B’nai B’rith International welcomes the Modern Language Association’s (MLA) rejection of a resolution boycotting Israeli academic institutions. The proposed boycott would have followed the footsteps of the American Studies Association (ASA), which enacted an academic boycott against the Jewish state in December.

B’nai B’rith praises those MLA members who voted against the one-sided resolution, as Israel’s universities are widely known for their openness and environment of academic freedom. Nearly 200 universities and academic associations have also spoken out against the boycott. 

What remains distressing is the MLA’s passage of a resolution that criticizes Israel for “denials of entry to the West Bank by U.S. academics” en route to Palestinian universities. B’nai B’rith urges the MLA’s executive council to reject this biased resolution, which is an outright distortion of facts.