Oxford Bookshop boycotts Israeli publishers ---
Haaretz reports
Inner Bookshop in Oxford isssued a ban on Israeli publishers. The boycott was announced in a letter dated December 14, 2002, addressed to Astrolog Publishers in Hod Hasharon, the main supplier of books by Israeli authors to the Oxford bookshop But Anthony Cheke, co-owner of the Inner Bookshop, says that despite the barrage of criticism and "spate of hate-mail" he has received since the boycott began, he and his staff have no plans to back down.
The action by the bookshop in the British university city signals that an academic boycott against Israel - initiated last April by two Jewish professors - could be gathering speed.
Signed individually by all the Oxfod bookshop's nine staff, it stated:
"We have long been deeply disturbed by Israel's policy toward Palestinians in the occupied West Bank - stealing their land, bulldozing their homes and olive groves, shooting innocent children and generally making normal life impossible. In the circumstances it is hardly surprising that some of them respond with suicide bombing and other atrocities. Now the Israeli army has even killed a British UN official, we have decided the time has come to join the academic boycott of Israel and its products. Given the type of books you publish, it may be that your company is not in sympathy with Israeli government policy; if so, you will understand why we are doing this. While we are sorry to have to part company with a publisher that produces books in our speciality, a boycott only works if there are no exceptions - we hope you will protest to your government that you are losing trade because of their policies.It is a matter of great sadness to us that of all countries, Israel, with the indelible memory of the Showa [sic], should be treating another people as if they are less than fully human, and practicing 'ethnic cleansing' against them."
A clipping from the satirical magazine
Private Eye, titled "Letter from Israel" and detailing brutal policies of the Israeli government, was attached to the letter.
Cheke emphasized that the boycott would not affect Jewish writers and the bookshop's Judaism and Kabbalah section would continue to be stocked with books from British and American publishers
"Our boycott is a strictly political one of the state of Israel under [Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon," he said, adding that if the Labor Party had won the elections in Israel last week, the boycott would likely have been lifted. "We recognize that the situation is a tragedy for both sides," he added.
Previously visits, research projects and the publication of articles by Israeli academics have been blocked and a professor at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology sacked two Israelis from the editorial boards of two journals after they had refused her request to resign.
Oxford Bookshop boycotts Israeli publishers ---
Haaretz reports
Inner Bookshop in Oxford isssued a ban on Israeli publishers. The boycott was announced in a letter dated December 14, 2002, addressed to Astrolog Publishers in Hod Hasharon, the main supplier of books by Israeli authors to the Oxford bookshop But Anthony Cheke, co-owner of the Inner Bookshop, says that despite the barrage of criticism and "spate of hate-mail" he has received since the boycott began, he and his staff have no plans to back down.
The action by the bookshop in the British university city signals that an academic boycott against Israel - initiated last April by two Jewish professors - could be gathering speed.
Signed individually by all the Oxfod bookshop's nine staff, it stated:
"We have long been deeply disturbed by Israel's policy toward Palestinians in the occupied West Bank - stealing their land, bulldozing their homes and olive groves, shooting innocent children and generally making normal life impossible. In the circumstances it is hardly surprising that some of them respond with suicide bombing and other atrocities. Now the Israeli army has even killed a British UN official, we have decided the time has come to join the academic boycott of Israel and its products. Given the type of books you publish, it may be that your company is not in sympathy with Israeli government policy; if so, you will understand why we are doing this. While we are sorry to have to part company with a publisher that produces books in our speciality, a boycott only works if there are no exceptions - we hope you will protest to your government that you are losing trade because of their policies.It is a matter of great sadness to us that of all countries, Israel, with the indelible memory of the Showa [sic], should be treating another people as if they are less than fully human, and practicing 'ethnic cleansing' against them."
A clipping from the satirical magazine
Private Eye, titled "Letter from Israel" and detailing brutal policies of the Israeli government, was attached to the letter.
Cheke emphasized that the boycott would not affect Jewish writers and the bookshop's Judaism and Kabbalah section would continue to be stocked with books from British and American publishers
"Our boycott is a strictly political one of the state of Israel under [Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon," he said, adding that if the Labor Party had won the elections in Israel last week, the boycott would likely have been lifted. "We recognize that the situation is a tragedy for both sides," he added.
Previously visits, research projects and the publication of articles by Israeli academics have been blocked and a professor at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology sacked two Israelis from the editorial boards of two journals after they had refused her request to resign.
