A class on conflict resolution that was set to be given by an Israeli lecturer in Manchester next week was canceled by the British National Health Service, after trade union members who were supposed to take part in the class objected to participating in a workshop with an Israeli expert. Moty Cristal, an Israeli expert on negotiating skills and crisis-management, was to have taught a class as part of a workshop for health-trust managers and union officials. He has worked in the past with Palestinian groups and human-rights organizations, and has lectured on numerous occasions in Britain, including a lecture to the Muslim Council of Britain.
Despite all this, he received an e-mail on Friday from Manchester Mental Trust chief executive saying that his expertise was no longer required, following pressure by members of UNISON, Britain's largest trade union, which represents 1.3 million public service workers. The message said the class was being canceled "on the grounds that it is [the union's] policy and also that of the Trades Union Council to support the Palestinian people."
The Israeli Embassy in London said in response that "the cancelation of a private expert simply due to his citizenship or ethnic identity is a racist policy in every way. What is even more shameful is the fact this was supposed to be an NHS-sponsored workshop dealing, ironically, with negotiating and conflict resolution. It seems that those who canceled it are in urgent need of such training."