The proposed British academic boycott of Israel is the most recent flare-up of the world's chronic case of injustice, but you'll excuse us for looking at the bright side. Boycotts not only encourage hate, but they also encourage a backlash, which can be seen in the editorials, parliamentary declarations, and private statements of encouragement that some of Israel's friends have issued in response.

One of the most gratifying of these statements comes from Columbia University's president, Lee C. Bollinger. Bollinger calls the boycott by Britain's University and College Union "utterly antithetical to the fundamental values of the academy, where we will not hold intellectual exchange hostage to the political disagreements of the moment." Bollinger went even further, saying that if the UCU is so intent on boycotting Israel, then they should boycott Columbia as well. "For we gladly stand together with our many colleagues in British, American, and Israeli universities against such intellectually shoddy and politically biased attempts to hijack the central mission of higher education," writes Bollinger.

Two other bright spots should be noted in this era of bigotry, bias, and anti-Semitism.

In Bali, Indonesia, religious leaders from many faiths and nations gathered for "Tolerance Between Religions: A Blessing for All Creation." The conference, cosponsored by the LibForAll Foundation, the Wahid Institute, and the Museum of Tolerance, is meant as a multifaith refutation of the hate and nihilism spread by those who have hijacked religion. Partly aimed at countering an Iranian-backed conference last year that questioned the existence of the Holocaust, the Bali meeting featured remarks by former Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid, who accused Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of falsifying history.

Finally, New Jersey's own Rep. Chris Smith (R-Dist. 4) represented the United States at a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe on combating anti-Semitism. Smith urged delegates in Bucharest to expand Holocaust education and remembrance, and "to educate both young and old alike that human rights and tolerance are not fanciful words."

These events and statements remind us that in dark times, some light can shine, and perhaps human rights and tolerance can prevail.