The University of Cambridge has confirmed that Stephen Hawking is not attending a conference in Jerusalem as part of an academic boycott.

The acclaimed physicist who works at the university was due to be the keynote speaker at the fifth annual "Facing Tomorrow" conference hosted by Israeli President Shimon Peres next month.

Stephen Hawking has announced that his decision to not attend the Israeli President’s Conference is due to “health reasons” and “not an academic boycott” as previously claimed by the British Committee for the Universities of Palestine.

Professor Stephen Hawking has pulled out of a conference to be held in Jerusalem as part of an academic boycott of Israel.

Reportedly, the well-known physicist told Israeli President Shimon Peres that he will not be attending the ‘Facing Tomorrow’ conference in June “based on his knowledge of Palestine.”

Pro-Palestine groups in Malmö, Sweden, are planning a series of actions to protest against Israel’s participation in the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest, which the city will host in May.

Other Malmö residents are planning a “kippah march” on the day of the Eurovision final to protest against antisemitism.

European Union foreign ministers – including British Foreign Secretary William Hague – have backed plans to implement further labelling of products from Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Britain was one of 12 states to write to EU foreign policy chief Baroness Ashton pledging to assist the union in the “important work” of labelling.

Foreign Secretary William Hague has backed Israel’s right to host this summer’s Uefa under-21 football tournament.

He said the flagship competition – due to take place at stadiums in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Netanya and Petah Tivka in June – would not obstruct peace efforts in the region.

EU foreign ministers have shown their support for labelling products from Israeli settlements.

In a letter obtained by AFP on Friday, 13 ministers, including William Hague, told foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton: "We warmly welcome your commitment to work with fellow commissioners to prepare EU-wide guidelines on the labeling of settlement produce."