An academic institute has removed from its board the organiser of a conference questioning Israel’s right to exist.

Accoridng to the Academic Friends of Israel blog The Parkes Institute, a study centre for Jewish – non-Jewish relations at Southampton University, has dropped Professor Oren Ben-Dor over his role in arranging the conference at the university.

The blog post stated: “The Parkes Institute, which originally raised their concerns about the aims of the conference last year with the Vice-Chancellor of the University, has made it clear to Professor Oren Ben-Dor that they would not have anything to do with his conference and it would appear that as a result of the conference going ahead they removed him from their Board.”

The conference, titled ”International Law and the State of Israel: Legitimacy, Responsibility and Exceptionalism” and to be held under the auspices of the university, has met with mounting criticism from MPs and Israel activists.

Academic Friends of Israel have launched a petition to go alongside a Zionist Federation petition that has garnered more than 5,000 signatures.