Dozens of Israeli academics tried to prevent Germany from passing its landmark “BDS is anti-Semitic” law last Friday.

In an open letter addressed to the German government prior to the vote, over 60 Jewish and Israeli academics stated that they “reject the deceitful allegation that BDS as such is anti-Semitic.”

“We call on all German parties not to submit and not to support any resolutions that equate BDS with anti-Semitism,” the letter continued.

Among the signatories were ten professors from Hebrew University, seven from Tel-Aviv University, seven from Ben-Gurion University, and five from Haifa University, which are all heavily subsidized by the Israeli government.

The academics also called on the German government to continue funding NGOs that promote BDS.

“We also call on all German parties not to exclude NGOs that endorse BDS from German funding,” said the letter. “As also confirmed by the European Union, statements and actions in the context of BDS are protected by freedom of expression and freedom of association, as enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU.”

Matan Peleg, CEO of Im Tirtzu that recently launched a website listing dozens of Israeli professors who are employed at publicly funded universities yet engage in anti-Israel activity, stressed the harm caused to Israel by these professors.

“While tremendous amounts of resources are invested in Israel and throughout the world to combat the international BDS movement, these radical professors are undermining these efforts by promoting BDS from within Israel,” said Peleg.

Peleg continued: “There is no parallel in the world to this phenomenon of hypocrisy and ungratefulness, in which these professors earn their living at the expense of the Israeli taxpayer yet at the same time work to boycott and slander them.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)