In the latest idiotic move by CUPE, the union representing striking York University graduate students and contract faculty, the university workers committee will be lobbying in favour of banning Israeli academics from Ontario campuses due to the escalating crisis in Gaza.

Sid Ryan, president of CUPE Ontario, said that:

“Israeli academics should not be on our campuses unless they explicitly condemn the university bombing and the assault on Gaza in general. It’s a logical next step, building on policy adopted by our provincial convention in 2006.”

The previous policy that Ryan refers to is Resolution 50, which favored divestment and boycotting of Israeli and Israel-related companies (like Caterpillar and Hewlett Packard?).

According to a press release published on January 5, the union now seeks a ban on “Israeli academics doing speaking, teaching or research work at Ontario universities.”

Ryan, who failed to see the irony in his own words, told the Globe and Mail that:

“Attacking an institution of learning is just beyond the pale. They deliberately targeted an institution of learning. That’s what the Nazis did.”

The solution that CUPE proposes to this “attack on an institution of learning” is, of course, to attack academic freedom.

Prof. Costanza Musu, who presently teaches International Relations courses at the University of Ottawa, points out the obvious absurdity and academic harm inherent in CUPE’s position:

As professors we have a duty to teach our students to think autonomously, analyze information critically and listen to others’ opinions. As someone who teaches the Arab-Israeli conflict I cannot think of any more useful pedagogical tool than integrating in my classes lectures (as well are readings, or should articles and books be boycotted too?) by people from both sides in order to expose students to different points of view and narratives… I cannot fathom how I would be fulfilling my duty as a professor if I decided to stop inviting Israeli speakers and to prevent students from listening to them and form their own opinion.

…

What about those who might teach information technology, or neurosciences, or astrophysics? They would have to stand in front of their audiences and start their talk with a short speech in condemnation of the Government of Israel?

Prof. Emanuel Adler, chairman of Israeli Studies at the University of Toronto, echoes Musu’s concerns:

“Students should receive the message that the situation is very tragic for both Israelis and Palestinians, but the conflict and the violence should not be brought inside the university… If there is a place that some solution should come out of other than government it should be a place where creativity can lead to a peaceful resolution of conflict.”

The other problem with CUPE’s proposal is that they seek to ban academics on the basis of national origin. Fortunately, CUPE has no actual power to hire or fire academics on University campuses. If they did, this would smell like a human rights violation.

For now, this just smells like stupidity.

Say what you will about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; unions should stick to representing their workers,  not meddling in international politics.

h/t to Eivor Cormie at the University of Western Ontario.