On December 30, 2013, ADL Regional Director Scott L. Levin sent a letter to the presidents and chancellors of all major universities and colleges in Colorado and Wyoming requesting that they speak out against the resolution of the American Studies Association (ASA) calling for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions.  This resolution is part of a Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel, a movement unfairly and inappropriately seeking to isolate and punish Israel and eventually dismantle it as a Jewish state.  Although the resolution of the ASA was non-binding, ADL urged the leaders of these higher education institutions to join their voices with others rejecting the boycott and disassociating their schools from the resolution.

Levin noted:

[A] call to boycott Israeli academic institutions and individual academics is profoundly unjust.  It does nothing to promote a negotiated peace agreement or present constructive initiatives.  Instead, it effectively chills the very people and institutions that freely, and often heatedly, debate and critique Israeli, Palestinian and Arab policies.

 

The Presidents and Chancellors of the University of Colorado, Colorado State University and University of Denver heeded ADL’s call to action.  They joined over 200 university leaders from across the country that have rejected the ASA boycott.