Academic freedom,the boycott of Israel,and what psychologists can do: against the politics of normalization

Abstract

This article uses the Recognition, Reparation and Reconciliation Conference held at Stellenbosch University in December 2018 as a lens to argue for an academic boycott of Israel while maintaining the principle of academic freedom, specifically as it pertains to the discipline of psychology. I argue that Israel is an apartheid state, that there is a need to isolate Israel politically, economically, culturally, and academically, and that the objection to the academic boycott of Israel is a selective application of the concept of academic freedom and is therefore a spurious argument. Rather than infringing on academic freedom, the boycott may increase the likelihood of academic freedom in Israel–Palestine. I provide possible suggestions about how the international community, including psychologists, might engage with the Israeli academy in the interests of furthering a human rights agenda.