I've noticed that those who complain about the newly elected Palestinian government not being prepared to accept the current borders of Israel are totally silent about the election of an Israeli government that plans to continue to occupy areas outside its internationally recognised borders, that has nuclear arms and refuses to abide by US resolutions.

I've looked at the consequences of such policies: since 29 September 2000, 892 Israelis have been killed compared with 2,546 Palestinians; around 6,000 Israelis wounded compared with 24,000 Palestinian; unemployment is at 10% in Israel and 66% in Palestine; one Israeli home has been destroyed compared with 2,200 Palestinian homes completely destroyed and 14,400 partially destroyed; over 60 new Israeli settlements have been built on confiscated land between March 2001 and July 2003 compared with no new Palestinian settlements. And for those of you looking for the connection with education: one Israeli school has been fired upon by Palestinians compared with 185 Palestinian schools shelled or fired upon since 29 September 2000.

Over the past four and a half years, Israeli security forces have killed at least 1,705 Palestinians who did not take part in the fighting, including 551 minors. The number of indictments filed against soldiers for gunfire-related offences stands at only 28, according to the Judge Advocate General's office. Only two soldiers have been convicted of "causing the death" of Palestinians.

Many emails berate threats to deny academic freedom for Israeli professors but fail to mention that academic freedom in Palestine is a hollow joke. Even where staff and students are allowed freedom of movement to attend university, the material basis for a functioning academic life barely exists.

Some emails complain about the imbalance of handouts to Palestinians. Yet the USA - which gives 25 times as much to the Israeli government and military (£15 million a day) than it does to Palestinian NGOs - can hardly be described as being even-handed in this situation.

Actually it is not possible to be 'even handed' in the face of such injustice. The Palestinian people and Palestinian civil society including the universities need support and solidarity as never before and I will not be bullied into silence.

None of this is a denial of Israel's right to exist, nor is it a rejection of a two state solution. But in such a situation we have to stand with the oppressed and I trust we will continue to do so in UCU.

In fact I hope UCU will adopt the AUT's unanimously agreed document on when and how to apply academic boycotts and when not to.

Some of the less clued-up emailers have asked why we don't condemn the UK's role in Iraq and elsewhere. We were, of course, amongst the first unions to affiliate to the Stop the War Campaign. I am delighted that AUT Council has just done the same.

We opposed the invasion from the start not only for its own sake but also because it was financed in part from money which was originally ear-marked for the expansion of further and higher education.

And criticizing the Israeli Government does not make me anti-Semitic any more than criticizing Bush and Blair makes me anti-Anglo-Saxon. The fact is there will never be peace in the Middle East without justice for the Palestinians.

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Posted on 29-05-2006