Jerusalem Post, Jul. 6, 2003
Oxford professor faces dismissal for anti-Israel
bias
By DOUGLAS DAVIS

Oxford University has taken the first steps in
disciplinary proceedings that could lead to the
dismissal of pathology Prof. Andrew Wilkie, who
rejected an application of an Israeli PhD student
because of his nationality.

While the matter is under consideration, the
university announced on Friday that it had barred
Wilkie from participating in the selection of any
members of staff or students.

Following an initial investigation, university
vice-chancellor Sir Colin Lucas has decided to
refer the case to the university´s disciplinary
panel for academic staff, known as the
visitatorial board.

The university explained that such boards are
convened to consider charges against members of
the university´s academic staff "when the
vice-chancellor considers that the alleged conduct
or performance of that person may constitute good
cause for dismissal or otherwise give grounds for
some lesser disciplinary sanction."

The visitatorial board is be made up of five
members an external chairman and four members
selected randomly from an existing panel.

Wilkie now has 28 days to respond in writing to
the charges against him and may then present his
case to the board, either in person or via a
representative.

At the end of the process, the board will
recommend a form of disciplinary action to the
vice-chancellor.

Finally, Wilkie may appeal to the university´s
appeal court, which currently consists of two high
court judges.

The university has said it is "appalled" by
Wilkie´s rejection of Tel Aviv University graduate
Amit Duvshani, who had applied for a place to do
his PhD in molecular biology at Oxford.

In an e-mail rejecting the application late last
month, Wilkie wrote to Duvshani saying he had "a
huge problem with the way that the Israelis take
the moral high ground from their appalling
treatment in the Holocaust, and then inflict gross
human rights abuses on the Palestinians because
they wish to live in their own country."

Noting that, "I am not the only UK scientist with
these views," Wilkie said: "I don´t think this
would work." He added: "I am sure you are
perfectly nice at a personal level, but no way
would I take on somebody who had served in the
Israeli army."

In its statement, the university said it was
"appalled that any member of its staff should have
responded to an inquiry from a potential graduate
student in such terms." It added that, "under no
circumstances are we prepared to accept or condone
conduct that appears to, or does, discriminate
against anyone on the grounds of ethnicity or
nationality."

Wilkie has since apologized for his remarks and
for "any distress caused by my e-mail... and the
wholly inappropriate expression of my personal
opinions in that document." While apologizing for
expressing his personal views, Wilkie appeared
careful not to retract those views.

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Sprecht ihm euer beileid aus, oder gratuliert ihm,
je nachdem:

awilkie@worf.molbiol.ox.ac.uk