US boycott campaigners encourage colleagues to refuse complicity with Cornell University’s partnership with Israel’s Technion Institute, Veolia loses yet another contract in London, dozens of musicians refused to perform in Israel in 2011 while the cultural boycott campaign gears up for a new year, and more. Read more about BDS roundup: a new year, and new boycott campaigns ahead 

High-ranking Jewish Agency official confirms that Israeli government plan for new communities in the Negev is about preventing Bedouin “incursion” and an “Arab belt” of land. Read more about Jewish Agency: goal of Israeli government plan to block Bedouin "incursion" 

My recent article exposing a smear by an Israeli pressure group worker seems to have touched a nerve. Israeli masters student Smadar Bakovic claimed in the Jewish Chronicle last month that Warwick University professor Nicola Pratt had given her a lower grade for her dissertation than she deserved because of anti-Israeli bias. But Warwick university strongly denied her story, saying that the new higher mark given was in fact for a revised version of her dissertation. A university spokesperson told me that Bakovic’s story was untrue, and has subsequently issued a press release with further details. The Jewish Chronicle’s reporter Marcus Dysch didn’t seem to think it relevant to mention that Bakovic works for MediaCentral  — a “free or low-cost” pro-Israel fixer agency in Jerusalem. But now her employer has defended her actions. Read more about Israeli propaganda group HonestReporting denies encouraging employee to smear UK professor 

In a historic move, the National Union of Students (NUS) in the UK has throws its weight behind campaigns targeting Eden Springs and Veolia. Read more about UK's student body endorses divestment