ Israel conference at Southampton University
Southampton University, one of 24 members of the British Russell Group of Institutions which have distinguished themselves as research-led universities of international quality is to hold a conference on the 17-19 April 2015 questioning both the legal and moral right of the state of Israel to exist.
The conference “International Law and the State of Israel: Legitimacy, Responsibility and Exceptionalism” is described by the organisers as “the first of its kind and constitutes a ground-breaking historical event … it is unique because it concerns the legitimacy in international law of the Jewish State of Israel.”
The event will be addressed by over 80 academics from Universities around the world, including the USA, Britain, Australia and Israel. The organisers, who include Southampton law professor Oren Ben-Dor and George Bisharat, professor at the University of California Hastings College of Law; have said that the conference will “engage controversial questions concerning the manner of Israel’s foundation and its nature, including ongoing forced displacements of Palestinians and associated injustices.” Ben-Dor and Bisharat have committed themselves in the past to the delegitimisation of the State of Israel and its replacement with a Palestinian State.
The majority of speakers at this one-sided conference support a boycott of Israel include Richard Falk, the former United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories and anti-Zionist Israeli academic Ilan Pappe.
Criticising Israeli policies is acceptable in debate, but denying its right to exist veers into Antisemitism. As French Prime Minister Manuel Valls declared: “Antisemitism, this old European disease…hides itself behind a fake anti-Zionism.” It discriminates against the Jewish people, denying them the right to self-determination which is enshrined in international law. Such historic prejudice lies behind much BDS activity.
In deference to the principle of freedom of speech, The Academic Friends of Israel are not calling for cancellation of the conference. Nor are we calling for a more balanced program. Such bigotry cannot be balanced.
Please sign our petition which calls on the University of Southampton to distance itself from the upcoming conference by removing it from campus, in order to avoid giving the event credibility and official approval to bigotry and Antisemitism.
Breaking news
Analysis of Speakers at Southampton
by David Collier
University’s ‘anti-Semitic’ Israel conference condemned The Telegraph
Southampton University’s decision to organise a conference questioning Israel’s right to exist has been condemned as ‘legitimising anti-Semitism’
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By Jack Engelhard, INN
I think the better question to debate is whether Great Britain has a moral or legal right to exist. Perhaps the sins of England’s colonization of large parts of the world, by force, disqualify it from the right to exist. Perhaps the millions of British Muslims have a legitimate right to incorporate Great Britain into a pan-Islamic caliphate more than the shrinking numbers of aboriginal British have a right to determine what type of state England ought to be. There are many questions about the legitimacy of Great Britain. There are also questions that can be debated about Southhampton University’s right to exist. As a school for academically superior students, it clearly discriminates against those who lack the sufficient educational prowess to be admitted to this elitist institution. Isn’t that a form of intellectual racism? How can a progressive society like England’s tolerate such naked racism? Perhaps Southhampton University should be converted to a Muslim midrasa where all people are welcome to embrace Islam, acknowledge the Prophet Mohammed, and study the Koran.
Lets see a bunch of known ISRAEL/JEW haters being let into the u.k. to spew their poison. A labour terrorist Lord Ahmed raised hell. It is reported that he ‘threatened to mobilise 10,000 Muslims to prevent Mr Wilders from entering the House of lords and threatened to take the colleague who was organising the event to court’ so Geert Wilders was denied entry. The u.k home office has denied entry to Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer. Time british Jews threatand to riot and have arrest warents put out for the racists
Anti-Semitism is today’s respectable racism.
Its open season on the Jewish people and their state and it must be fought.