The newly-appointed chief scientific adviser to the government has dismissed the threat posed to Israel by academic boycott activists in Britain.
Sir Mark Walport, 59, a top rheumatologist and immunologist, said while anti-Israel campaigners had generated “a lot of heat”, their efforts had resulted in little support from scientists.
“Those doing the work just get on with it and ignore those calls for boycott.
“I was asked a lot about it when I was in Israel and I think they were concerned, but it always looks worse to them than it is for us working here.”
