I received several different queries from friends about my recent post on academic boycott. Both Adam Horowitz and Sami Hermez, who has an excellent article about the difference between boycott and censorship at the Electronic Intifada, pointed out that the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic & Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) seeks only to boycott institutions, not individuals. Consequently, I was asked to clarify my position on this issue.
My purpose in writing that essay was to describe the comprehensive moral framework for academic boycott. I feel strongly that our strategic decisions ought to be informed by purist principles. At the same time, our strategies are restricted by pragmatic considerations. The PACBI campaign is the tangible product of principles constrained by real-world application. I endorse their approach, but want to note that there is a sound moral basis for a broader boycott should it ever be deemed practicable by the interested parties.
