Minister Bill Rummel will seek to strengthen academic ties both with Israel and with the Palestinian academic institutions * expressed the British government's opposition to the academic boycott imposed by the lecturers' organization
The British Embassy in Israel issued a press release on Friday on behalf of the Ministry of Education and Skills in the United Kingdom: British Minister of Higher Education Bill Rummel will visit Israel and the Palestinian territories in the coming days to strengthen Anglo-Israeli and Anglo-Palestinian ties in the field of education.
Ramel decided to respond to an old invitation for this visit. He visits the Israelis and the Palestinians in the spirit of friendship and cooperation. As a friend of both Israel and the Palestinians, Ramel seeks to strengthen the message and emphasize the relationship between us by building solid foundations. He wants to strengthen education ties and even increase them. The visit also emphasizes Britain's desire to see a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis. The government believes that education should be seen as contributing to the peace process and not as a means to separate people.
Ramel will also discuss with the Israelis the boycott of the British Union of Lecturers. "The government believes that education will contribute to the peace process. The British government supports academic freedom and therefore opposes any academic boycott of Israel or Israeli academics. While the government appreciates the union's independence, it is very disappointed that the union decided to pass a resolution encouraging its members to boycott Israeli academics and research institutions. The British government believes that this will not advance the peace process in the Middle East. In fact, it will do the opposite. Both within Israel and within the Palestinian territories there are progressive and reactionary people. The problem with academic boycotts and the problem especially with that of the lecturers' union is that it makes the work of the progressives more difficult and it may strengthen the position of those who take a hard line." The words of the British minister.
