Stephen Hawking ‘backs Israel boycott’

British cosmologist Professor Stephen Hawking has announced his withdrawal from an Israeli conference in Jerusalem, prompting reports that he is supporting an academic boycott on the country. Hawking was due to appear at the conference, hosted by Shimon Peres, the Israeli president, but his name was recently dropped from the list of speakers. A statement on the website of the British Committee for the Universities of Palestine said: “We understand that Professor Stephen Hawking has declined his invitation to attend the Israeli Presidential Conference, Facing Tomorrow 2013, due to take place in Jerusalem on 18-20 June. “This is his independent decision to respect the boycott, based upon his knowledge of Palestine, and on the unanimous advice of his own academic contacts there.” Agencies reported that the University of Cambridge, where Hawking works, confirmed the statement had been approved by the professor. Israel Maimon, chairman of the Israeli Presidential Conference, said on Wednesday that Hawking’s decision was “outrageous and wrong”. “The use of an academic boycott against Israel is outrageous and improper, particularly for those to whom the spirit of liberty is the basis of the human and academic mission,” he said.
‘Health reasons’: The University of Cambridge, where Hawking works, cited health reasons for the change of plans. “For health reasons, his doctors said he should not be flying at the moment so he’s decided not to attend,” university spokesman Tim Holt said. “He is 71 years old. He’s fine, but he has to be sensible about what he can do.” The presidential conference traditionally draws hundreds of leading world figures, including Tony Blair in 2011 and George W Bush in the inaugural conference in 2008.