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Council Statement on International Cooperation in Science

May 12, 2005

The Council of the National Academy of Sciences has always been opposed to academic boycotts, and we continue to call on the members of the world scientific community to support freedom in the conduct of science and cooperative scientific exchange. As outlined in our August 2002 statement "The Critical Importance of Continuing International Collaboration in Science," the Council firmly believes that scientists provide a voice for rationality and moderation in political affairs, and that they can and should work to build strong bridges of understanding between cultures.

Two years after formally endorsing the establishment of the Israeli-Palestinian Science Organization (IPSO), the NAS Council is heartened to learn that IPSO now has the formal endorsement of 25 national academies, and that it has received more than 60 proposals from Palestinian and Israeli scientists who want to carry out joint research. These positive developments reinforce our belief that scientist-to-scientist and institution-to-institution interactions between Palestinians and Israelis are possible, and indeed vital to the future success of the region. It is especially unfortunate in light of this progress that there are renewed threats, from organizations outside the region, to academic exchange with Israeli universities.