Leading article: Keep talking

Later this month, academics assembling for the annual council meeting of the Association of University Teachers will face a motion asking them to boycott Israeli academics who refuse to condemn their government's actions in the occupied territories.

Later this month, academics assembling for the annual council meeting of the Association of University Teachers will face a motion asking them to boycott Israeli academics who refuse to condemn their government's actions in the occupied territories. Another motion calls for a boycott of three Israeli universities over their complicity with their government's policies.

Is it a good idea for British academics to use their trade union to pursue their political quarrel with the Israeli regime? We would argue that it is not. There are signs that British academics are already refusing to do certain things, like review grant applications for Israeli institutions. That is a step too far. By all means criticise Israel, but shouldn't academics be keeping channels of communication open?