ALP hits out at Israel boycott
And Sydney University professor Suzanne Rutland, a member of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies council, criticised the centre's support of the BDS movement.
"The Australian government has repeatedly made clear that we strongly and unequivocally oppose the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign," Senator Evans told The Australian. "This is on the public record and reflects my own position."
The Australian revealed last week the centre rejected a request for assistance from an Israeli academic, Dan Avnon, credited with developing the country's only civics curriculum designed for both Jewish and Arab school students.
Senator Evans said he had sought assurance from the University of Sydney that it does not support the BDS campaign.
"The university advised the centre's director, associate professor Jake Lynch, was speaking on his own behalf and his views were not those of the centre, the faculty or the university," he said.
"It confirmed the university does not support the anti-Israeli BDS movement. I understand that other University of Sydney faculties and schools have made offers to associate professor Dan Avnon and I hope he will seriously consider them."
Professor Rutland said the centre's stand on BDS was "counterproductive". "For a peace agreement to occur between Israel
and the Palestinians dialogue is crucial so that trust-building can take place," she told The Australian.
Professor Rutland, a member of the university's Department of Hebrew, Biblical and Jewish Studies, warned of the impact of religious fundamentalism and extremism on both sides of the conflict in the Middle East.
"Since BDS only targets Israeli universities and other products, I believe this creates an asymmetric view of the conflict," she said.
Professor Rutland said she had been concerned by the centre's position on BDS for a number of years, while supporting the centre's other work.
She said she had written to the head of the centre's council, Kenneth Mcnab, after Professor Lynch's decision over Professor Avnon, saying: "It seems to me that his area of research and work in Israel, in trying to bridge the Jewish/Palestinian Arab divide in Israeli society, is exactly the type of activity which CPACS should support and encourage."
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