In a statement released Jan. 7, Chancellor Robert Coombe said DU will not support an American Studies Association (ASA) boycott of academic institutions in Israel.
According to its website, the ASA is a group that focuses on the study of American culture and history. The ASA also states it is boycotting Israeli academic institutions to protect the rights of Palestinian students and academics, who ASA says face significant discrimination and censorship at Israeli institutions.
“Palestinian students face ongoing discrimination, including the suppression of Palestinian cultural events, and there is sanctioning and ongoing surveillance of Palestinian students and faculty who protest Israeli policies,” said the ASA on its website.
In his statement, Coombe said supporting the boycott would be in opposition to the academic freedom essential to the success of higher education, and that it is not an effective means of bringing about change.
“[An] academic boycott is wholly inappropriate as a means of expressing that opinion as it presumes that the academic bonds that bind scholars together should somehow be used to apply political pressure,” said Coombe in the statement.
Coombe went on to reference DU’s international education opportunities and interests, saying they are an important part of the university.
“[The] international education of our students and the pursuit of international scholarship and research are central to our mission,” he said. “An academic boycott of any part of the world runs counter to that mission.
Youval Yadlin, a fourth year majoring in International Studies and President of Pioneers for PIEC (Pro-Israeli Engagement Coalition), agreed with Coombe’s statement.
“I think the ASA boycott isn’t really doing anything to help the Palestinian cause, so I’m glad that Chancellor Coombe was able to speak out against the boycott,” she said.
Neal Feldman, a fourth year majoring in International Studies and Gender and Women’s Studies and organizer for Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) on campus, disagreed.
“The boycott is significant because it is one step in a series of victories to hold the Israeli state accountable to its treatment of the Palestinian people,” said Feldman. “Chancellor Coombe’s statement on the ASA resolution ignores key elements of the call for academic boycott.”
According to Feldman, a key element of the boycott is that it does not target individuals.
“The ASA boycott and resolutions like it are not aimed at boycotting specific academics,” he said. “Israeli academics are free to do any research, provided it does not contribute to the oppressive system to which Palestinians are subjected on a daily basis.”
Yadlin noted the DU Judaic Studies Department has sponsored multiple Israeli professors to come to DU to teach courses, and said she enjoyed having those professors at DU.
“I think it’s really great that DU is able to maintain these relationships with Israeli institutions and Israeli academics,” she said.
Feldman, on the other hand, said he believes that giving support of any kind to institutions that knowingly participate in oppression of Palestine is in itself support of the occupation of Palestine.
“Any university of conscience ought to heed the call to end it,” he said in reference to any form of support for the occupation of Palestine.
Yadlin agreed with Coombe’s assessment that the boycott is not an effective method of change.
“I think that rather than working to really help the Palestinian people and the Palestinian cause, in actuality [the boycott] is just trying to demonize Israel and Israeli institutions,” said Yadlin. “I think it’s really significant to see where various universities and academics in the U.S. fall on that spectrum of demonizing Israel versus helping Palestinians.”
According to a statement released Dec. 13 by the ASA National Council on the ASA website, support for the boycott was approved by a majority of voting ASA members in December.
The statement also explains that the boycott does not include collaboration on research and publication between individual scholars. Additionally, it will not prevent Israeli and Palestinian academics from participating in ALA conference events during the coming year.
