HAW at the AHA
New York City, January 2-5, 2015

RESOLUTION on ACADEMIC FREEDOM of U.S. CITIZENS VISITING ISRAEL and PALESTINE

WHEREAS members of the historical profession are committed to the principles of academic freedom, whose curtailment severely compromises education; and

WHEREAS members of the historical profession believe that the free exchange of ideas is facilitated by teaching, delivering lectures and participating in conferences; and

WHEREAS Israel arbitrarily limits the entry of foreign nationals who seek to lecture, teach and attend conferences at Palestinian universities, denying both faculty and students the rich experience enjoyed by their peers at Israeli universities and other universities around the world;

THEREFORE

BE IT RESOLVED that the AHA calls for an immediate halt to Israel’s policy of denying entry to foreign nationals seeking to promote educational development in the Occupied Palestinian Territories; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the AHA demands that the U.S. Department of State honor the academic freedom of U.S. citizens by contesting Israel’s denials of entry of U.S. academics who have been invited to teach, confer, or do research at Palestinian universities.