The academic boycott against Israeli researchers and institutions is intensifying, forcing some scholars to downplay or completely omit their institutional affiliations in order to participate in international academic forums.

The issue was highlighted at the Second International Archaeology Conference organized by the Archaeology Staff Officer Unit of the Civil Administration, in cooperation with the Heritage Ministry and the Council for Conservation of Heritage Sites in Israel.

The conference brought together approximately 400 researchers, academics, and professionals from Israel and abroad. Participants described what they view as a significant deterioration in the treatment of Israeli researchers by leading scientific organizations in the West.

During the discussions, attendees revealed that at this year’s conference of the American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR) in the United States, Dr. Aharon Tavger of the Archaeology Staff Officer Unit was compelled to omit his official workplace and organizational affiliation in order to present his research.

Similar circumstances were reported by lecturers from Ariel University, who were also said to have concealed their institutional affiliation.

The phenomenon is not limited to the United States. Participants presented similar accounts regarding conferences organized by the European Association of Archaeologists, where Israeli researchers allegedly faced situations in which openly identifying their institutional affiliation could have led to exclusion or an effective boycott.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Staff Officer for Archaeology Eyal Freiman addressed what he described as a troubling trend and warned against complacency within Israeli academia.

“We are witnessing a boycott that is steadily growing, and it is no longer an isolated problem,” he said. “A council is currently being formed in Europe whose purpose is to strengthen the boycott against Israelis, and this process is gaining alarming momentum. It is important that the public and the scientific community in Israel understand that this may begin with Judea and Samaria, but very soon every Israeli lecturer and researcher will encounter this boycott and pay the price, regardless of the institution where they work or their geographic location.”

The international conference, held last Thursday at the Orient Hotel Jerusalem, was originally intended to showcase archaeological excavations, discoveries, and scientific cooperation. This year, however, it also became a platform for discussing the growing academic boycott, with participants calling for coordinated action by government ministries, Israel’s Council for Higher Education, and academic institutions to counter what they described as a dangerous trend.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)