Best of the season to all BWISP members, followers and blog readers. Updates have been sporadic this year, but we continue to stand firm in our commitment to academic and cultural boycott, ready to campaign actively should British writers and Israel come under the media spotlight again. In the meantime, as a little Christmas present, I send you Article 10 of the UK Human Rights Act, which seems to me to enshrine a basic argument in favour of the boycott – that freedom of expression involves the responsibility to protect the freedom of others, and if this responsibility is spurned, then penalties may be justly incurred. Many of us will have been arguing this in principle to friends and colleagues, explaining the many ways Israeli HE institutions and cultural funding bodies work to exclude and silence Palestinians; if you are not already aware of the Act it may be useful for you to cite it in future. If any lawyers can comment further – please do!
The UK Human Rights Act 1998
Article 10 Freedom of expression
[my emphasis]
1. Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers. This Article shall not prevent States from requiring the licensing of broadcasting, television or cinema enterprises.
2. The exercise of these freedoms, since it carries with it duties and responsibilities, may be subject to such formalities, conditions, restrictions or penalties as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society, in the interests of national security, territorial integrity or public safety, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, for the protection of the reputation or rights of others, for preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, or for maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary.
British Writers In Support of Palestine 