One would have expected Professor Stephen Hawking to be a tad more sophisticated.

Hawking has become an esteemed figure in the scientific community because of his groundbreaking research into the origins of the universe and its future. He's also quite popular among the general public, because of his book A Brief History of Time, which quickly became a bestseller, and the way he contends with Lou Gehrig's disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). The last thing anyone can say about this British prodigy from Cambridge is that he is stupid or shallow.

That is why Hawking’s decision to join the academic boycott of Israel leaves something of a “black hole” on his reputation.

Last week Hawking canceled his plans to participate in the annual President’s Conference, organized by President Shimon Peres and scheduled to be held in Jerusalem June 18-20. At this event, thousands of guests from around the world will convene to discuss solutions to major global issues. This year’s conference is expected to be especially notable, because it marks the 90th birthday of Israel’s president. Hawking announced that he was canceling his plans to come.The reason he gave was Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians.