Do anthropologists have a professional obligation to take a stand in the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians? What would the implications be if the American Anthropological Association were to endorse the growing movement to boycott Israeli universities?
Those questions were at the heart of several panels Thursday at the AAA's annual meeting, where the subject of academic boycotts is taking center stage. More than 1,000 anthropologists have signed a statement supporting the boycott of Israeli institutions – as of Thursday evening, 887 had signed with their names, while another 145 had signed anonymously. The AAA has appointed a task force to advise its executive board on "the nature and extent to which AAA might contribute – as an association -- to addressing the issues that the Israel/Palestine conflict raises." AAA's commitment to create spaces for a "mutually respectful exchange" on the topic comes in the wake of pro-boycott resolutions or statements on the part of several other American scholarly groups, including the American Studies Association, whose pro-boycott vote last December was condemned by more than 200 U.S. university presidents as violating values of academic freedom and free exchange.
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