The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) was among the more than 100 education, civil rights, and religious groups to sign a letter last week calling on heads of universities across the U.S. to reject a proposed American Anthropological Association (AAA) resolution supporting the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.
The letter — organized by the AMCHA Initiative — warned, “The AAA resolution, if passed, not only threatens the core principles of academic freedom, but also poses significant risks to the educational opportunities and experiences of your students and faculty, the reputation of your institution, and the inclusivity and diversity of your campus
community.”
The letter was sent to 269 university presidents. It implored them to “immediately and publicly condemn academic boycotts in general, and the AAA resolution specifically, and urge the AAA to reject the resolution; reaffirm your commitment to academic freedom and the well-being of your students and faculty by cutting all ties with the AAA, should the resolution pass; and investigate and implement safeguards to ensure that an academic boycott can never be implemented at your university.”
The full text of the letter can be read here.
CAM also endorsed a statement issued last month by the Alliance for Academic Freedom (AAF) and the Academic Engagement Network (AEN) demanding that AAA members oppose the pro-BDS resolution.
