Boycott of work by Israeli scientists 'could cost lives'
By Daniel Foggo and Josie Clarke Telegraph 15 December 2002
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The development of life-saving new medical treatments could be under threat
because of the British boycott of Israeli academics, leading scientists and
research organisations are warning.

Baroness Greenfield, the eminent neurobiologist and the director of the
Royal Institution, the oldest independent research body in the country, said
that she was becoming increasingly "distressed" by the boycott.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is part of the
World Health Organisation, also said that it would become concerned if the
shunning of work by Israeli academics, which began in April, continued.

The protests followed evidence that the boycott is gathering pace, with an
increasing amount of Israeli research being ignored.

The coterie of Left-wing British intellectuals organising the boycott, which
aims to deny Israeli academics an international platform until their country
engages in peace talks with the Palestinians, insist that the action is
morally justified.

Lady Greenfield, who is also a professor of pharmacology at Oxford
University and a council member of the foundation which regulates the
Weizmann Institute, a prestigious cancer research centre, issued a warning
last night, however, that it could put the well-being of the British public
at risk.

She said: "The obvious implication of the boycott is that if this is
stopping medical research from being propagated, then the development of
treatments and people's lives could be affected.

"If it continues it will harm people in every sphere but in medical research
lives are potentially at risk. What are they trying to achieve by doing
this? It is a situation where everyone loses.

The Israelis will suffer, the academics who do it are disapproved of by
their colleagues, and it sends a very sad signal out to the general public
because it is so illogical.

"If Britain goes to war with Iraq, does that mean that British academics
should be boycotted by everyone else?"

The IARC, which co-ordinates and conducts research on cancer, also
criticised the boycott. A spokesman confirmed that the agency collaborated
with Israeli researchers, even though Israel had not been a member since
1967, and gave a warning that vital research could be held up "if this
boycott were to expand in reach".

The boycott was begun by two British academics, Steven Rose, a professor of
biology at the Open University, and his wife Hilary, a professor of social
policy at Bradford University.

Last April they sent a letter with the signatures of 123 other experts in
their fields to a newspaper stating their intention to impose a moratorium
on support for Israeli academics.

In July, The Telegraph reported how two Israeli professors were removed from
their positions on two journals produced by Mona Baker, a professor of
translation studies at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and
Technology. The university is still considering what action, if any, should
be taken over the matter.

Last week it emerged that other Israelis are having their work ignored by
British academics. Prof Paul Singer, of the Israel Science Foundation, said:
"We send out about 7,000 papers a year. This year, for the first time, we
had about 25 people writing back saying: 'We refuse to look at these'."

Colin Blakemore, a professor of physiology at Oxford University, who
supports the boycott, said: "I do not know of any British academic who has
been to a conference in Israel in the last six months."

Tony Blair has reportedly told the Chief Rabbi in Britain that he was
"appalled" by the boycott and that he "would do anything to stop it", but no
action has been taken. Downing Street declined to comment last night.