More than 500 anthropologists from all over the world have recently signed a petition declaring their "opposition to the ongoing Israeli violations of Palestinian rights, including the Israeli military occupation of the Gaza Strip, West Bank, and east Jerusalem."
The petitioners, including anthropologists from prestigious American universities such as Harvard, Yale and Princeton, vow to "boycott Israeli academic institutions that are complicit in these violations."
Among other things, the signatories commit not to collaborate with projects or events funded by Israeli academic institutions, not to teach or attend conferences at such institutions, and not to publish articles in Israeli academic publications.
"The recent military assault on the Gaza Strip by Israel is only the latest reminder that the world's governments and mainstream media do not hold Israel accountable for its violations of international law. As a community of scholars who study problems of power, oppression, and cultural hegemony, we have a moral responsibility to speak out and demand accountability from Israel and our own governments," the petition reads.
In February, members of the American Studies Association (ASA), the oldest and largest association devoted to the interdisciplinary study of American culture and history, voted to endorse a boycott of Israeli academic institutions to protest ‘’the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.’’