Letter signed by 120+ scholars backing Irish academic boycott of Israel published in Irish Times
A letter in today’s Irish Times sees more than 120 Irish and Irish-based academics declare their support for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions.
The scholars said they were “disturbed by the involvement of Israeli higher education institutions in Israel’s military and security industries, by EU institutional involvement in funding Israeli research, and by the research and development collaboration between Irish and Israeli higher-education institutions”.
They said they would respond to the appeal from Palestinian civil society and avoid co-operation with those institutions.
Contrary to the order presented by the newspaper, the letter’s lead author is Dr Ronit Lentin, retired associate professor of sociology from Trinity College Dublin and herself an Israeli citizen.
As part of the Irish organisation Academics for Palestine, Dr Lentin produced the letter as a rapid Irish contribution to the growing international boycott movement.
That growth was reflected in last week’s advertisement in the Guardian newspaper, which saw more than 340 British-based academics sign a similar declaration.
Since its launch nearly two years ago Academics for Palestine has secured formal pledges to boycott Israeli academic institutions from more than 200 Irish academics.
If you are an academic based in Ireland and would like to sign the Irish Academics’ Pledge to Boycott Israel, you can do so by going to the Academics for Palestine website here.
Below is the full list of signatories to today’s letter.
Signatories to Irish Times letter
Dr Ronit Lentin (retired), TCD, joint PRO Academics for Palestine
Harry Browne, DIT, joint PRO Academics for Palestine
Prof Des Bell, NCAD
Prof Seamus Deane, Emeritus Keough Professor of Irish Studies, University of Notre Dame
Prof John Doyle, DCU
Prof Conleth D. Hussey, UL
Prof Gerry Kearns, Maynooth University
Prof Kathleen Lynch, UCD
Prof Damian McCormack, UCD
Prof Terrence McDonough, NUIG
Prof Karen McElrath, Fayetteville State University, USA
Prof Cahal McLaughlin, Queen’s University Belfast
Prof John Pinkerton, QUB
Dr John Kelly, Emeritus Professor, UCD
Prof Sam Porter, QUB
Dr Helena Sheehan, Emeritus Professor, DCU
John Waddell, Emeritus Professor, NUIG
Eyad Abu-Khiran, University and College Union, QUB
Dr Barbara Bradby (retired), TCD
Elaine Bradley, PHD candidate, TCD
Dr Audrey Bryan, St Patrick’s College, DCU
Dr James Carr, UL
Dr Michael Carr, DIT
Dr Justin Carville, IADT
Teresa Cash, St Mary’s University College, Belfast
Dr Maurice Coakley, Griffith College Dublin
Dr Steve Coleman, Maynooth University
Dr Peter Collins, St Mary’s University College, Belfast
Dr Eileen Connolly, DCU
Dr Catherine Conlon, TCD
Magdi Rashied, DIT
Eddie Conlon, DIT
Dr Ciaran Cosgrove (retired), TCD
Dr Colin Coulter, Maynooth University
Dr Laurence Cox, Maynooth University
Deirdre Cree, St Mary’s University College, Belfast
Ann Curran, DIT
Dr Laurence Davis, UCC
Dr Sharae Deckard, UCD
Miriam Delaney, DIT
Dr Kevin Farrell, IT Blanchardstown
Dr Paul Farrell, IT Tallaght
Gerry Farrelly, DIT
Dr Brian Feeney, St Mary’s University College, Belfast
Dr Jude Lal Fernando, TCD
Dr Mikael Fernström, UL
Dr Andrew Finlay, TCD
Barry Finnegan, Griffith College Dublin
Mike FitzGibbon, UCC
Dr Camilla Fitzsimons, Maynooth University
Richard Fitzsimons, DIT
Dr Angela Flynn, UCC
Dr Michael Foley, DIT
Dr Oona Frawley, Maynooth University
Dr Paul Michael Garrett, NUIG
Dr Brian Hanley, Historian
Martin Hanrahan, DIT
Tony Hayes, DIT
Dermot Healy (retired), DIT
Roddy Hegarty, Library & Archive Director (Armagh)
Goretti Horgan, Ulster University
Dr David Hughes, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Dr Mariya Ivancheva, UCD
Celia Keenan (retired), St Patrick’s College Drumcondra
Dr Sinéad Kennedy, Maynooth University
Ian Kilroy, DIT
Dr Heather Laird, UCC
Dr David Landy, TCD
Dr John Lannon, UL
Zoe Lawlor, UL
Dr Luciana Lolich, UCD
Madeleine Lombard, St Mary’s University College, Belfast
Eibhlín Mhic Aoidh, St Mary’s University College, Belfast
Dr Martin McCabe, DIT
Dr Conor Mc Carthy, Maynooth University
Dr Des McGuinness (retired), DCU
Simon McGuinness, DIT
Denise McKee, St Mary’s University College, Belfast
Dr Elaine McLaughlin, St Mary’s University College, Belfast
Brian McMahon, Cork IT
Noirin MacNamara, PhD candidate, QUB
Dr Bill McSweeney, TCD
Dr Martin Maguire, Dundalk Institute of Technology
Dr Martin Marjoram, IT Tallaght
Dr Chandana Mathur, Maynooth University
Dr Thomas Murray, UCD
Dr Yoga Nathan, UL
Maeve O’Brien, PhD Candidate, Ulster University
Dr Eithne O’Connell, DCU
David O’Connor, DIT
Dr Maureen O’Connor, UCC
Dr Tom O’Connor, Cork IT
Tom O’Connor, DIT
Dr Hugh O’Donnell, DIT
Dr Micheal O’Flynn, UCD
Dr Féilim Ó hAdhmaill, UCC
Dr Theresa O’Keefe, UCD
Daithí Ó Madáin, NUIG
Dr Eoin O’Mahony, St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra
Dr Jacqui O’Riordan, UCC
Dr Sinead Pembroke, TCD
Dr Michael Pierse, QUB
Dr Susan Power, Griffith College Dublin
John Rafferty, St Mary’s University College, Belfast
Dr John Reynolds, Maynooth University
Ellen Reynor, St. Patrick’s College, DCU
Dr Paola Rivetti, DCU
Jim Roche, DIT, Chair Academics for Palestine
Maggie Ronayne, NUIG
Dr Colin Sage, UCC
Dr Birgit Schippers, St Mary’s University College, Belfast
Paul Sheehan (retired), former Director of Library Services, DCU
Dr Fintan Sheerin, TCD
Domhnall Sheridan, DIT
Ailbhe Smyth (retired), UCD
Dr Robbie Smyth Griffith College Dublin
Stephen Stewart, Mater Dei Inst./DCU
Dr Andy Storey, UCD
Peter Tansey, UCD
Dr Gavan Titley, Maynooth University
Dr Antonio Toral, DCU
Theresa Urbainczyk, UCD
Ciaran Walsh, St Mary’s University College, Belfast