Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life urges university faculty to oppose a boycott of contacts and exchanges with Israeli academic institutions. As the largest Jewish campus organization in the world, Hillel believes that this anti-intellectual action undermines the very definition of academic freedom and strikes at the root of the scholarly enterprise.

Israeli institutions of higher learning, like their counterparts throughout the world, are models of free inquiry in which students and scholars of all backgrounds and beliefs can explore issues of science and the humanities. Israeli scholars contribute substantially to the advancement of knowledge and international understanding.

The creation of a new boycott against Israel is contrary to the tide of history. We urge faculty members to tear down obstacles to the free and comprehensive exchange of ideas, not to erect them. Academic freedom is essential to promoting tolerance and peace. This boycott is a step in the wrong direction.