Harriet Sherwood tells us that the Stephen Hawking has joined the ranks of the BDSers:
Professor Stephen Hawking is backing the academic boycott of Israel by pulling out of a conference hosted by Israeli president Shimon Peres in Jerusalem as a protest at Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.
[…]
Hawking is in very poor health, but last week he wrote a brief letter to the Israeli president to say he had changed his mind. He has not announced his decision publicly, but a statement published by the British Committee for the Universities of Palestine with Hawking’s approval described it as “his independent decision to respect the boycott, based upon his knowledge of Palestine, and on the unanimous advice of his own academic contacts there”.
Any statement published with his approval, I would have thought, met the criteria for being published publicly. And the other emboldened text tallies with this public statement from his office repeated in an official e-mail:
From: *** <*****@admin.cam.ac.uk>
Date: 8 May 2013 13:12:52 BSTSubject: RE: Stephen Hawking
Statement on Professor Hawking and Jerusalem conference
8 June, 2013A University spokesman said:
“Professor Hawking will not be attending the conference in Israel in June for health reasons – his doctors have advised against him flying.”
*******
Acting Director of Communications
Office of External Affairs and Communications,
University of Cambridge.
The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street,
Cambridge. CB2 1RP.
T. +44 (0) 1223 ******
D. +44 (0) 1223 ******
M. +44 (0) 7824 ******
I. 65954
tim.holt@admin.cam.ac.uk
www.cam.ac.uk
www.cambridge-india.org
http://www.facebook.com/cambridge.university
At least Sherwood correctly identified him as a former Lucasian Professor of Mathematics. Eventually.
(Hat-tip Sam Westrop and Doc Martyn.)
Update from Gene: Cambridge University has released the following statement:
We have now received confirmation from Professor Hawking’s office that a letter was sent on Friday to the Israeli President’s office regarding his decision not to attend the Presidential Conference, based on advice from Palestinian academics that he should respect the boycott.
We had understood previously that his decision was based purely on health grounds having been advised by doctors not to fly.
