AJC praises American historians for rejecting anti-Israel initiative

The resolution accused Israel of restricting Palestinian academic activities in Gaza and the West Bank.

By DANIELLE ZIRI
BDS logo (photo credit: BDS)
BDS logo
(photo credit: BDS)
NEW YORK – The American Jewish Committee applauded the American Historian Association for rejecting a resolution against Israel on Sunday.
The resolution, which accused Israel of restricting Palestinian academic activities in Gaza and the West Bank was rejected by a vote of 111 to 50, at the AHA’s 130th annual meeting in Atlanta over the weekend.
“AHA members rebuffed the efforts of BDS activists to exploit American academic groups to single out Israel for condemnation,” AJC’s CEO David Harris said. “Israeli- Palestinian peace can only be achieved in bilateral talks between the parties, not by anti-Israel activists trying to win over scholarly groups in the US.”
The proposal, titled, “Protecting the Right to Education in the Occupied Palestinian Territories,” included a list of arguments, for example: “Israel restricts the right to lecture or teach at Palestinian universities by denying entry to select foreign nationals, including US citizens,” and “In summer 2014, Israel bombarded fourteen institutions of higher learning in Gaza, partially or completely destroying nine, and its military routinely invades campuses in Jerusalem and the West Bank and frequently impedes entry.”
This is the second year in a row that the AHA blocked similar measures. Last year, the association declined to put two resolutions critical of Israel to a vote. The two motions were not submitted for consideration before a November deadline and supporters at the meeting demanded that normal procedural rules be suspended.