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'Don't boycott Israel' plea
11:32am Monday 17th September 2007
Comments (7)An Oxford academic has spoken out against moves to cut ties with Israel over the country's military attacks.
Liberal Democrat Steve Goddard, a French lecturer at Oxford University, backed a motion at the party's conference in Brighton which condemned a proposed boycott of Israeli academics.
Dr Goddard, who plans to challenge Labour MP Andrew Smith for the Oxford East seat at the next General Election, said he had opposed Israeli military action in southern Lebanon last year.
But he added that a boycott promoted by the University and College Union (UCU), which represents 120,000 academics across the UK, was "illiberal" and would be unlikely to have any effect on the policies of the Israeli government.
Dr Goddard said: "There are many legitimate ways to oppose the policies of the Israeli government - but an academic boycott is the wrong approach, and there is good evidence that the membership of UCU in Oxford believes that.
"It can't be right to discriminate against any individual or group on the basis of their race or nationality.
"It's perverse to target a group of individuals - in this case academics - who are often in the forefront of opposition to illiberal or repressive regimes, and it seems unlikely that a boycott would succeed in having any effect on the policies of the Israeli government."
On Sunday Liberal Democrat delegates passed a motion condemning UCU's call for an academic boycott of Israel and urging members to "engage in the fullest possible dialogue with their Israeli and Palestinian counterparts".
Your Say YourOxford Mail
William, Oxford says...
1:07pm Mon 17 Sep 07
Prehaps if his son (Gilad Shalit) was kidnapped by murderous thugs and his house was hit daily by home made rockets then he would be in a place to critise the Israelis for what happened in Lebanon last year.
The only people to blame are the weak Lebanese who allowed a terrorist group to use their country openly.
Israelis are great people with very friendly views towards us(although the BBC etc dont want you to know that).
I was there for a couple of weeks last year after the Lebanon conflict(up in the Golan Heights and Lebanese border area),and i can tell you the Israelis did the best they could.
The reason so many civilians died is because Hisbollah used peoples houses to launch attacks instead of fighting like soldiers.Hence the Israelis were left with no choice.
Israel has every right to protect itself.
Also i guess all of these "academics" will be switching off their computers(as a boycott)as most Intel chips come from Israel???..
I dont think so.
Danny, Oxford says...
2:55pm Mon 17 Sep 07
During the campaign Israel's Air Force flew more than 12,000 combat missions, its Navy fired 2,500 shells, and its Army fired over 100,000 shells. Large parts of the Lebanese civilian infrastructure were destroyed, including 400 miles of roads, 73 bridges, and 31 other targets such as Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport, ports, water and sewage treatment plants, electrical facilities, 25 fuel stations, 900 commercial structures, up to 350 schools and two hospitals, and 15,000 homes. Some 130,000 more homes were damaged.
Over a thousand Lebanese civillians killed. Israeli civillians killed, 2.
Sounds like self defence to me.
Gizmo, Oxford says...
3:12pm Mon 17 Sep 07
Danny wrote:Will that make them think twice before firing more rockets over the border into Israel? Probably not as with the rest of the Fundamental middle east they don't acknowledge Israels right to exist. Don't start what you can't finish springs to mind.
During the campaign Hezbollah fired between 3,970 and 4,228 rockets. During the campaign Israel's Air Force flew more than 12,000 combat missions, its Navy fired 2,500 shells, and its Army fired over 100,000 shells. Large parts of the Lebanese civilian infrastructure were destroyed, including 400 miles of roads, 73 bridges, and 31 other targets such as Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport, ports, water and sewage treatment plants, electrical facilities, 25 fuel stations, 900 commercial structures, up to 350 schools and two hospitals, and 15,000 homes. Some 130,000 more homes were damaged. Over a thousand Lebanese civillians killed. Israeli civillians killed, 2. Sounds like self defence to me.
William, Oxford says...
3:28pm Mon 17 Sep 07
Danny wrote:"During the campaign Hezbollah fired between 3,970 and 4,228 rockets."
During the campaign Hezbollah fired between 3,970 and 4,228 rockets. During the campaign Israel\'s Air Force flew more than 12,000 combat missions, its Navy fired 2,500 shells, and its Army fired over 100,000 shells. Large parts of the Lebanese civilian infrastructure were destroyed, including 400 miles of roads, 73 bridges, and 31 other targets such as Beirut\'s Rafic Hariri International Airport, ports, water and sewage treatment plants, electrical facilities, 25 fuel stations, 900 commercial structures, up to 350 schools and two hospitals, and 15,000 homes. Some 130,000 more homes were damaged. Over a thousand Lebanese civillians killed. Israeli civillians killed, 2. Sounds like self defence to me.
You totally miss the point,they shouldnt have fired one rocket,they fired first remember(unprovoked!
!)
???
Danny looks like you have been getting your news from Al Jazeera.The figures you quote are nonsense.
If you think Israels response was over the top,be an Israeli for a day.
All your neighbours hate you and would like to see you wiped off the face of the earth.
As for "Over a thousand Lebanese civillians killed".Unfortunate but when Hezbollah hide in houses they know this will happen.
Blame these thugs for this,not Israel.
Long live Israel.
Richard, Oxford says...
4:24pm Mon 17 Sep 07
Hunt, oxford says...
8:07am Tue 18 Sep 07
How can we get across to our friends from the Jewish community that , this hate attitude and over touchy and sensitive reaction , every time time any one wants to talk about Israel the well oiled machinery of the community join in its so called defense, for how long , can Israel carry on like this, the minute you have regime in the USA who will stop support , where will Israel go then, then they will need their neighbors, these same people over the centuries have always helped and supported jews, will they help now , after Israels murderous activities..... i hope they do
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Hunt, oxford says...
11:48am Mon 17 Sep 07
Lets ( somehow) move all the oil to America then we would not have all the wars in the name of democracy and all the other bull we get form our leaders.