Ynet
By Ynetnews
European Jewish Congress President Dr. Moshe Kantor last week slammed a group of Swedish academics who have publicly declared a boycott of academic cooperation between Swedish and Israeli educational institutions.
«It is incongruous that in the week that an Israeli scientist was awarded the Nobel Prize by The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, a group of Swedish academics are calling for a boycott of Israeli educational institutions», Kantor said.
«This is clearly self-defeating for the world of research and education as Israel has once again demonstrated that its academics are making valuable contributions in many areas of culture, science and technology.»
In recent years there have been a number of European academic groups that have called to boycott Israeli academic institutions.
‘No interest in free transmission of values’
«This merely demonstrates that those who are involved with calling for boycotts against Israel are uninterested in the free transmission of values, education and progress», Kantor added.
«I am certain Israeli academics will continue to contribute towards the progression and betterment of humanity.»
Daniel Shechtman was named this year’s Nobel Laureate for Chemistry on Wednesday for his discovery of quasicrystals, a finding that went against established scientific consensus.
Shechtman is a professor at the Technion Institute, an institution singled out as a target for boycott by the Swedish group of academics. The Technion has produced three Nobel Prize winners in recent years.
