The Anti-Defamation League sent letters to nearly 100 university and college presidents in the region, urging them to denounce the recent decision by the American Studies Association to boycott Israeli academic institutions. ADL also sent letters thanking those schools in the region that already publicly condemned the ASA decision, including Dickinson College, Drexel University, Franklin and Marshall College, Haverford College, Lafayette College, Lehigh University, Swarthmore College, University of Delaware and Gratz College.
The text of the letter to schools that have not publicly rejected the ASA boycott can be found below:
January 9, 2014
To Whom it May Concern:
As you may know, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is a leading human relations and civil rights organization dedicated to combating anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, as well as promoting understanding and diversity throughout the United States and abroad. It is in this regard that we urge your school to oppose the resolution of the American Studies Association (ASA) in support of a boycott of Israeli academic institutions.
The ASA’s recent action is part of a broader Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which seeks to delegitimize Israel as a Jewish state. We encourage you to recognize that boycotting Israeli academic institutions and individual academics solely because they are Israeli is profoundly unjust. It does nothing to promote a negotiated peace agreement or present constructive initiatives to bring about Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation. Instead, it effectively penalizes and defames the very people and institutions which freely, and often heatedly, debate and critique Israeli, Palestinian and Arab policies. We believe it is crucial for academic institutions and associations to advance initiatives that foster peace and reconciliation – initiatives that will result in two states for two peoples.
For these reasons, we call on your school to denounce the ASA’s call for a boycott of Israel. If you would like to speak further about the boycott or if we can be of assistance in any other matter, please do not hesitate to call ADL.
Sincerely,
Nancy Baron-Baer
ADL Interim Regional Director
The Anti-Defamation League is one of the nation’s premier civil rights/human relations agencies fighting anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defending democratic ideals and protecting civil rights for all. Click to learn more about our work in confronting Anti-Semitism.