Stephen Hawking's Sad Israel Boycott

There are few issues more inflamed than the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It doesn't take long before such discussions descend into name-calling and acrimony, and the people on the more extreme ends of the spectrum often shout the loudest and attract disproportionate attention. Nevertheless, it is my firm belief that due to the complexity of the situation – to paraphrase Barack Obama – good people on both sides can disagree. And, quite obviously, it is important that they do so, freely and vociferously. The principle of freedom of speech, and the pursuit of truth, demands it. This is particularly apt when the discussion is conducted by the brightest brains in science and the arts; the flow of ideas, both related and unrelated to the "situation", is vital if there is ever going to be a peaceful resolution.