Monday, June 1, 2009
I missed this on my favorite UK blogs which tend to cover these things, but this seems like big news: JTA: British union votes to boycott Israeli universities, academics
Britain's main academic union voted overwhelmingly to boycott Israeli universities and colleges.
The University and College Union passed the boycott resolution at its annual meeting last week. It is the fourth year in a row that the union has passed a resolution condemning Israel and supporting the boycott of Israeli academics and academic institutions.
The key resolution calls on UCU branches to discuss boycotting Israel, and commits the union to organize a pro-boycott conference for other trade unions to attend.
The vote was then declared invalid after union attorneys said that a boycott of that kind could trigger legal action against the union.
Union General Secretary Sally Hunt said she "formally and personally commended" the union for holding the debate, the Guardian reported...
It looks like the union had a very nice time posing for each other and counting coup (to their minds -- the real thing involved some actual danger) against the Yids. Apparently, the "union" has already decided they have no intention of actually taking action on anything under advice of counsel?
Engage has a number of entries to look at: David Hirsh is blogging live from UCU Congress, UCU Congress and, last but definitely not least: Michael Cushman and the Jew-free UCU Congress
...Jon Pike showed up to argue that Congress should ask the union leadership to find out why Jews are resigning from the union. Congress said it didn't want to find out why Jews are resigning from the union.
Camila Bassi showed up, a member of a small Trotskyist group, she made a brave Trotskyist speech against the boycott. Congress voted her down.
But there were speeches against the boycott available for anyone who wanted them. But there was nobody left to make them.
There were no Jews there to speak against the boycott. "The Zionists barely showed up"...
I short update on the UCU at www.divestthis.com.