IFOR Center

Background

Israeli academics experience discrimination by academic institutions, organizations and researchers around the world, all due to their Israeli citizenship or their connection to the State of Israel. This discrimination takes many and varied forms, such as the rapid rejection of academic articles, refusal to grant letters of recommendation, exclusion from conferences and academic positions, as well as calls for an academic boycott.

Vision

iFOR is an apolitical academic center, dedicated to ensuring the accessibility of Israeli academics and academic institutions to academic activities around the world. IFOR strongly argues that to the extent that Israeli academics enjoy full academic freedom in Israel, they are entitled to full academic freedom throughout the world.

Ideological basis

The academic boycott of Israeli academics and institutions constitutes blatant discrimination, and it grossly violates human dignity, justice and the right to equality. An academic boycott in itself is a thing-and-the-opposite, as it prevents freedom of expression and pluralistic discussion, which are the pillars of the academic world. Academic research is designed to advance science, human development and intellectual discussion. Academic boycotts hurt the whole of humanity, as they silence opposing positions and lead to a cooling effect among the entire research community.

The use of academic boycotts against individuals or institutions to advance political goals is an immoral act that fundamentally violates academic integrity.

Goals of the iFOR Center

Examining the scope of the boycott phenomenon against Israeli academics and academic institutions, as well as analyzing the legal consequences of these boycotts.

2. Convincing academics, legislators, public servants and the general public that academic boycotts are malicious acts with negative consequences, through the traditional and new media. IFOR intends to establish an online forum, produce videos describing academic activity in Israel and provide research grants to researchers who will deal with the issue of academic boycotts.

3. Activities against academic boycotts, using various means, such as filing complaints and lawsuits against institutions for discrimination against Israeli academics, promoting legislation on boycotts and organizing demonstrations.