"Several US university professors are accusing the Journal of Academic Freedom of caving in to pressure to publish a series of essays opposing the academic boycott of Israeli institutions.
The journal, which is published by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), made the decision after coming under attack for including a number of articles supporting the boycott in its most recent issue.
The dispute goes to the heart of a broader battle within the AAUP and US academia over freedom of speech when it comes to Israel and the right to advocate for boycott of Israeli institutions.
“Unfortunately” some “among the AAUP leadership are not prepared to grant [the Journal of Academic Freedom] editorial independence and are insisting that the journal revise the contents of Volume 4 to include more anti-boycott articles in the interest of ostensible balance,” says a letter to the journal’s editor signed by organizers of the US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (USACBI).
A copy of the letter, addressed to Ashley Dawson, editor of the Journal of Academic Freedom, was shared with The Electronic Intifada, and is published in full below.
The letter also addresses the broad, ongoing assault on the rights of teachers to speak out about the question of Palestine and the Israelis."
The journal, which is published by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), made the decision after coming under attack for including a number of articles supporting the boycott in its most recent issue.
The dispute goes to the heart of a broader battle within the AAUP and US academia over freedom of speech when it comes to Israel and the right to advocate for boycott of Israeli institutions.
“Unfortunately” some “among the AAUP leadership are not prepared to grant [the Journal of Academic Freedom] editorial independence and are insisting that the journal revise the contents of Volume 4 to include more anti-boycott articles in the interest of ostensible balance,” says a letter to the journal’s editor signed by organizers of the US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (USACBI).
A copy of the letter, addressed to Ashley Dawson, editor of the Journal of Academic Freedom, was shared with The Electronic Intifada, and is published in full below.
The letter also addresses the broad, ongoing assault on the rights of teachers to speak out about the question of Palestine and the Israelis."
