LONDON, Oct 28: One of Britain’s most prestigious centres of learning, Oxford University, suspended a professor Monday who had rejected an Israeli student’s application to study there, reportedly because of the Jewish state’s mistreatment of Palestinians.

Pathology professor Andrew Wilkie was suspended without pay for two months after reportedly telling 26-year-old Amit Duvshani there was “no way” he would accept someone who had served in the Israeli army.

“This ruling reflects that there can be no place for any form of discrimination within the University of Oxford other than on the grounds of merit,” said a spokesman for the university.

“The decision follows an investigation ... surrounding an e-mail which Professor Wilkie sent in response to an enquiry from an Israeli student regarding the possibility of graduate study in his research group,” the spokesman said.—AFP