World academics support Southampton University’s right to hold conference on Israel and international law

Attempts by Britain’s Zionist lobby to bully the University of Southampton into cancelling a ground-breaking conference on Israel and international law has backfired, with over 250 academics from the world over signing a petition expressing their support for the university’s right to hold the conference.

Professors, lecturers and researchers from the UK, Europe, North America and beyond have expressed their “principled and full support for the University of Southampton’s commitment to freedom of speech and scholarly debate”.

For the full statement of support, and a list of the signatories, click here.

Recently, the University of Southampton has come under intense pressure from pro-Israel lobbyists to cancel a conference on Israel and international law, set for 17-19 April, on the grounds that to subject Israel to academic scrutiny is “to surpass the acceptable”.

The lobbyists include the Jewish Leadership Council, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Union of Jewish Students and the UK’s Zionist ambassador to Israel, Matthew Gould. Last week they were joined by Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles and other Israel stooges from the UK parliament.

The support of world academics for the University of Southampton’s right to free speech should come as a boost to the head of the university’s Law School, Hazel Biggs, who has refused to buckle to the Zionist lobbyists’ bullying.

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