A professor from the University of Michigan refuses to recommend a student whose destination is Israel

University of Michigan

A professor from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor withdrew his offer to recommend a student after learning that she wanted to study in Israel.

TheA month later, a professor from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor agreed to write a letter of recommendation for a student. But in September, he withdrew his offer, for an unusual reason: the student wanted to study in Israel.

"As you may know, many university departments have promised an academic boycott against Israel for Palestinians living in Palestine," wrote student John Cheney-Lippold, associate professor in the US Department of Culture. "This boycott includes the writing of letters of recommendation for students considering studying there."

"I should have told you earlier," he continued, "and for that I apologize. But for political reasons, I have to cancel my offer to write your letter. "

Someone posted a screenshot of the professor's email on social networks and critics began to pour in, some accusing Cheney-Lippold of being anti-Semitic. The university was quick to issue a statement condemning the professor.

John Cheney-Lippold, from UMich, refuses to write recce. for studying studying abroad in Israel. @BetsyDeVosED do you listen to? @ lilindian @KCTaz @ amyacpa2 #besties @benshapiro @FreemanWSJ @jamestaranto @RealJamesWoods pic.twitter.com/KE816Pmutv

– Sari Greenberg (@SEGreenb) September 17, 2018

No department in Michigan has supported such a boycott of Israel, University spokesman Rick Fitzgerald said in a statement. The Chronicle "Injecting personal policies into a decision about supporting our students is contrary to our values ​​and expectations as an institution," the statement said. The University of Michigan "is still opposed" to any academic boycott of Israel, Fitzgerald said.

In a later interview with The Michigan Daily, The student newspaper, Cheney-Lippold, said his position was his, not on behalf of his department or others. He stated that his decision was not anti-Semitic. "I was following a call by representatives of Palestinian civil society to boycott Israel in a tactical framework very similar to that of South Africa," he said. Daily, adding: "I have opinions and even though a letter of recommendation concerns the student, a lot of thought is being given to it. It's not a blank check where I sign for them to go where they want, it's a dialogue. Cheney-Lippold was not available for an interview on Tuesday afternoon.

Club Z, the California-based young Zionist organization that first posted Cheney-Lippold's e-mail screenshot on Facebook, said it had gotten the message from another teacher.

"We hope the US Department of Education will take note of this case," Club Z wrote in referring to the controversial new definition of anti-Semitism, which "denies the right to to "self-determination" to a "double standard … not expected or demanded from another democratic nation".

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions academic boycott of Israel discourages the writing of letters of recommendation for students pursuing studies, in accordance with the guidelines of the movement's website. Several academic associations, including the American Studies Association, have officially supported a university boycott of Israel in the past five years; Meanwhile, the American Association of University Professors generally opposes the use of school boycotting.

Nearly a year ago, support for BDS was high among students at the University of Michigan, in a move called #UMDivest. In November 2017, after years of unsuccessful attempts, the student government passed a resolution calling on the Board of Regents to review investments with companies doing business with Israel. Council rejected the proposal. "We strongly oppose any action involving the boycott, divestment or sanction of Israel," the regents wrote.

"We remain committed to the university's long-standing policy of protecting staffing from political pressure," the Regents' statement continues.

The University of Michigan has been disengaged twice: in 1988, it sold its stakes in companies operating in South Africa, in response to more than a decade of student activism and in 2000 to tobacco companies.

Follow Steven Johnson on Twitter at @stetyjohn, or send him an email to [email protected].