Debate on academic politics in Israel has been reignited by Stephen Hawking¡¯s decision to boycott a presidential conference after lobbying from Palestinian colleagues.

Meanwhile, a campaigning Israeli organisation has claimed that universities in the country - and the state itself - are being undermined from within by academics with pro-Palestinian viewpoints.

Introducing a round-table event on academic freedom in Tel Aviv on 3 May, Dana Barnett, director of the Israel Academia Monitor (IAM), stated that ¡°neo-Marxist critical scholars¡± had ¡°expanded control of humanities and social sciences departments¡± in the country.

Ofira Seliktar, professor of political science at Gratz College in Pennsylvania, argued that Israeli academics enjoyed greater freedom than those in the UK, Germany and the US - but at ¡°a heavy price¡±, with many ¡°using their classroom as a platform for political indoctrination rather than a ¡®marketplace of ideas¡¯¡±.

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Michael Gross, a member of the board of governors at Ben Gurion University, said he believed that poor corporate governance had led to a situation ¡°where elements of the university are now¡­out of control¡±, with its department of politics ¡°an anti-pluralistic bastion of one-sided anti-Israel far leftist agitprop¡±.

Meanwhile a master¡¯s student at Ben Gurion, Rachel Avraham, spoke of her objections to a professor on her course who asserted ¡°that Israel is violating international law¡± and ¡°is the main impediment for peace¡±.

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But commenting on the event, David Katz, professor of early modern European history at Tel Aviv University, said that IAM was part of ¡°the fringe internet media¡­read by people who want further confirmation of views they already have¡±.

He said he did not approve of professors speaking as academics on political issues ¡°unless they are experts¡±, although he added that ¡°as long as they keep it out of the classroom, they are welcome to take part in political life¡±.

¡°Few professors violate that trust, but those who do are harmless, even if they express views more extreme than the ones quoted [by Ms Avraham], which are held by many Israelis,¡± he said.

matthew.reisz@tsleducation.com