The woman behind a divisive vote today to boycott Israeli universities has brushed aside criticism of the proposals, saying it is impossible to treat that country's academics as "normal citizens from a normal state". | "They're all Jooos, you know!" |
Speaking to the Guardian, Ms Blackwell said it was essential that academics took a stand against an "apartheid state." "There is this great wall of silence, great complicity, about what is happening," she said. "On one hand they are not saying anything about the occupation and on the other they expect it to be business as usual; they expect to be treated as normal citizens from a normal state. "They expect to come to international conferences and the boycott campaign is about saying no, you can't have your cake and eat it." She said those who objected to the proposed boycott did not understand "the extent to which Israeli academics are routinely implicated in racist discourses against Arab students and Arabs in general". Last night Ms Blackwell said she would not give up even if the motion was defeated. "Whatever happens, there's been a really good debate and we've got it on the agenda."