Why American academics must join boycott of Israel

Rania Masri and Marcy Newman


On Friday 16 January, Israeli occupation forces bombed the headquarters of the University Teachers Association-Palestine (UTA), in Gaza, during their indiscriminate, willful destruction of the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City.

The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) noted that "the UTA, together with other Gaza-based civil society organizations, called on 15 January for a wide campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel in response to its well-documented, premeditated war crimes in Gaza. The Israeli bombing of UTA's headquarters occurred on the exact following day, 16 January."

On 28 December, Israel had already bombed the Islamic University of Gaza (IUG), with American-made F-16s destroying six buildings including research laboratories and a women's dormitory. IUG, like all Palestinian universities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, has no political affiliation. Like the rest of the society, the faculty and students are a composite of various political factions ranging from Communist to Islamist to unaffiliated. IUG is a flagship university, one with connections to the United States; Americans have taught at the university as Fulbrighters, and professors from the university have been Fulbrighters in the US.

The attack on Gaza is the latest in a long line of Israeli massacres and ethnic cleansing perpetrated with impunity since 1948. Often overlooked but as devastating to a society is Israel's systematic attack on Palestinians' right to education.

These realities must inform debates about the academic boycott campaign.

The IUG and UTA were only two of hundreds of civilian institutions Israel has bombed in the Gaza Strip since 27 December, primarily with American-made weapons. The first bombs were dropped at the precise time when children's school shifts change and students were among the first victims.

Israel has attacked several UN schools killing dozens of people seeking refuge from the onslaught.

As of this writing, 1,400 Palestinians, hundreds among them children, have been killed, and almost 6,000, the vast majority of them civilians, have been injured in a relentless attack. On the ground, officials of the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross have warned of humanitarian catastrophe and observed actions by Israel that may constitute war crimes, including deliberately shelling civilian homes and denying medical care to injured civilians.

But Israel's war against Palestinian civilians began long before the first bombs exploded. For almost two years, Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip. This has caused a severe shortage of food, medicine, surgical supplies, fuel, electricity and other basic necessities supplies of which Israel, as the Occupying Power, is obliged to assure under international law.

read on...
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article10214.shtml

but the free exchange of ideas and art? Not a good idea- particularly as academic and artistic circles are where much of the opposition to Israeli policies is.

A friend of mine who's a well known dancer brings a group of Israeli and Palestinian dancers to his studio every couple of years. I've been present at many of the dinners held. This is the sort of thing that should be encouraged not squelched by a boycott.

Why don't Israeli academics demonstrate so that their colleagues on the other side of the Green Line have the same ability to travel, reseearch, present and participate fully in academic life?

Why should they?

While I agree that it's nice to have joint projects you've described, do you think that kind of interaction will be the thing that brings change? I sure don't.

And academics in Israel- and in particular those in the arts community have spoken out for Palestiinian rights. Many times.

Good thing it will never happen in any kind of way that will actually damage the pro-Palestinian communities in academia and the arts. We need those voices.

Oh, and yes, I think programs like Steven's make a difference- one person at a time.

I believe the occupation is the core issue, and that it is ongoing, not because Palestinians are "bad" or that too many people don't have the right attitude, but because on some level, it serves the interests of those with power in Israel.

Right now, expect for those in rocket proximity to Gaza, life for Israelis goes on uninterrupted. They work, vacation, travel, dance in discos... There is really no price to be paid for their country having their boot on the necks of millions, much less for the slaughter their gov't committed in Gaza this past month.

I believe the only way we will have change is not by convincing more Israelis that Palestinians really *are* human beings who deserve the same rights they enjoy, but by simply making it too uncomforable for them to continue with the status quo. best way to bring that about is by making it too painful for the average Israeli. Palestinians don't have enough fire power to do that. I think being culturally, academically and financially isolated might just provide that leverage.

I know you don't agree with this view.

I am curious as to how those with your view of conflict resolution would regard this analysis by liberation Zionist Bernard Avishai... I'd be interested in your response.

http://bernardavishai.blogspot.com/2009/01/apocalypse-now.html

I felt pretty hopeless after reading it, and I think it sheds light on the weakness of your POV.

will find that they are silencing the very voices who support rights for Palestnians and their own state.

How stupid.

while Palestinians are barred from their own land...

Did you read the piece? Of course not.

Its religion, not race

Muslims bad ummmmmm kaaay post but it was to be expected, are Mecca and Medina within Saudi Arabia? Is anyone contesting that they are within Saudi Arabia? Now the reasons for the boycott are the OPT and Gaza within Israel? Are they being contested? Does Israel have the right to blockade Gaza as it has been doing? Are such blockades an act of war?

unless you thought he was saying it was a good idea.

I challenged her on that, and if she held to that religious things are racist, what about the restrictions on Mecca and Medina (must be muslim to enter).

She should not get away with having it both ways.

yes or no? does a country right or wrong have the right to restrict entry? I really do not see how that is having it both ways as unless of course you are claiming that the OPT and Gaza are officially parts of Israel

This is what was called a "racist right" by the original poster.

It has nothing to do with the OPT and Gaza.

The other poster seems to be making the point that making Aliyah has nothing to do with "race" but rather religion, just like restrictions involving Mecca and Medina involve religion rather than race.

unless you count the British.

exercise their discriminatory options.

Injustices against anyone is an injustice to all. Its an MLK thing

or rather what do you think is my view?

I believe that an economic boycott of Israel might be effective. No, I don't believe in cultural or academic boycotts. Period.

I understand that you don't think Palestinians bear any responsibility whatsoever for either moving peace forward or for the situation they find themselves in. I think the Israelis bear a much greater portion of the responsibility, but Palestinians bear some.

I don't believe you will convince Israelis of anything by a cultural and academic boycott. I think that would simply feed the sentiment that seems to course through Israeli society, that the world is against them, not for what they do, but who they are. I believe such a move would harden Israeli sentiment, not open it up.

Palestinians will "behave," follow all the Western-dictated steps and eventually change Israeli sentiment so that they will act en masse to convince their gov't to quit the occupation?

I really would be interested in your response to Avishai's contention that no matter what teh Palestinians say or do, Israelis will never have the trust required for a peace settlement... What if unresolved group psychological issues make it impossible to really alter Israeli "sentiment?" Then what?

I wish I did. I know what I think Israel should do, and I know what i think the Palestinians should do, but I don't see either happening. I also know what I think the U.S. should do, but I don't see that happening either.

Do you care to spell it out a little further, so I'm not making assumptions? I'm really quite curious, but if you don't care to, that's fine too.

but here you go. I think the Israelis should drop their demand to be recognized by the Palestinians. It's really sort of a pointless demand. I think they should start a real withdrawal from the WB. After closing down most settlements, I think they should enter into negotiations with the Palestinians about final status of Jerusalem and the remaining settlements. I think that Israel should offer a dedicated means of travel between the WB and Gaza, such as high speed rail and/or a tunnel with auto access. After Israel takes initial steps, I think Palestinians need to offer a real truce with Israel and clamp down on any violence directed toward Israel. And not just a hudna. I believe Jerusalem should be a city administered by an international entity. That's it in brief.

- Isreal is leaving Gaza, however they will shell/bomb any site launching rockets or mortars rounds without warning.
- Hamas will be removed from power in Gaza as the price of peace
- UN and NGOs backed by Saudi money will come in and start the rebuilding process under the PA
- New elections within 6-9 months. Hamas will not be allowed to participate

I don't like all of what I see, but it seems to be the practical way forward

and people all over the Arab world believe that Hamas embodies resistance to the West.

You are quite mistaken.

There will be elections, and I doubt Abbas will win. Perhaps your guy will. Regardless Hamas will be squeezed out at this point. The money, if nothing else, has spoken

For an example in science:

www.ipso-jerusalem.org

In fact, I think a crucial key is to encourage integration in education right from the beginning:

www.nswas.org

www.handinhandk12.org