The dispute that spread from a sleepy seaside lecturers' conference to campuses around the the world is poised to spring into life once more, writes Matthew Taylor
The Association of University Teachers passed a motion last year demanding a boycott of two Israeli universities which it said were complicit in the oppression of the Palestinian people.
That sparked an international row willingly fed by academics from Europe, the Middle East and the US prompting the union to overturn the original decision at a hastily convened meeting in central London.
At the time those behind the boycott vowed that the fight would continue - and it seems they are making good on that promise.
In a letter to the Guardian pro-boycott campaigners called into question comments from the British ambassador to Israel, Simon Macdonald who told a meeting at the one of the universities targeted: "We had success in May" in overturning the AUT boycott. He is also reported to have said that the AUT had been taken over by a "highly motivated minority" who captured it further their own agenda.
Leading pros are asking why a British ambassador is intervening in a professional trade union matter and are demanding an answer from the Foreign Office. They are also saying he is wrong that if he thinks the push for a boycott is over.
So is this the first salvo in another year of boycott fever? Leading pro campaigner Hilary Rose is in little doubt: "This is going to run and run now. There is a lot going on and we are gaining a lot of support from decent liberal academics. It is becoming very exciting again.
