Hurrah for the good sense of the Lib Dems, including Lembit Opik
And for why? Because they have rejected calls for an academic boycott of Israel, and "a motion condemning it passed overwhelmingly".
The motion itself hits a bullseye:
"It said that academic freedom and the exchange of ideas are of "paramount importance," adding that it is wrong to boycott individuals on account of their nationality, "whatever policies their country's government pursues." Israeli academics "can no more be held accountable for Israeli government policy than British academics can be for British government policy," it said.
The motion called it "perverse" for academics to boycott only Israel when other countries with far worse records of academic freedom are not also to be boycotted. "Israeli universities are centres of free debate and discussion including Jews, Christians and Muslims, Israelis and Palestinians," it added".
Our man with interests in the Balkans voted in favour of the motion above, and my regulars will not be surprised that the odious Tonge was the only 'name' in favour of a boycott.
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Sometimes the party as a whole does do the right thing ;)
I'm surprised, because often Israel brings out the worst in people, but this has united most of the party, the Palestinian lobby is mostly behind this motion too. Apart from Tonge, but she is odious...
As I've said to you face to face, the LDs have a good record on freedom of speech, civil liberties and the like.
Probably more so than my lot or the other lot.
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