After initially agreeing to join conference hosted by President Shimon Peres, Palestinian colleagues convinced Hawking to pull out in protest of Israel’s policies.
The world-renowned physicist Stephen Hawking joined the academic boycott of Israel when he decided to pull out of a Jerusalem conference hosted by President Shimon Peres in protest of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, British daily The Guardian reported Tuesday.
Hawking, 71, told Peres that he will not participate in in the annual “Facing Tomorrow” conference in June after consultation with his Palestinian colleagues, and “based on his knowledge of Palestine.”
The conference, which is in its fifth year, gathers world leaders and intellectuals for public discussions on a variety of subjects.
