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State of New York

Legislature

Senator Jeffrey D Klein1250 Waters Place, Suite 1202

Bronx, New York 10461

(718) 822-2049

Fax (718) 822-2321Jdklein@NYSENATE.GOV

Legislative Office Building 913Albany, New York 12247

(518) 455-3959

Fax (518) 426-6887

http://klein.nysenate.gov/

Assemblyman Dov Hikind1310 48th St.

Brooklyn, NY 11219

(718) 853-9616

Fax: (718) 436-5734

Legislative Office Building 551

Albany, NY 12248(518) 455-5721

Fax: (518) 455-5948

http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Dov-Hikind

December 27, 2013

Nancy ZimpherSUNY System Administration, Chancellor

State University PlazaAlbany, New York, 12246

Chancellor Zimpher,

We are writing to you regarding an alarming situation that has developed in the past few days. As you may or may notbe aware, the American Studies Association (ASA) has just adopted an academic boycott of Israel. This anti-Israel

academic boycott amounts to discrimination on the basis of national origin as Israeli academics will be subjected toverification procedures not applicable to academics from any other nation.

This anti-Israel academic boycott has far reaching implications for SUNY as many of the SUNY campuses engage inexchange programs with Israel as well as having distinguished Isreali professors come to lecture at their campuses. In

fact back in 1976, SUNY was one of the first institutions to formalize the ways and methods for an exchange of facultyand students between Israel and SUNY campuses. This agreement signed at the Haifa University was regarded as agreat development in education as it established a distinguished Israeli visiting scholars program to honor outstandingrepresentatives of Israeli institutions of higher learning and to enable the SUNY campuses to benefit from visits of

distinguished teachers and researchers.

Given SUNYs strong history and cooperation with the Israeli academic community, it is with great urgency that we

write to you to ensure that no SUNY campus or professor engages in this boycott which could be classified as nothingmore than sanctioned discrimination.

While we are aware of SUNY having one its past presidents be a past ASA president, and currently having some of itscampuses contributing their good name and dues to ASA, we felt it was imperative we make you aware of thissituation,

We feel it is also imperative to point out that no other nation with human rights and academic freedom records farworse than what ASA has accused Israel of, is subject to this boycott by ASA.

We ask that SUNY formally denounce participation with ASA through membership and indirect funding of ASAthrough covering the costs of attending annual meetings. To be a participant in this egregious breach of academicfreedom and national origin discrimination would surely be a disservice to the great work SUNY engages in on behalfof the State of New York.

Respectfully,

Jeffrey D. Klein Dov Hikind

New York State Senator New York State AssemblymanPresident Pro Tempore 48thAssembly District34thSenate District