Meet the MIT Scientists Fighting Academic Boycotts of Israel

The American Studies Association has boycotted Israeli academic institutions since 2013. The Association for the Advancement of Anthropology has refrained from formal collaborations with Israeli academic institutions. And just this past summer, the American Association of University Professors opened the door to academic boycotts against Israel. 


Enter: two scientists at MIT who see firsthand the consequences of academic boycotts and the damage it can cause to scholarship and scientific progress. To ensure Israeli scholars and their American colleagues can collaborate freely, and foster research and innovation that benefits all of humanity, they formed The Kalaniyot Foundation (pronounced Ka-la-nee-yought), named after Israel's national flower. 


Hear from Drs. Or Hen and Ernest Fraenkel, co-founders of this initiative, on the impact of anti-Israel boycotts on academic collaboration with Israeli scholars, and what they’re doing to rehabilitate the reputation of Israeli researchers in the eyes of the world. 


Listen – AJC Podcasts:


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The Forgotten Exodus (https://www.ajc.org/forgotten-exodus) : with Hen Mazzig (https://www.ajc.org/news/podcast/tunisia) , Einat Admony (https://www.ajc.org/news/podcast/the-...) , and more (https://www.ajc.org/forgotten-exodus) .


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People of the Pod (https://www.ajc.org/peopleofthepod) : 



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U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on Gaza Reconstruction, Israeli Security, and the Future of Middle East Diplomacy (https://www.ajc.org/news/podcast/us-s...)


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Why Germany’s Antisemitic Far-Right Party is Thriving Instead of Disappearing (https://www.ajc.org/news/podcast/why-...)


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Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod (https://www.ajc.org/peopleofthepod)



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Transcript of Conversation with Drs. Or Hen and Ernest Fraenkel:


Manya Brachear Pashman:  


Since the Hamas terror attacks of October 7, 2023 many university campuses have been riven by anti-Israel protests, demonstrations, often unfortunately fueled by disinformation and rife with rhetoric that too often crosses the line into antisemitism. But even before October 7, Israeli scholarship had become a target of the boycott divestment sanctions movement. 


The American Studies Association has boycotted Israeli academic institutions since 2013. The Association for the Advancement of Anthropology has refrained from formal collaborations with Israeli academic institutions. Even study abroad programs that give students an opportunity to live and study in Israel have come under scrutiny. Enter: two scientists at MIT who see firsthand the consequences of academic boycotts and the damage it can cause to scholarship and scientific progress. To ensure Israeli scholars and their American colleagues can collaborate freely, foster research and innovation that benefits all of humanity, they formed The Kalaniyot Foundation, named after Israel's national flower. Dr. Or Hen and Ernest Fraenkel are with us now to discuss this initiative. Dr. Hen, Dr. Fraenkel, welcome to People of the Pod. 


Ernest Fraenkel:  


Thank you very much. 


Manya Brachear Pashman:  


So I want to work backward here a bit with a purpose. I want to start by sharing with our audience a little about your research. Dr Fraenkel, you work in health science, technology. What is the goal of your research and scholarship? Are there particular diseases you're trying to cure or treat?


Ernest Fraenkel:  


We are interested in the diseases that are the hardest to treat, ones like Alzheimer's, ALS, Parkinson's, where we don't really know the root cause, and we believe that by gathering many different kinds of data about genes and molecules, about RNA and also about people's lived experience of these diseases, and using computational models, we can identify new targets for drugs and hopefully better therapies.


Manya Brachear Pashman:  


Have you collaborated with Israeli scientists on this? 


Ernest Fraenkel:  


Yes, we collaborate with quite a few scientists all over the world, including top researchers in Israel.


Manya Brachear Pashman:  


And Dr. Hen, you are a nuclear physicist, and you study the strongest force in nature, right? What is the goal of your research? 


Or Hen:  


So my research is very much on the fundamental curiosity driven science side of t...