Long-established links between Israeli and British education have been hit by the Middle East crisis. They range from presentations in schools to workshops for academics.

The Friends of Israel Educational Trust has been visiting schools for nearly 30 years. Of the 250 or so secondaries on its list, around a dozen have dropped out this year. The schools concerned are mainly in areas with Muslim pupils, including Bradford and west London.

“I am afraid they are just running scared,” said the trust’s director, John Levy. He insists that most of the schools know from experience that the trust’s presentations are purely factual and avoid controversial political issues. But, he adds, there is also some evidence that the crisis is having the reverse effect in other schools, intensifying interest in Israel and leading to a demand for more information.

The trust has had to cancel this year’s entire programme of workshops for academics following calls in higher education for a boycott on links with Israel.

The workshops, held in Israel, are for specialists in subjects ranging from paediatric endocrinology and caring for children with special needs to media studies, and, according to Mr Levy, have always steered clear of politics. He also said that the number of people taking up the trust’s research project travel awards has dropped steeply.

None of the 100 primary schools in the programme has shown any signs of wanting to pull out so far. The primary visits, which began less than three years ago, centre on questions such as “how many migrating birds fly through Israel?” And “which famous rabbi of ancient Israel is central to the millennium?”

The trust’s patrons include prominent politicians such as Kenneth Clarke, Alan Beith, and Frank Field, as well as senior clergy and eminent scientists. Only one patron has resigned since the crisis broke, said Mr Levy, who refused to divulge his or her identity.