Is there a difference between academics attending a conference as individuals or as “representatives” of the universities where they teach?

There is for the American Studies Association (ASA), which is touting the distinction in the face of claims it may be illegally discriminating against Israeli academics on the basis of their national origin.

The ASA made news in 2013 for declaring an academic boycott of Israel. In response, 250 university presidents came out against the move, calling it a violation of academic freedom.

Now the issue has shifted to a question of civil rights.

The ASA is gearing up for its annual conference in November, and it’s already making headlines – for the wrong reasons. The American Center for Law and Justice wrote a letter to the hotel hosting the conference, warning that it may be in legal jeopardy if Israelis are singled out and barred from attending the conference.

The ASA responded, then responded again to clarify the first response. Israelis can attend, it turns out, but apparently will be treated as individuals, not as representatives of Israeli institutions. Even Benjamin Netanyahu could attend the conference, an ASA spokesman said, “but we will write his title as Mr. Netanyahu in the program, or Benjamin Netanyahu on his name badge.”

In other words, even Netanyahu is welcome at a conference by a group boycotting Israel – as long as no one is led to believe he’s the prime minister. If no one says anything, maybe no one will know.

The spokesman added, “I should emphasize that the ASA will not recognize anyone who seeks to participate as an official representative” of Israel.

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That maneuver may help the ASA escape violating civil rights laws but it leaves questions about what it’s really trying to accomplish. If applied as stated, the policy would essentially erase Israel from public consciousness, something that has a lot in common with the Palestinian anti-normalization movement, which seeks to block any efforts at cooperation and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians.

It is reminiscent of a recent anti-normalization incident involving the pro-Palestinian Haaretz reporter Amira Hass, who was forced to leave a conference at a Palestinian university because her name card identified her as a Jewish Israeli. “A lecturer told me that if I didn’t write “Haaretz” in the registration form, I would have been able to stay,” Hass wrote following the incident.

The boycott , then, is nothing more than an attack on Israel’s legitimacy. But will participants from other countries be permitted to indentify as representatives of their universities? If so then the Israelis are still subject to discrimination and the ASA is likely to get away with it.

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