To: dbobbitt@uark.edu, Chancellor@uark.edu, sgaber@uark.edu From: myadmon@uark.

edu Subject: U of A's stance on ASA's Academic Boycott of Israel Date: December 27, 2013 _____________________________________________________

Dear President Bobbitt, Chancellor Gearhart, and Provost Gaber,

I am an American / Israeli student in the newly established accelerated JD program for foreign law graduates at the University of Arkansas School of Law. I am also the founder and president of the Jewish Law Students Association, and the incoming president of Hillel - The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, both of which are registered student organizations. This past week the the American Studies Association (ASA), the "nations oldest and largest association devoted to the interdisciplinary study of American culture and history", voted to place an academic boycott on Israel. This was the first ever boycott the ASA has enacted in its 62 year history, motivated purely from bias against Israel, emanating from, frankly, deep seated antisemitism. Michael Roth, President of Wesleyan University, called this boycott a "repugnant attack on academic freedom." As of today, 62 US Universities, including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, Cornell, the University of Chicago, NYU, and the University of Texas - Austin, have rejected ASA's boycott. A full list can be found here: http://legalinsurrection.com/2013/12/list-of-universities-rejecting-academic-boycott-of-israel/. (As of 1/1/14 this list has expanded to 92 universities: http://www.jpost.com/International/92-universities-reject-academic-boycott-of-Israel-336771) Additionally, four universities - Brandeis University, Penn State Harrisburg, Indiana University and Kenyon College - have withdrawn their membership from the ASA in protest. I write you to request that our university show solidarity with Israel by taking the stance of these other fine US institutions against the ASA's shameful and bigoted boycott, in the same courageous spirit of Chancellor Gearhart when he signed a petition several years ago stating "if you boycott Israel, you boycott us, too."

As you must be well aware, Israel is the only true democracy in the Middle East. It is a nation nearly 1/7 the area of Arkansas, populated by roughly six million Jews - the same number exterminated by the Nazis, surrounded by enemies, on the constant brink of war, under the constant threat of annihilation, and the only nation on earth whose very right to exist is continually questioned in the global political arena. Nevertheless, in the face of all these immense existential pressures and adversities, Israel is a mighty force of scientific and cultural progress on a global scale. The following are just a few statistics: Israel has the highest ratio of university degrees per capita in the world. Israel produces more scientific papers per capita than any other nation in the world. Israel has the highest number of scientists per capita in the world. Israel has the highest number of engineers per capita in the world. Israel has the highest number of PhD's per capita in the world. Israel has the highest number of physicians per capita in the world. Israel has more patents, startups and research centers per capita than any other nation. Israel has more book published per capita than any other nation. Israel has more museums per capita than any other nation. Israel is a cultural diamond, contributing immensely to global culture, the visual arts, music, literature etc. In 65 years of statehood, Israelis were awarded 12 Nobel Prizes, including two in 2013. Israel is on the front-line of international aid, including sending relief to New Orleans post Hurricane Katrina, to the city of Moore, Oklahoma after the devastating tornado of 2013, sending medical field hospitals and personnel to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, to Japan after the 2011 tsunami, to the Philippines after typhoon Haiyan this year, and continuously treating wounded Syrian refugees feeling their horrific civil war. An unbiased reasonable person considering such statistics must question what drove the ASA to impose an academic boycott on Israel, clearly a nation propelling human advancement. If the basic premise of academia is to advance openness and free thought, how does an academic boycott of Israeli meet this aim? The answer is, it doesn't. The rationale for this decision becomes even more suspicious considering that in its 62 years as an organization, the ASA has never boycotted any other nation besides Israel, turning a blind eye to nations that have committed atrocities against neighboring countries and their own populations. This point, among others, was lucidly expressed by Rep. Eliot Engel, the senior Democratic member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, in his letter to the President of the ASA, which can be found here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/12/23/dozens-of-u-s-universities-r eject-academic-boycott-of-israel/. 2

I feel it is imperative that the University of Arkansas, the flagship university of our state and a nationally lauded research university, take a resolute stance on this issue by siding with Israel and with academic freedom. Silence on this issue will undermine our legitimacy. Speaking out against this boycott will send an unwavering message worldwide that we in Arkansas have resolute principles, and place great value on openness, cooperation, and free thought. In the words of the great Irish statesman Edmund Burke, "the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." As a proud student of the University of Arkansas, I ask that we speak out and do something. I hope to hear back from you on this matter soon. Have a Happy New Year. Yours Sincerely,

Moshe (Jeff) Admon, B.Eng., B.A., LL.B. (Hons) J.D. Candidate 2015, University of Arkansas School of Law Founder, Jewish Law Students Association; President, Hillel myadmon@uark.edu