British feminist historian declines prestigious Israeli award following BDS pressure
Hall was supposed to accept the $330,000 award by the Dan David Foundation at Tel Aviv University on Sunday.
By JPOST.COM STAFFUpdated: MAY 22, 2016 14:28Pro-Palestine demonstrators calling for a boycott during a protest in Paris(photo credit: AFP PHOTO)
Acclaimed British historian and feminist Catherine Hall announced Sunday that she will withdraw her acceptance of an award allocated by Tel Aviv University for political reasons, 972 magazine reported on Sunday.Hall was supposed to accept the $330,000 award by the Dan David Foundation at the university on Sunday. However, mounting pressure by the BDS movement on Hall and other recipients aided in Hall's refusal of the prize.Hall, who was awarded for her research on the history of gender, race, and slavery, is a well known feminist and political activist. A statement published Friday by the British Committee for Universities of Palestine (BRICUP), which supports Israel boycotts, said that Hall declined the prize after "many discussions with those who are deeply involved with the politics of Israel and Palestine.”The prize will instead be awarded to three economists involved in the fight against poverty, three researchers in the field of nano-science, and two historians of social history.The Dan David Prize is an international prize awarded in Israel every year to excellent candidates for their contributions to society and humanity at large.The award, now in its 15th year, is awarded in the name of Jewish businessman Dan David, who died in 2011.