Oxford professor suspended for rejecting Israeli

By Glen Owen,
Education Correspondent

A PROFESSOR has been suspended from Oxford University for two months for rejecting an Israeli student on the ground of his nationality. Andrew Wilkie, the Nuffield Professor of Pathology, told Amit Duvshani that he could not accept him as a PhD student because of his country's policies towards the Palestinians.

Mr Duvshani, 28, a masters student in molecular biology at Tel Aviv University, made inquiries in June about joining the laboratory where Professor Wilkie carries out genetic research into craniofacial disorders. His CV mentioned his mandatory national service in the Israeli Army. Professor Wilkie, a Fellow of Pembroke College who was appointed to his pathology chair in May, replied:

"Thank you for contacting me, but I don't think this would work. I have a huge problem with the way that the Israelis take the moral high ground from their appalling treatment in the Holocaust and then inflict gross human rights abuses on the Palestinians because they wish to live in their own country.

"I am sure that you are perfectly nice on a personal level, but no way would I take somebody who has served in the Israeli Army."

Professor Wilkie is one of a number of British academics who have threatened to boycott Israel over human rights. However, after his comments were leaked, he apologised and insisted that he was not racist or anti-Semitic. "I regret that it (the e-mail) is not a hoax," he said. "My act was out of conscience about the war and I was completely open about my reasons. "It was totally out of order . . . but it was done honestly. I am deeply sorry for this and realise that I took the wrong action. I retract what I said, which was caused by a too personal and emotional response to the terrible situation in Israel."

The university began an inquiry, saying that although Professor Wilkie had expressed a personal view it would not accept behaviour that appeared to discriminate on grounds of ethnicity or nationality. Last night a spokeswoman said that a disciplinary panel had concluded that Professor Wilkie should be suspended without pay and be required to undergo equal opportunities training.

She added that Mr Duvshani, who had not made a formal application to the university, was welcome to do so.

"Suspension is the most serious penalty that the university can impose, short of removal from office. This ruling reflects that there can be no place for any form of discrimination within the university other than on the ground of merit," the spokeswoman said.

"Professor Wilkie fully accepts the gravity of the situation and is determined to make full use of training to ensure that his actions and those of his staff reflect best practice in future. He particularly wishes to make it clear that he greatly values the diverse backgrounds of the staff and students with whom he works and looks forward to applications from able candidates, whatever their background.

"The university runs a comprehensive staff training programme that includes programmes covering equality and diversity issues. We will now be looking . . . to see whether training in this area can be improved." Last year the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology criticised Professor Mona Baker for dropping two scholars from the boards of her privately run translation journals because they worked at Israeli universities.

In May a third of members of AUT, the lecturers' union, supported a motion calling for an academic boycott of Israel. The plan was rejected in case it alienated Israeli academics who shared the union's concerns about human rights.

Michael Cohen, a founding member of the Campaign for Academic Freedom and Standards, last night defended Professor Wilkie's initial stance. "I am perfectly happy to support someone who feels they want to boycott Israeli members of the academic institutions - it's a way of bringing home to the Israeli Government how appalling their behaviour is," he said. Members of the campaign are split on the boycott issue: some argue for the right to personal protest, others say political action should not interfere with academic freedom.

Oxford professor is suspended for rejecting Israeli student

By Sarah Cassidy,
Education Correspondent

AN Oxford University professor who rejected a student because he was Israeli was suspended from the university yesterday and ordered to undergo equal opportunities training. In an unusual public statement spelling out the results of disciplinary proceedings, the university said Andrew Wilkie, an eminent pathology professor, would be banished from the institution for two months without pay. Pembroke College later announced that the academic had resigned as a fellow and as a member of its governing body.

Professor Wilkie was disciplined by the university after telling Amit Duvshani, a Masters student at Tel Aviv University who applied to work in his laboratory towards a PhD, that he would not be considered because of the Israeli government's policy towards Palestinians. In an e-mailed response, Professor Wilkie wrote:

"I have a huge problem with the way the Israelis take the moral high ground from their appalling treatment in the Holocaust, and then inflict gross human rights abuses on the Palestinians because they wish to live in their own country. "I am sure you are perfectly nice at a personal level but no way would I take on somebody who has served in the Israeli army."

The 26-year-old graduate student had completed his mandatory three years national service and this was noted in the CV he had sent to Professor Wilkie. Disciplinary proceedings at the university are usually kept confidential but a spokeswoman for the university issued a statement saying that Sir Colin Lucas, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, agreed that the professor should be issued with the most serious penalty available, short of dismissal. It said: "The decision follows an investigation by the board of matters surrounding an e-mail which Professor Wilkie sent in response to an enquiry from an Israeli student regarding the possibility of graduate study in his research group. This ruling reflects that there can be no place for any form of discrimination within the University of Oxford other than on the grounds of merit."

Under the statutes of the university, the Vice-Chancellor has the power to reduce penalties recommended by disciplinary hearings but cannot increase them. In Professor Wilkie's case, Sir Colin adopted the recommendations as made by the board. A spokeswoman for the university said the statement had been agreed by both parties but that no further comment would be made. She said:

"Professor Wilkie fully accepts the gravity of the situation and is determined to make full use of training to ensure his actions and those of his staff reflect best practice in future. He wishes to make it clear he greatly values the diverse backgrounds of the staff and students with whom he works and looks forward to applications from able candidates, whatever their background."

In a statement, Pembroke College said: "In the light of the ruling by the University of Oxford, Professor Wilkie offered his resignation as a fellow of the college and as a member of its governing body. This has been accepted. Professor Wilkie's resignation takes immediate effect."

Professor Wilkie was appointed Nuffield professor of pathology in May and has been instrumental in developing the Oxford Craniofacial Unit into a world-class centre for genetic research into craniofacial disorders. The Oxford academic has not been alone in his stance against Israel. Some British academics have called for a boycott of Israeli scholars and conferences in Israel in protest at the country's treatment of the Palestinians. But in May, the Association of University Teachers, the largest university lecturers' union, voted by a majority of about two to one to reject a call for an academic boycott of Israel.

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