The American Anthropological Association (AAA) membership voted on Monday to endorse a resolution to boycott Israeli academic institutions. In an all-member referendum that took place by electronic ballot between June 15 and July 14, 37 percent of AAA’s eligible members voted, with 2,016 members (71% of the votes) supporting the resolution, and 835 members (29% of the votes) voting to oppose it. ‘This was indeed a contentious issue, and our differences may have sparked fierce debate, but we have made a collective decision and it is now our duty to forge ahead, united in our commitment to advancing scholarly knowledge, finding solutions to human and social problems, and serving as a guardian of human rights,’ said AAA President Ramona Pérez. ‘AAA’s referendum policies and procedures have been followed closely and without exception, and the outcome will carry the full weight of authorization by AAA’s membership.’ AAA’s academic institutional boycott is limited to AAA-as an association-refraining from formal collaborations with Israeli academic institutions. The resolution pertains only to Israeli academic institutions, and not to individual scholars and students affiliated with these institutions. The resolution bars Israeli academic institutions from being listed in AAA’s published materials, advertising in AAA publications, websites, and other communications channels, including the AAA Career Center, using AAA conference facilities for job interviews, participating in the AAA Graduate School Fair, participating in the AAA Departmental Services Program, participating in joint conferences or events with AAA and its sections, and where within AAA’s control, republishing and reprinting articles from AAA publications in journals and publications owned by Israeli institutions. The AAA said it will lift the institutional boycott ‘when it can be established by a consensus of a group of experts commissioned for this purpose that Israeli academic institutions have substantially ended their complicity in violating Palestinian rights as stipulated in international law.’ It said its Executive Board will monitor and evaluate the situation at least every five years, or more frequently as deemed appropriate, and determine whether the boycott should remain in place. ‘By means of these actions, AAA will contribute to raising critical awareness of the dynamics of peace and conflict in the region, draw attention to the disproportionate suffering of the Palestinian people as a result of the Occupation and what can be done about it, and expand the space for dialogue on these sensitive and important human rights and academic freedom issues,’ Pérez added. ‘We believe that these actions can contribute to the enrichment of the health and welfare of all citizens in the region, increase circulation of anthropological scholarship, ease restrictions on scholars’ travel, increase freedom of expression for Palestinian and Israeli anthropologists, and increase dialogue about how archaeology is used in political arguments.’

Source: En – Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA