The American Jewish Committee sponsored a very strong ad consisting of hundreds of University professors signing off on the statement below by Lee Bollinger, President of Columbia University.

Boycott Israeli Universities?
Boycott Ours,Too!

“As a citizen, I am profoundly disturbed by the recent vote by Britain’s new University
and College Union to advance a boycott against Israeli academic institutions. As a
university professor and president, I find this idea utterly antithetical to the fundamental
values of the academy, where we will not hold intellectual exchange hostage to
the political disagreements of the moment. In seeking to quarantine Israeli universities
and scholars, this vote threatens every university committed to fostering scholarly
and cultural exchanges that lead to enlightenment, empathy, and a much-needed
international marketplace of ideas.

“At Columbia, I am proud to say that we embrace Israeli scholars and universities that
the UCU is now all too eager to isolate—as we embrace scholars from many countries
regardless of divergent views on their government’s policies. Therefore, if the
British UCU is intent on pursuing its deeply misguided policy, then it should add
Columbia to its boycott list, for we do not intend to draw distinctions between our
mission and that of the universities you are seeking to punish. Boycott us, then, for
we gladly stand together with our many colleagues in British, American and Israeli
universities against such intellectually shoddy and politically biased attempts to
hijack the central mission of higher education.”

Bollinger's name on the bottom is presented in a very John Hancock-ian way, making his declaration all the more forceful.

Some are wondering where Yale's president was when the sign-up sheet came around. Then again, I don't think I see Harvard or NYU either.

UPDATE: Add NYU and 41 others....