[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 279 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 279

  Condemning the recent vote by the British Association of University 
     Teachers to boycott Bar-Ilan University and Haifa University.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 16, 2005

Mr. Higgins (for himself, Mr. Pence, Mr. Crowley, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Mr. 
Weiner, Ms. Berkley, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Lantos, Mr. Israel, Ms. Wasserman 
  Schultz, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, Mrs. Tauscher, Mr. Souder, Mr. 
Akin, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Engel, Mr. Rothman, Mr. Andrews, Mr. Burton of 
  Indiana, Mr. Sessions, and Mr. Garrett of New Jersey) submitted the 
     following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                        International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Condemning the recent vote by the British Association of University 
     Teachers to boycott Bar-Ilan University and Haifa University.

Whereas on April 22, 2005, the British Association of University Teachers voted 
        to boycott two Israeli universities, Bar-Ilan University and Haifa 
        University, and is currently considering taking action against a third 
        Israeli university;
Whereas institutions of higher education should be places of boundless thought 
        and expression, bridging religious, ethnic, and language divides and 
        bringing disparate groups together, not pushing them apart;
Whereas the British Association of University Teachers has stated it will allow 
        exceptions for professors from these universities only if they publicly 
        take loyalty oaths disavowing the Israeli Government;
Whereas Israel is the strongest ally of the United States and a true democratic 
        partner in the Middle East;
Whereas the action taken by the British Association of University Teachers 
        threatens both British and Israeli students and violates the ideals that 
        the classroom and the campus should be places of open dialogue;
Whereas the British Association of University Teachers, by holding Israel to 
        exceptional standards, questioning the legitimacy of the State of 
        Israel, and singling out Israeli academic institutions for boycott, 
        nourishes an environment of anti-Zionism and encourages the spread of 
        anti-Semitism; and
Whereas only through the unfettered flow of information and knowledge can true 
        democracy thrive and ideas and beliefs be freely exchanged: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns the vote by the British Association of 
        University Teachers on April 22, 2005, to boycott Bar-Ilan 
        University and Haifa University;
            (2) calls on the British Association of University Teachers 
        to overturn this vote at its hearing on May 26, 2005;
            (3) denounces the call by the British Association of 
        University Teachers for professors from these universities to 
        take loyalty oaths disavowing the Israeli Government; and
            (4) urges governments and educators throughout the world to 
        generate dialogue regarding their differences and not bar 
        students and professors from engaging with and learning from 
        each other.
                                 <all>