NEWS Italian Minister of Education Opposes Boycott against Israel

By Ada Treves

“Science and culture have the power to build dialogue and to prevent conflicts. We need a fluid and constant relationship between the scientific communities of all the different countries.” The words of the Minister of Education, Universities and Research Stefania Giannini have resounded strong and clear on the occasion of the conferment of the honorary degree in International Relations and Cooperation for Development to Irina Giorgieva Bokova, Unesco Director General.

Moreover, Minister Giannini has decided to explicitly emphasize the official response that the Conference of Rectors of Italian Universities has given to the appeal signed by several hundred teachers and researchers, a call to action for a boycott of the Technion. They have decided to simply ignore those who want the boycott. “There is a great need for teachers as well as there is a great need for a completely fluid and constant relationship between the scientific communities of all different countries. It is called cultural diplomacy, an activity that Unesco promotes consistently, and that more recently has become a strategic asset of the European Union”.

Another part of the MInister’s speech has underlined the importance of
“the noble principles of education and knowledge diffusion as the tool for building in people’s minds, peace and friendship, with much stronger roots then economics or political agreements”.

(In the pictures Minister Giannini with her Israeli counterpart Naftali Bennett, during her visit to Israel in summer 2015)