British physicist Prof. Stephen Hawking’s decision to support the academic boycott of the state of Israel is “quite hypocritical for an individual who prides himself on his own intellectual accomplishment,” asserted Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, director of Shurat HaDin Israel Law Center.
“His whole computer-based communication system runs on a chip designed by Israel's Intel team. I suggest that if he truly wants to pull out of Israel he should also pull out his Intel Core i7 from his tablet," said Darshan Leitner.
On Wednesday, Hawking decided to support the academic boycott of Israel and pull out of the upcoming Israeli President's Conference in Jerusalem. The fifth annual President's Conference, Facing Tomorrow, features international personalities and attracts thousands of participants.
"He calls it an independent decision based on the unanimous advice of his own academic contacts here. I propose he first seek the advice of Intel engineers working here. He seems to have no understanding of this world," Darshan Leiner maintained.
Shurat HaDin noted that Hawking, who has ALS and is wheelchair bound, depends on a computerized voice system for communication. Since 1997, this communication system has been sponsored and provided by Intel. His latest computer is based on an Intel Core i7 Processor. The Core micro architecture was designed by Israel's Intel team that previously designed the Pentium M mobile processor.
The first mobile processor that used the Israeli designed chip was codenamed "Merom." Merom is the Hebrew word for a higher plane of existence or a level of heaven, and was a name chosen by the team in Haifa, Israel.
The Shurat HaDin Israel Law Center, which is unaffiliated with any political party or governmental body, is dedicated to enforcing basic human rights through the legal system and represents victims of terrorism in courtrooms around the world. Its clients include American, European, and Israeli citizens.