Dive Brief:

• The American Studies Association's vote to boycott Israeli academic institutions has garnered the group a lot of publicity — but not much good publicity.
• The movement to boycott Israel has not seen wide adoption in the U.S.; in contrast, the backlash against the association's move was swift and widespread.
• A representative for the association, meanwhile, says the boycott would not affect collaboration on an individual level, such as routine projects or exchanges.

Dive Insight:

At least five schools have withdrawn their membership from the American Studies Association, but the jury is still out on whether the group is being harmed by the backlash. The association took a stand because it wanted to draw attention to the Palestinian issue, something that the backlash has provided in spades.