The Jewish Academic Alliance of BC (JAABC) is deeply concerned about the organized campaign to dismantle a longstanding archaeological course and research project run by faculty in the University of British Columbia’s Department of Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies (“AMNE”). We are also troubled by the silence and inaction from UBC’s leadership.
Faculty in UBC’s AMNE department, through a longstanding partnership with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, runs a highly successful program that provides opportunities for experiential learning abroad in the State of Israel. This academic partnership is an important scholarly endeavour that advances the mission of UBC. In the program, UBC students, in collaboration with local students – whose demographic composition has significant cultural, ethnic, religious, gender, and sexual diversity – come together to learn about archaeology and ancient history. Like other study abroad programs, this program presents an opportunity for UBC students to encounter and interact with diverse people whom they might not otherwise meet.
The ongoing, concerted campaign to permanently cancel this course and research project is unacceptable. Protesters are engaging in intimidation tactics designed to prevent faculty members from doing their work. This pressure is part of a disturbing pattern of harassment targeting Jewish faculty, staff, and students, and those who partner with Israeli institutions. These actions constitute harassment under UBC policy and BC law and we are particularly worried by the conspicuous silence from UBC’s administration.
We call on the UBC administration to take the following actions:
- Ensure that UBC faculty can conduct their academic work free from intimidation and harassment.
- Enforce harassment policies, with clear consequences for offenders.
- Establish designated protest spaces at a distance from faculty workspaces and classrooms.
- Issue a public statement affirming UBC’s commitment to academic freedom and collaborations with Israeli institutions.
- Educate the UBC community about academic freedom and about appropriate forms of protest.
Under the University Act, UBC is obligated to be non-political in principle. UBC leadership must reject demands to sever ties with Israeli universities, and must stand firm against the targeted harassment of Jewish academics.
We are prepared to work with UBC administration to address these serious issues.