Universities urged to cancel Zionist Nobel laureate invite

A group of 298 human rights activists, academics and scientists has called on Shiv Nadar University and the Indian Statistical Institute in Delhi to rescind their invitation to Zionist Nobel laureate Robert Aumann. The renowned economist, who was awarded the 2005 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his work in game theory, is scheduled to deliver a keynote address at a workshop hosted by the institutions on 13-14 January 2025, reports India Tomorrow.

The petitioners argue that Aumann’s Zionist stance and endorsement of policies which, they argue, support the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians are incompatible with the values of academic and human rights. The petition highlights Aumann’s affiliation with ‘Professors for a Strong Israel’, a group advocating for a ‘Greater Israel’ encompassing territories from neighbouring countries. He has previously described Israel’s 2005 withdrawal from Gaza as “ethnic cleansing” of Israelis and has supported policies seen as oppressive towards Palestinians.

The signatories, which include peace activist Harsh Mander, economist Jean Dreze, linguist Ayesha Kidwai, and others, expressed dismay at the universities’ decision to invite Aumann amid growing international scrutiny of Israel treatment of Palestinians.
Full report on the India Tomorrow site