Lefty Labor (Union) Loses

SC&A have chronicled the academic totalitarianism of the Association of University Teachers (AUT), the U.K.'s largest labor union for college faculty and staff. Last month, AUT "decided to boycott Haifa University and the Bar-Ilan University." Warfare followed, especially because, as SC&A noted, pro-boycott forces were short on evidence:

AUT called the boycott is an expression of anti Israel sentiment - that is, anti-Zionism - relating to the 'occupation' and is in no way an expression of anti-semitism. That of course, is ridiculous. The entire supposition is based on a lie.

The good news: on Thursday, by a 2/3rd majority, AUT reversed itself:

After a lengthy debate involving deeply held views on both sides of the argument, AUT’s special council has today [5/26] voted to revoke all existing boycotts of Israeli institutions.

AUT council has decided to base its policy on providing practical solidarity to Palestinian and Israeli trade unionists and academics, by agreeing a motion committing the union to having a full review of international policy.

The bad news: the AUT still lies. Apparently stung by the controversy, AUT flushed history down the memory hole. Previously, AUT's "Israel - Palestine" policy was available on their website. By Friday, the cover-up erased the page. Fortunately, Google preserved AUT's bile:

The AUT is aware that incursions of Israeli forces into the Palestinian areas of jurisdiction directly affects universities, colleges and other educational institutions.

More directly affected are their staff and students, as well as trade unionists, all of whom have been among those killed and injured. We are also aware that the conflict is having an impact on the academic community in the Middle East, as well as other parts of the world, where the ability to speak with academic freedom can become constrained by political and economic interests, related to the conflict. . .

We also urge our local associations to establish links with Palestinian universities, including campaigning for formal twinning arrangements between Palestinian and British institutions, to support colleagues and students there, and resist the narrowing of their opportunities and suppression of their academic freedom by the oppression of the occupation.

This is nonsense. SC&A correctly condemn:

the utter hypocrisy and duplicity of these AUT academics. Where was the boycott of Russian universities, considering the atrocities in Chechnya? Where is the boycott of Kuwait after the expulsion of 350,000 Palestinians? Where is the boycott of Syria, after the slaughter of 10,000-30,000 in Hama and the occupation of Lebanon? How about boycotting China for human right's abuses that are legendary? How about Castro's Cuba?

To be fair, AUT has a Cuba policy--a big, sloppy kiss: The website proudly proclaims "AUT supports CSC," the Cuba Solidarity Campaign, which, in AUT's words,

• believes that the people of Cuba, like any other nation, must be free to decide their own internal affairs without outside interference.



• defends, therefore, Cuba's right to national sovereignty, independence and self-determination.



• calls for an end to the US trade blockade against Cuba and for the British Government to continue to oppose it.

Anti-Semites judge the actions of Jews by a standard more restrictive than non-Jews. QED.

AUT also never explains the link between academic freedom and shunning colleges. Israeli universities don't run Israel. Israeli students and faculty aren't targeting teaching in the West Bank. Even Palestinians don't press the claim; they offer vague anecdotes of students suffering mental trauma. By contrast, everyone except AUT knows Hamas' position on academic freedom:

A powerful bomb hidden in a bag and left on a table by Palestinian militants tore apart a bustling cafeteria during lunch at Hebrew University here today, killing seven people, including at least three Americans, and wounding more than 80. . .

The bomb sprayed blood across the ceiling tiles, tore apart wooden chairs and scattered the antique radios decorating the cafeteria. A large jar of pickled radishes sat unbroken on one counter, as an officer a few feet away used large tweezers to pick evidence out of a pool of blood.

Neither Academic Nor Free (MFA)

And only AUT thinks school-age Palestinians cared about seven students whose "suppression of . . . academic freedom" was permanent.


Palestinians wave Hamas flags and flash victory sign at Hamas rally in Gaza to celebrate attack on Hebrew University in Jerusalem (July 31) (Reuters/Ahmed Jadallah)

Of course, hiding the web page might reflect AUT's sober reexamination of its obvious anti-Semitism. But probably not, given the final paragraph of the vanished text:

In addition, the AUT deplores the witch-hunting of colleagues, including AUT members, who are participating in the academic boycott of Israel. We recognise that anti-Zionism is not anti-semitism, and resolve to give all possible support to members of AUT who are unjustly accused of anti-semitism because of their political opposition to Israeli government policy.

Conclusion: The boycott's gone, but the motivation remains, says National Review Senior Editor and author of "The Closed Circle: An Interpretation of the Arabs," David Pryce-Jones:

In itself, such a boycott is gesture politics of no great significance. Those who voted for it are merely useful idiots in someone else's cause, puffed up with moral indignation that costs them nothing but that fortifies their self-righteousness and vanity. And yet the delegitimization of Israel takes many forms in many forums, and in their way the AUT boycotters are helping to confirm the primacy of the Palestinian cause in today's political sphere. Under cover of that cause, irrationality toward Israel is diffusing into irrationality about Jews generally, sweeping one country after another. Palestinian psychological warfare has already created conditions for a fresh eruption of the psychic illness of the masses.

I pray there's a cure.

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