The case brought by Israeli academic Moty Cristal may take weeks to resolve, according to the judge - reports the Jewish Chronicle yesterday.

In the first reports we’ve seen of the pre-trial hearing last week, it now appears that public sector Unison’s defence revolves around the term “Israeli negotiator” to describe Cristal.  The union is now claiming that “its members’ objection to Prof Cristal was because he had in the past been a negotiator on behalf of the Israeli government” and not simply because he is an Israeli.

Cristal, it will be recalled, had been invited by an NHS Trust to come to Britain, but his visit was cancelled following the intervention of the public sector union Unison.

The judge in the case, David Mitchell, now says it will take much longer than previously thought for him to work through the issues - and warned that the case may go to the supreme court.