Madam, - I wish to commend the Irish academics who called recently for a moratorium on support for Israeli academic institutions (September 16th).
This campaign is a response to a call made in July 2005 by 171 Palestinian civil-society organisations. Your readers may be interested to know that The Boycotting Israeli Apartheid Conference was held in Toronto, Canada, from October 6th to 8th. Also last week, COSATU - the South African trades union congress - called for a boycott of Israel.
The arguments made in opposition to the Irish academics letter bring a strong sense of déjà vu. I recall similar arguments for doing nothing being made in the 1980s to the apartheid boycott - as will, I am sure, those of your readers who joined the Dunnes Stores workers' picket or followed Kader Asmal to protest at Lansdowne Road.
There was one argument made against the anti-apartheid boycott which did affect me - namely, that it was ineffective and insignificant. However, in 1998 I got clear evidence that this was not so.
Simon Nkoli was a black gay South African who was tortured and imprisoned for his anti-apartheid activities by the regime; during his imprisonment in the 1980s I corresponded with him and we remained in contact after the fall of apartheid. We met for the last time at the Gay Games in Amsterdam in the summer of 1998 and in talking about the past I mentioned my fear in the 1980s that our anti-apartheid activities in Ireland were ineffective. Simon declared that this was absolutely not so.
He pointed out that when he was in prison the greatest weapon his jailers had was that he and his comrades would despair; the torturers would taunt that "no one cares - the world has forgotten you". Whenever news would get through of any act of solidarity - no matter how apparently insignificant or symbolic - this news would renew his and his comrades' fortitude and protect them from despair.
Likewise today, the greatest weapon the Israelis have in repressing the Palestinians is despair. From their historical and other researches my academic colleagues in UCC and the other universities know well that for evil to triumph it only requires that the good remain silent.
I believe we should all follow their inspiring example by speaking out now and supporting the boycott of Israel - let us show the Palestinians that we do care, that they need not despair and that freedom will one day also be theirs. - Yours, etc,
CATHAL KERRIGAN, Convent View, Strawberry Hill, Cork.