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Trial scheduled over disinvited Israeli academic

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An Israeli expert in conflict resolution who was dropped as a speaker by a British health trust and trade union will have his case against the two organisations heard by a court next month.

Professor Moty Cristal was disinvited from a seminar organised by Unison and the Manchester NHS Trust in May last year.

He had been due to give a master-class on conflict resolution to health-care professionals. But a week before the event he was told that his lecture had been cancelled because of the union’s policy on the Middle East conflict.

Unison backs the Trades Union Council’s boycott of Israeli goods from West Bank settlements.

Professor Cristal has visited Britain a number of times since last May to consult lawyers about taking legal action against the union and the trust.

A trial is due to begin at Central London County Court on September 11 and to last three days. He is expected to be represented by lawyers from the Mishcon de Reya law firm.

After revealing his intention to take legal action last year, Prof Cristal said he wanted to “fight the delegitimisation movement”.

He added that he wanted “public acknowledgement of the wrongdoing of discrimination against me as an Israeli — and the public assurance that this will not be repeated”.

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