News Brief

British leaders of the campaign to stop the proposed British academic boycott of Israel traveled to Israel.

Stop the Boycott staff and advisers had a series of meetings and briefings with their Israeli counterparts and senior government officials. They shared information with senior representatives of the major Israeli universities at a special session convened by the International Advisory Board of Academic Freedom.

“As we gear up for the start of the new academic year in September, it is important that all international resources are properly coordinated,” said campaign co-chair Jeremy Newmark, the Jewish Leadership Council’s chief executive, who led the British delegation.

The advisory board’s delegation was led by its chair, Professor Yossi Yeshurun, and included Professor David Newman, who was appointed recently to represent Israeli Academia in the United Kingdom.

Rafi Barak, deputy director-general of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and recently appointed chair of the Israeli government’s Interdepartmental Task Force on Boycotts, also participated in the talks.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews launched a think tank to determine the community’s long-range strategy.

The Community Policy Research Group is designed to carry out research and explore policy options for British Jewry in the fields of education, welfare and community development.

Alexander Goldberg of the Board of Deputies will serve as the group’s director, with senior professionals from key Jewish organizations and a number of prominent members of British academia comprising the supervisory board.

“We are encouraged — and honored — that key organizations have been keen to join this effort,” Goldberg said. “It is precisely this kind of inclusive participation that will enable us to conduct research that is based on the real needs of British Jewry.”

Discussions are under way for partnering with other communities.