The economics prize is to be presented to Robert Aumann of Hebrew University in Jerusalem and Thomas Schelling of Maryland University in recognition of their "having enhanced our understanding of conflict and cooperation through game-theory analysis", a mathematical study of how individuals and governments react to other people's actions including in war.
Game theory is a pretty nasty tool, or at least is often used as one. It's one thing to study people's behaviour in situations where they can act "for the good of society" or "to maximise their utility", and to propose theories as to why this may be the case, but another entirely to use these theories to foster repression and hatred, as the petition accuses Aumann specifically of doing in the occupied territories.
The petition says that "neither of these individuals has contributed anything that improves the human condition; rather, they have contributed to the misery of millions."
The petition calls on the Swedish Academy to withdraw the prize. "You should reverse your decision to reward Professors Schelling and Aumann. We request that you find people who have truly advanced the health and welfare of humanity, as has always been the intention of the Nobel prize," it says.
Despite the fact that the Swedish academy's response that the theory was chosen because it "makes its decisions based on the quality of the scientific contribution" and not on political considerations, it's akin to Hitler making it into Time's 100 people of the century list.
Not taking into account the politics of a person or theory is willingly deciding to ignore the most important aspect of that person or theory - their/its impact on others.
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