The science journal Molecules
delegitemizes Ariel's being on Israeli grounds at the behest of an anti-Israeli movement, making a case for boycotting it:
The international science journal "Molecules" canceled the publication of a study by Dr. Mindy Levine from Ariel University after she refused to erase the word "Israel" in the address of the university, according to Israeli activists.
The study was originally meant to be featured in the journal's January 2021 edition. Levine marked the address in the study as "The Department of Chemical Sciences, Ariel University, Ramat HaGolan 65, Ariel, Israel."
A group of chemists from around the world complained to "Molecules" that Ariel is located in occupied territory and not in Israel. The group is led by Prof. George Smith, winner of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and Prof. Malcolm Levitt, a Fellow of the Royal Society. The group asked the journal to change the address to say "Ariel University, illegal Israeli settlement of Ariel, Occupied Palestinian Territory," according to the Palestinian No Academic Business as Usual with Ariel University initiative.
After the complaint was issued, the editors of "Molecules" asked Levine to remove the word Israel from the address at the head of the study, but Levine refused and the journal cancelled the publication of the study. [...]
“Molecules has put politics over science," said Professor Eugene Kontorovich, Director of International Law at the Jerusalem-based Kohelet Policy Forum, in response to the event. "It requires all authors to provide a mailing address; whatever one thinks of the politics, 'Ariel, Israel' is indeed the correct mailing address, as one can discover by sending a letter. The purpose of a contact address to allow communication with the author has been turned into a geopolitical judgement by chemists unqualified to make it.”
“Papers from authors in other contested areas have been published without any insistence on any 'legally correct' description," he continued. "Now Molecules must revises its policies for several territories, or stick with a Jewish-only double standard."
Most offensive is that the head of the journal's board insulted the lady:
"Scientists are obligated to be precise with facts - this is a basic and self-evident duty for all chemists as in any other science. The publication of the address 'Ariel, Israel' at the head of an article would constitute a blatant and obvious factual distortion to any eye, and would call into question the factual credibility of all the research that followed it," added Keller. "It is a pity that a talented and active researcher, who gained a reputation in the American universities where she lectured and engaged in research, chose to move to a university in occupied territory and thus cast a heavy shadow on the continuation of her scientific work."
I'd say this is reason enough to boycott the journal, seeing as this is an Orwellian "scientist" who only believes selectively in facts. And clearly sees nothing wrong with lecturing the lady over where she should work. All concerned should withdraw cooperation with Molecules, if these are the kind of people they're going to associate with.
