Another day and yet more selective exclusion by Murdoch’s Australian newspaper. Dr Jake Lynch, head of Peace and Conflict Studies at Sydney University, submitted the following letter to the paper… after days of irrational attack:
Your reporting of the BDS issue is in danger of descending into absurdity. It is clear to any reasonable observer that supporting the call for a boycott of institutional links with Israeli universities does not and cannot possibly have anything to do with race or racism. Over recent years and under my direction, the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies has hosted public talks by prominent Jewish speakers – both Israeli and non-Israeli – who have appeared in a personal capacity: including Emeritus Professor Jeff Halper; Professor Ilan Pappe and Rabbi Michael Lerner. BDS is conceived as part of a remedial strategy in the face of inadequate government responses, by Australia and other countries that should know better, to Israeli militarism and lawlessness. It is my right as a member of the academic staff of the University of Sydney to comment publicly on the matter as I have. The comments you have obtained from Opposition front-benchers constitute a sinister political attack on freedom of expression.
The paper published this truncated version:
Supporting the call for a boycott of institutional links with Israeli universities does not have anything to do with race or racism. Under my direction, the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies has hosted public talks by several prominent Jewish speakers.
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement is conceived as part of a remedial strategy in the face of inadequate government responses to Israeli policy.
It is my right as a member of the academic staff of the University of Sydney to comment publicly on the matter as I have. The comments you have obtained from opposition frontbenchers constitute a political attack on freedom of expression.
Jake Lynch, director, Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, Sydney University