Historian fears for academic freedom in Israel

An Israeli historian who has supported the call for an academic boycott of his country believes he may be fired by the University of Haifa.

Ilan Pappe said Haifa's dean of humanities had called for his expulsion over his support for MA student Teddy Katz. Katz found himself at the centre of controversy over his dissertation, submitted in autumn 2001. He was accused of fabricating quotes to support his claims of a massacre carried out by Israeli troops in a Palestinian village in 1948.

But Dr Pappe said: "The time is ripe in Israel for attacking academic freedom." He suggested that his support for a boycott of Israel was the real reason for the university's desire to see him go.

Some Jewish academics in the UK are to seek support for Dr Pappe and other Israeli academics who have expressed support for students who have refused to do military service.

Dean of humanities Yossi Ben-Artzi denied that Dr Pappe was being criticised for his political views but accused him of behaviour "contrary to all accepted rules of ethics at an academic institution".

Dr Pappe has been accused of going abroad without his departmental head's approval and missing "not a small number" of classes.

A university statement concluded: "The complaint involves not an iota of negation of freedom of expression, which is important to all of us. Its preservation must be done impartially."