1Condemning the Academic Studies Association's academic boycott
2against Israel and calling upon the Department of Education,
3the State System of Higher Education, each of the State-
4related universities and all of Pennsylvania's independent
5colleges and universities to reject anti-Semitism and not
6participate in the academic boycott.

7WHEREAS, Anti-Semitism is an intolerable and ugly form of
8bigotry, prejudice and hostility directed toward individuals of
9the Jewish faith and the Jewish State of Israel, often based on
10ethnic, cultural or religious identity; and

11WHEREAS, The American Studies Association (ASA) is an
12academic organization composed of approximately 5,000 members,
13all of whom are members of academia specializing in the
14interdisciplinary study of American culture and history; and

15WHEREAS, The ASA held a vote in which 1,252 of its members
16participated, and 66% voted in favor of an academic boycott
17against Israel, while 30% objected and approximately 4%
18abstained from the vote; and

19WHEREAS, The motion was passed by only 16% of the membership
20of the ASA; and

1WHEREAS, The ASA's academic boycott against Israel calls for
2a boycott of all of the universities within the State of Israel,
3a Jewish Democratic nation that promotes academic freedom and
4free speech and educates students from around the globe; and

5WHEREAS, The academic boycott against all universities and
6colleges in Israel results in the restriction of academic
7freedom worldwide and reflects and anti-Semitic position; and

8WHEREAS, The academic boycott is purportedly an effort to
9denounce alleged Israeli human rights violations, yet it
10effectively disengages the scholars within Israeli academic
11institutions from global academic collaborations and does not
12support Israeli peace efforts in the Middle East; and

13WHEREAS, Due to the academic boycott, several American
14collegiate members of the ASA have withdrawn their institutional
15memberships, including members at Brandeis University and The
16Pennsylvania State University - Harrisburg; and

17WHEREAS, Numerous university presidents from the nation's
18centers of academic study, including the University of
19Pennsylvania, Harvard University, Yale University, Johns Hopkins
20University, Cornell University, Haverford College, Princeton
21University, Lehigh University, Temple University, Boston
22University, University of Chicago, University of Michigan, New
23York University, Middlebury College and many others, have
24publicly condemned and rejected the academic boycott because it
25negatively impacts the progress for peace in the Middle East and
26unfairly targets Israel; and

27WHEREAS, The practical effect of the American Studies
28Association Israeli boycott is a resurgence of anti-Semitism;
29therefore be it

30RESOLVED, That the Senate condemn in the strongest possible

1terms the ASA's academic boycott against Israel as an
2intolerable, anti-Semitic, base form of bigotry and hatred and
3recognize that such conduct, particularly within centers of
4academic study, is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated; and be
5it further

6RESOLVED, That the Senate request that the Department of
7Education and the State System of Higher Education, in
8cooperation with each of the State-related universities and this
9Commonwealth's independent colleges and universities,
10acknowledge the serious problem of anti-Semitic conduct, the
11creation of a hostile learning environment worldwide and that
12any such institutions not participate in the academic boycott.