11, November 2015 BDS Growing
Hundreds of university
professors in the United Kingdom plan to halt all further cooperation with
Israeli schools in an effort to draw world-wide attention to Israel's
violations of international law. They hoped their action would draw attention
to Israel’s apartheid policies and encourage other institutions to follow their
lead. The move is part of the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions
(BDS) campaign that aims to isolate Israel as a form of nonviolent resistance
to defend basic Palestinian rights.
"The need for
solidarity with the Palestinian people is made more urgent today by the current
escalation of violent conflict in Israel/Palestine. The fatalities are
overwhelmingly of Palestinians engaging in street protests provoked by Israel's
48-year and ever tightening occupation," organizers said in a statement.
"Palestinians are driven to desperation in the face of Israeli
intransigence, and its continuing ethnic cleansing of East
Jerusalem."
The 343 signatories
from 72 institutions throughout the UK cited the "deep complicity" of
Israeli academic institutions in Israel's violations of international law and
have vowed to maintain their boycott "until the State of Israel complies
with international law, and respects universal principles of human rights".
The signatories
accused Israeli universities of being complicit in the countries violations of
international law including research leading to the development of weaponized,
unmanned bulldozers that have been used to demolish Palestinian homes. It is tragic
that the Obama administration and all prior administrations continue to fund
the Israeli war machine and thereby abandon its core values of promoting human
rights.
No comments:
Post a Comment