LONDON (EJP)--- A report into the level of anti-Semitism in the UK. which follows an inquiry conducted by British members of parliament, is expected to criticise the many anti-Israel boycotts in the country.

The results of a 10-month investigation are to be released on Thursday following a meeting of the 13 members of the panel of the all-party parliamentary inquiry into anti-Semitism.

The panel is chaired by the former Europe Minister Denis MacShane Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith and the Liberal Democrat environment spokesman Chris Huhne.

Academic boycott concern

According to a draft report, details of which were published by the Observer newspaper, MacShane’s committee will voice concern over moves by left wing academics in recent years to create academic boycotts of Israel.

The boycott issue first came to the fore in May 2005 when the Association of University Teachers (AUT) voted to boycott two Israeli universities – Haifa and Bar Ilan – for their supposed support of the Israeli government’s settlement policies.

Although the motion was soon reversed it was again raised earlier this year when Britain’s lecturers’ union, the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (Natfhe) voted to support an academic boycott against Israel. But the ban expired four days later when a merger between the lecturer’s union and a larger union came into effect.

The draft report is reported to say that “rage” over Israel’s policies has sometimes “provided a pretext’”for anti-Semitism.

“Calls to boycott contacts with intellectuals and academics working in Israel are an assault on academic freedom and intellectual exchange,” the report said, although it stressed that everyone has the right to protest against and crticise the actions of the Israeli government.

More action needed

When released on Thursday, the report is expected to urge police to take more consistent action to tackle anti-Semitism, which the inquiry panel claim is not being treated by authorities with the same urgency as other forms of racism.

Over the past two months the number of anti-Semitic incidents in the UK has shot up, with the latest figures from the Community Security Trust, UK Jewry’s security service, showing July saw the third highest number of incidents since records began in 1984.

A Jewish councillor, Melvin Cohen, this week voiced concerns over the increased anti-Semitism, citing a number of recent incidents where Jewish shops in London have had their windows smashed.

The report will also voice concerns over “a minority of Islamic extremists who are inciting hatred towards Jews”.

MacShane’s committee is expected to urge the British government to spend much more on security for the Jewish community including synagogues and schools.

In a recent interview MacShane said: “It is not right for any group of British citizens to dig into their own pocket because they feel there is not adequate protection for their right to express themselves religiously or culturally.”