Israeli academics boycott settlement study centre

Dozens of Israeli academics have declared a boycott against a university study centre in the illegal West Bank settlement of Ariel which, they say, is built on occupied land. Radio Israel reported that 150 prominent professors from various universities across Israel have signed a petition stating they are unwilling to take part in any activities at Ariel University Centre, including seminars and academic lectures. They called on others to follow suit and boycott all activities and events in Ariel on the grounds that the settlement is built on occupied land and its Palestinian neighbours are suffering from harsh conditions and deprived of basic human rights due to the ongoing Israeli occupation.

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Criticising the move, Israel’s Education Minister, Gideon Saar, called the petition “a provocation without practical significance”. The Minister noted that that the signatories did not participate in events in Ariel college in the first place.