Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Mishcon de Reya is a heavy-hitting London law firm. The firm, and particularly the lawyer (solicitor, I believe?), Anthony Julius, represented Deborah Lipstadt in her successful libel defense against Holocaust-denier David Irving (see here, here and here), as well as Princess Diana in her divorce from Prince Charles.
The University of Haifa has retained (they seem to call it "instructs") the firm to represent them against the British AUT:
...The AUT has, both by the assistance it gave to the resolution’s sponsors and by its publication of the resolution on its website, defamed the University of Haifa. Our client is entitled to seek damages, a retraction, and an undertaking against further publication of the defamations. It reserves its position in this regard...
So sweet. There's nothing that changes the complexion of a situation better than having a serious lawyer representing you.
(via Norm)
Update: Sue Blackwell's (one of the leading "lights" behind the boycott) employer doesn't seem to see things quite the same way as she:
The University of Birmingham is aware of the AUT vote to boycott two Israeli universities. The AUT is an independent trade union with its own views. These views are entirely independent of the University. The University is committed to the principles of academic freedom and the support of educational collaboration in the pursuit of knowledge through teaching and research. In pursuit of these principles, the University will not tolerate discrimination of any kind.
(via email and Norm)
This AUT boycott, the PC-USA initiative, along with other similar initiatives (e.g., Columbia), all reflect something that is particularly and strikingly repugnant. Sadly, and ironically, what these organizations are demonstrating is a concupiscence, virtually a lust, for some type of moral superiority and assertiveness. Their stances, and the manner in which they've forwarded these positions (e.g., little or no dissent is allowed), speaks volumes.
So it's heartening to see Haifa University refrain from taking this passively.