Molecules, a peer-reviewed open access scientific journal that focuses on all aspects of chemistry and materials science, recently canceled the publication of a study by Professor Mindy Levin, a researcher in the Department of Chemical Sciences at Ariel University, Kan Israel reported Sunday.
The journal was planning to devote extensive space to the results of Dr. Levin’s research in its January 2021 issue. Levin is an American researcher who taught in several American universities before moving to Ariel in Samaria. Appropriately enough, at the beginning of the article she submitted to Molecules, Prof. Levin noted her address as: “Dept. of Chemistry, Ariel University, 65 Golan Heights St., Ariel, Israel.”
Which prompted a group of chemistry professors from various universities around the world to write to Molecules editors and stress that Ariel is not located in the State of Israel, but is a settlement in the heart of Samaria, which is outside Israel both according to international and Israeli law.
At this point one could ask if the location of an academic institution should matter when it comes to publishing scientific research; one could also ask if, say, a researcher from Birzeit university were to send in research it would also be rejected – but, of course, they don’t do that at Birzeit.
The group of open-minded scientists was led by Professor George Smith, the 2018 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, and Professor Malcolm Levitt, a senior member of the Royal Society in the City of London, one of the oldest and most influential scientific associations in the world.
The Molecules editors contacted Prof. Levin and asked her to delete the name “Israel” from her address, after “Ariel.” Dr. Levin vehemently refused and as a result, the publication of her study in Molecules was canceled.
Which leads one to wonder, if ever there were a scientific work produced in Birzeit University, and the author listed their address as the State of Palestine, even though no such thing exists, would that be grounds for rejection? By the way, we checked out the Birzeit website and it’s not very big on research projects. They have a single publication in English, Al Ghadeer, with one issue so far, published back in February 2019. It has two pages on research: “Did you know? Grape leaves help combat lung cancer”; “Birzeit University graduate moves one step closer to disarming AIDS virus”; and, “Can soda increase your appetite?”
The anti-Ariel group, led by Professors Smith and Levitt, has been working for years to prevent recognition and academic collaboration from the only credible university in Judea and Samaria which, naturally, welcomes PA Arab students.
According to those free-thinking scientists, Ariel is an illegal settlement established in an occupied territory in violation of international law, and therefore the university located there is an illegal institution. They also point out that two years ago, they wrote to the participants of an international scientific conference that was planned at Ariel University, and more than half of the guests canceled.
So when they tell you that the Netanyahu cabinet achieved peace without giving up territories in return in its deal with the UAE and Bahrain – ask them about Professor Mindy Levin, whose research – which was considered worthy of publishing by Molecules – was denied. You see, had Prime Minister Netanyahu lived up to the promises of sovereignty over Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, for which he was elected – Mindy’s work wouldn’t have been jilted.