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Response Letter Against the Proposed Motion for an Academic Boycott of Israel
August 12, 2025
To:
Executive Board of the European Society of Criminology (ESC)
General Assembly – Eurocrim 2025
Subject: Statement by the Israeli Society of Criminology Opposing the Proposed Motion for an Academic Boycott of Israeli Academic Institutions
Dear Members,
We, the board members of the Israeli Society of Criminology, on behalf of researchers and criminologists in Israel, write to express our profound concern and strong opposition to the proposed motion calling for an academic boycott of Israeli academic institutions. While we regret that the issue of imposing a blanket academic boycott has been raised in the context of a professional scholarly conference, its inclusion on the General Assembly agenda obligates us to respond.
This proposal rests on a portrayal and distorted narrative of the Israeli–Hamas conflict and the ongoing war in Gaza. It advances unfounded and highly charged claims, most notably the false allegation that Israel is committing "genocide" against Palestinians in Gaza. The term "genocide" has a specific legal definition under the 1948 UN Convention. Applying it in this context, without meeting the requisite evidentiary standard, distorts both the legal concept and the factual reality. Such misuse of language is not only inaccurate but also undermines the integrity of academic discourse, inflaming division rather than fostering informed and constructive dialogue.
For moral clarity, we acknowledge and deeply regret the suffering of all innocent civilians affected by this conflict. However, it must be recognized that the current war began with the unprecedented terrorist assault by Hamas on 7 October 2023. This brutal massacre involved the murder of hundreds of civilians; the kidnapping of babies, children, men, women, and the elderly; and acts of torture, sexual violence, and other atrocities. To this day, 50 hostages remain in Hamas captivity in Gaza, held under horrific conditions and deprived of basic human rights. Of these, 20 are believed to be alive, subjected to abuse and starvation. Any discussion of the conflict that disregards these events is, at best, incomplete and, at worst, deliberately misleading.
An academic boycott would unjustly punish the entire Israeli scholarly community, silence diverse voices, and exclude perspectives that enrich the global academic conversation. Israeli academia is independent, pluralistic, and inclusive, encompassing faculty and students from Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Druze, and other minority communities. Our society includes Palestinian criminologists and a growing number of Palestinian students, particularly from East Jerusalem and Galilee. Many Israeli scholars have openly criticized the Israeli government's policies regarding Gaza, while others hold differing views, and this is what democracy is about. A boycott would silence all these voices, including those advocating for human rights and peace, thereby harming the very pluralism and freedom the ESC claims to defend.
The ESC should be a platform for bridging divides, not deepening them. Rather than excluding one national community, due to the political agendas of a certain group, the ESC can foster inclusive academic engagement by convening joint panels, roundtable discussions, and dialogue involving Israeli, Palestinian, and other Arab scholars in the region. The exclusion of an entire national community undermines the mission of an international scholarly society and alienates members committed to open exchange and mutual understanding.
Silencing academic voices rarely advances peace. More often, it erodes legitimacy and deepens division. Adopting this motion would set a damaging precedent, compromising the ESC's credibility as an impartial professional society dedicated to justice, peace, and the free exchange of ideas. Israeli scholars have long contributed to ESC conferences, enriching academic dialogue. We hope this tradition will continue. More broadly, the European-Israeli academic collaboration, through Horizon, FP7, ERC, and other scientific frameworks, has yielded high-quality scientific outcomes that contributed to global knowledge.
From a professional criminological standpoint, addressing terrorism and mass violence, such as the October 7th atrocities, requires nuanced, evidence-based strategies grounded in justice, accountability, and the prevention of further harm. Oversimplifying complex conflicts or delegitimizing one side undermines the possibility of developing informed, balanced, and humane approaches to conflict resolution.
We therefore firmly urge the ESC to reject this motion in its entirety. We call on the ESC to avoid politicized and legally unfounded terminology, and to reaffirm its commitment to academic freedom, mutual respect, and open and fair dialogue. Collaboration, exchange of ideas, and respectful engagement, not boycotts, are the true pathways toward justice, understanding, and the peaceful resolution of conflicts.
Sincerely,
Board of the Israeli Society of Criminology
Prof. David Weisburd, President
Dr. Ety Elisha, Chair
Prof. Badi Hasisi, Board Member
Prof. Roni Factor, Board Member
Prof. Keren Gueta, Board Member
Maayan Beeri-Nagar, Board Member
Dr. Hagit Bonny-Noach, Board Member
Dr. Sharon Rabinovitz, Board Member
