Editor’s Note: Subsequent to this article’s posting, the AAA Friday night advanced the boycott resolution to a vote of their full membership in the spring of 2016 by a vote of 1,040 to 136. The anti-boycott resolution failed by a vote of  196 to 1,173.

Denver, November 19 — At the annual American Anthropological Association (AAA) meeting scheduled in Denver this week, members will be considering two resolutions concerning a possible academic boycott of Israel; one in favor and one against.

JEWISHcolorado and the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) call on the AAA delegates to defeat the resolution to boycott Israeli academic institutions. Such boycotts are biased, discriminatory and hinder academic freedom. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS) is engaged in a campaign to shut down debate and communications surrounding the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and drive out the voices of dialogue and moderation.

If the boycott resolution should be passed and later ratified, it will strike a blow to academic freedom and will mark a victory for the BDS movement – a movement which seeks the dissolution of the Jewish state.

JEWISHcolorado and the JCRC have been coordinating closely with the Israel Action Network (IAN), a strategic initiative of The Jewish Federations of North America, in partnership with the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, to counter assaults on Israel’s legitimacy, including BDS.

We stand unified in our opposition to this discriminatory and punitive resolution and we as a community will ensure that, should the boycott resolution be adopted, the mainstream academic community will respond quickly and censoriously.

About JEWISHcolorado
Founded in 1946, JEWISHcolorado, formerly known as Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado, is the umbrella community organization inspired by the collective responsibility to build and sustain Jewish life in Colorado, Israel, and around the world. Its mission is to secure, steward, and share philanthropic and human resources in support of vibrant Jewish life as well as to mobilize the community in times of need. JEWISHcolorado is a proud member of the Jewish Federations of North America, which is among the top ten charities on the continent. JEWISHcolorado raises and distributes funds in support of a wide variety of programs and partner organizations both locally and globally. Last year, JEWISHcolorado’s Annual Campaign raised $10.7 million and the Endowment and Planned Giving arm houses more than $55 million in long term assets for individuals, agencies and synagogues in the community. For more information, visit www.JEWISHcolorado.org

About the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC)
The JCRC advocates for domestic and international policy issues that affect the Colorado Jewish community, represents these views to the Jewish community and to the general community of Colorado, and organizes the Jewish community in times of crisis. JCRC consists of 36 member organizations in Colorado and is affiliated with the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA).