Professional Documents
Culture Documents
"The end of apartheid stands as one of the crowning accomplishments of the past century, but we
would not have succeeded without the help of international pressure-- in particular the
divestment movement of the 1980s. Over the past six months, a similar movement has taken
shape, this time aiming at an end to the Israeli occupation". Desmond Tutu
The Palestinian Campaign for the Network in the West Bank. The
Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel campaign has also established an
was launched in Ramallah in April 2004 advisory committee comprised of well-
by a group of Palestinian academics and known public figures and intellectuals.
intellectuals to join the growing
international boycott movement. The The Palestinian Campaign is inspired by
Campaign built on the Palestinian call the historic role played by people of
for a comprehensive economic, cultural conscience in the international
and academic boycott of Israel issued in community of scholars and intellectuals
A ugust 2002 and a statement made by who have shouldered the moral
Palestinian academics and intellectuals responsibility to fight injustice, as
in the occupied territories and in the exemplified in their struggle to abolish
Diaspora calling for a boycott of Israeli apartheid in South Africa through
academic institutions in October 2003. diverse forms of boycott.
In July 2004, the Campaign issued a During the past two years various calls
statement of principles, addressed to our for divestment, sanctions and economic
colleagues in the international boycott of Israeli products as well as a
community urging them to boycott of Israeli academic and cultural
comprehensively and consistently institutions have been issued by groups
boycott all Israeli academic and cultural and individuals in Europe, the United
institutions until Israel withdraws from States, and elsewhere. These calls
all the lands occupied in 1967, including recognize that Israeli academic
East Jerusalem; removes all its colonies institutions (mostly state controlled)
in those lands; agrees to United Nations and the vast majority of Israeli
resolutions relevant to the restitution of intellectuals and academics have either
Palestinian refugees rights; and contributed directly to the Israeli
dismantles its system of apartheid. This occupation or at the very least have
statement was met with widespread been complicit through their silence. In
support, and has to date been endorsed April 2002 British academics issued a
by nearly sixty Palestinian academic, call for a moratorium on European
cultural and other civil society research and academic collaboration
federations, unions, and organizations, with Israeli institutions. In France, an
including the Federation of Unions of appeal to the European Union not to
Palestinian Universities‘ Professors and renew its 1995 Association Agreement
Employees and the Palestinian NGO with Israel was issued by the University
3
of Paris-VI (Pierre-et-Marie-Curie) in
December 2002 and was endorsed by Advisory Board
several other French universities. Abdel Jawad Saleh
Similar calls were published in Italy and
Australia, while in the United States, George Giacaman
student and faculty groups at several Ibrahim Dakkak
universities including New York
Jaqueline Sfeir
University, The Massachusetts Institute
of Technology and Princeton launched Jamil Hilal Samia Khoury
divestment from Israel campaigns. Most
recently the Church of Sweden has Founding Committee
called for a boycott of goods produced
by Israeli colonies in the West Bank and Bashir Abdel Razek
Gaza Strip and the Presbyterian Church In‘am Obeidi
in the United States has decided to
Islah Jad
divest from Israel.
Lisa Taraki
Boycotting Israeli academic and cultural Omar Barghouti
institutions is an urgently needed form
of pressure against Israel that can bring Riham Barghouti
about its compliance with international Rowan Al-Faqih
law and the requirements for a just
Zuhair Sabbagh
peace.
Endorsed by:
Dear Filmmakers & Artists,
Palestinian Federation of Unions of
University Professors and Employees;
During the past few weeks we have
Palestinian General Federation of Trade
Unions; Palestinian NGO Network, West borne witness to the escalation of Israeli
Bank; Teachers‘ Federation; Palestinian aggression into open war on both
Writers‘ Federation; Palestinian League of Palestine and Lebanon.
Artists; Palestinian Journalists‘ Federation;
General Union of Palestinian Women; With Israel’s invasion of Gaza on June
Palestinian Lawyers‘ Association; and tens 27th, 2006, ministries and educational
of other Palestinian federations, associations, institutions have been destroyed, as has
and civil society organizations. the plant that supplies nearly 50 percent
of Gaza's electricity. Bridges, roads,
PACBI, P.O. Box 1701, Ramallah, dozens of homes, and hundreds of
Palestine; info@BoycottIsrael.ps; dunams of agricultural land have also
http://www.PACBI.org been destroyed. Sixty-four elected
Palestinian legislators, cabinet ministers
Download statement (PDF) and officials have been detained
without charge.
Posted on 21-12-2008
On July 12th, Israel brought its
campaign of collective punishment and
military violence to Lebanon, with
"Operation Just Reward". A complete
assault, via land, sea, and air, of the
Lebanese population and infrastructure
has led to total destruction. In just 3
weeks, almost 1 million Lebanese
civilians have been displaced and the
death toll has reached 900 Lebanese and
160 Palestinians, with a UN count
saying one-third of the dead are
children.
Additionally, in violation of
6
international law, Israel continues to war crimes, as for those Israeli artists,
occupy Gaza, the West Bank (including academics and intellectuals who
East Jerusalem), and Syria’s Golan continue to serve in the Israeli army
Heights. In violation of the Fourth they are directly implicated in these
Geneva Convention, Israel continues to crimes. We call upon you to give way to
hold 9,600 Palestinian political prisoners action that would replace words spoken
in Israeli jails and detention centers too often and forgotten too quickly. We
without due process, among them 130 call upon you to make your voices
Palestinian women and 388 children, heard in calling for an end to this
many of them taken from their homes in bloodshed and an end to this
the middle of the night. oppression that has lasted too long.
South Africa 103.Filiz Ultav Cakir, Turkey Screenwriter, USA 153.Joe Namy, USA
104.Firuz Kutal, Graphic designer/ 154.John Chalcraft, Writer, UK 155.John
Animator, Norway 105.Frederic Choffat, Halaka, Visual Artist, USA 156.John
Filmmaker, Switzerland 106.Fredwreck Wight, Scotland 157.Johnny McAllister,
Farid Nassar, Record Producer, USA Filmmaker, Ireland 158.Jordan Flaherty,
107.Gert Soer, Jordan 108.Ghalia Mohder, Writer/ Filmmaker, USA 159.Jorge
USA 109.Ginger Parra, USA 110.Gita Coronado, USA 160.Josh On, Internet
Hashemi, Artist, Canada 111.Giulia Artist, USA 161.Joslyn Barnes,
Grassilli, Human Rights Nights, Italy. Writer/Producer, USA 162.Judy Keller,
112.G khan Erkut, Filmmaker,Turkey USA 163.Julian Samuel, Film-maker,
113.Gonzalo Pinto, Artist/ Photographer, Canada 164.Julian Samuel, Filmmaker,
Chile 114.Gregory Berger, Filmmaker Canada 165.Juliana Saad, Writer/
115.Gustave Weltsek, Arts Educator, Translator, Brazil 166.Kais Al-Zubaidi,
Canada 116.Guzella Bayindir, Nazim Filmmaker, Syria 167.Karim Haddad ,
Hikmet Cultural House,Turkey 117.H. Composer, Lebanon 168.Kathleen Chalfant,
Michael Wieben, artist, Portugal/U.S.A. Actor, USA 169.Keith Hammond,
118.Hadi El Debek, Artist ,USA 119.Haifa Philosopher, UK 170.Ken Loach,
Bint-Kadi, Mosaic Artist, USA 120.Haifa Filmmaker, UK 171.Kevin Noble, Culture/
Zangana, Novelist/ Artist 121.Hakan Bulut, Conflict Group, USA 172.Khaled d.
Photographer, Turkey 122.Hamied Oqabi, Ramadan, Filmmaker/ Video Maker,
Filmmaker, Yemen 123.Hamra Abbas, Lebanon/ Denmark 173.Khalo Matabane,
Artist, Pakistan 124.Hanan Thabet, Egypt/ Filmmaker, South Africa 174.Koen
Palestine/ USA 125.Hans Noll, Ph.D., USA Augustijnen, Choreographer, Belgium
126.Hans Noll, USA 127.Harry Halbreich, 175.Koen Verbesselt, Belgium 176.Kolin
Musicologist, Belgium) 128.Hayam Noir, Kobayashi, Artist/ Videomaker/ Writer,
Poet/ Artist/ Writer, United States France 177.Kristen Ess, Writer and
129.Hekim Coşkun, Turkey 130.Henry Filmmaker 178.Kurt E. Heartsong, USA
Chalfant, Filmmaker, USA 131.Hilda 179.Laura Marks, Writer, Canada
Meers, Writer, Scotland 132.Honey Al 180.Leigh Brady, Ireland 181.Leonid
Sayed, Radio Broadcaster 133.Huda Siksek, Alexeienko, Singer/ song writer, Ukraine
Artist, Canada 134.Huseyin Kuzu, 182.Liz Magnes, Independent musician
Screenwriter, Turkey 135.Hyder Yusafzai, 183.Lucia Sommer, Artist, USA 184.Luma
Pakistan 136.Irene veenstra, Art Historian, Abu Ayyash, USA 185.Maggie Foyer,
Netherlands 137.Iron Sheik, Hip Hop Dancer/ Writer, UK/ South Africa
Artist, USA 138.Isik Ezber, Publisher, 186.Mahmoud A. El Lozy, Theatre Director,
Turkey 139.Isis Saratial Misdary, Theatre Egypt 187.Mahmoud Hojeij, Filmmaker,
Director, Egypt/USA 140.Islam el Azzazi, Lebanon 188.Mahnoor Yar Khan, Drama
filmmaker, Egypt 141.Isra' Muzaffar, Therapist, India 189.Mais Darwazah,
Palestine 142.Jae Soo Lee, Filmmaker, Korea Graphic Designer/Filmmaker, Jordan
143.Jamelie Hassan, Artist, Canada 190.Manish Jain, filmmaker, India
144.James Scully, Poet/Writer, USA 191.Marco Paulo Rolla, Artist, Brasil
145.Jana Traboulsi, Graphic Designer, 192.Marcos Hill, Art historian, Brasil
Lebanon 146.Janet Baus, filmmaker, USA 193.Marieke Bosman, UK 194.Marina
147.Janine Halbreich-Euvrard, Author/ film Crespin, Filmmaker,Turkey 195.Mary Ellen
critic,France 148.Jawad Metni, Filmmaker Davis, Filmmaker, Canada 196.Mary Tuma,
149.Jayce Salloum, Artist, Canada 150.Jeff Artist, USA 197.Mat Callahan, Musician/
Sacks, Writer/translator, USA 151.Jenifer Author, USA/ Switzerland 198.May Odeh,
Dixon, Writer, USA 152.Jeremy Pikser, Palestine 199.Maymanah Farhat, Art
10
Actor, USA 298.Richard Fung, Video artist/ 347.Suzanne Klotz, Artist, US 348.Sylvat
Academic, Canada 299.Richard Schaaf, Aziz, Canada 349.Tahsin فbilen, Director,
Writer/Publisher, USA 300.Roman Vater, Turkey 350.Tami Gold, Filmmaker/ Artist,
Translator, Israel 301.Ronan O' USA 351.Tarcin Celebi, Turkey 352.Tariq
Suilleabhain, Filmmaker, Ireland 302.Rose Dajani, Photographer, UK/Sweden
Issa, Curator, UK 303.Rowland Selame, 353.Terri Ginsberg, USA 354.Tex
Psychologist/ Filmmaker, USA 304.Roza El- Kerschen, USA 355.Thabit Tambwe, Poet,
Hassan, Artist, Hungary 305.Rush Rehm, Uganda 356.Tiger TV Collective, USA
actor/director, USA 306.Sahar Nasser, 357.Tima Al-Jamil, Lebanon 358.Tina
Freelance Producer, Egypt 307.Sally Hibbin, Bastajian, Filmmaker, Netherlands 359.Tina
Producer, UK 308.Sama Abu Ayyash, Fischer, Artist, Turkey 360.Tina Gharavi,
Annual Giving (Museums), USA Filmmaker, UK 361.Tülin Erarslan,
309.Samirah Alkassim, Filmmaker, Filmmaker, Turkey 362.Tuncay Ylmaz,
Egypt/Jordan 310.Seda Gürel, Assistant Turkey 363.Uğur Karak cek, Turkey
Director,Turkey 311.Sehbal Senyurt, 364.Ulku Guney, Turkey 365.Umit Boran,
Filmmaker, Turkey 312.Selda Bausta, Filmmaker, Turkey 366.Umit Gulsen,
Turkey 313.Selda Salman, Executive Turkey 367.Uri Even-Chen, Israel.
producer, Turkey 314.Selda Tuncer, Turkey 368. ـstün Bilgen Reinart, Turkey
315.Selva Tachdjian, Artist, France, 369.Vandecan Myriam, Belgium
316.Semra Sander, Producer, Turkey 370.Varteni Mosditchian, Artist/Painter
317.Şenol Eskin, Turkey 318.Serene 371.Vasif Kortun, Curator, Turkey
Haddad, Photographer, UK 319.Serpil 372.Virginia Williams, Executive Producer,
Oztas, Turkey 320.Sevgi ضzdemiroğlu, USA 373.Volkan Kavas, Filmmaker, Turkey
Turkey 321.Sevil Serbes, Poet, Turkey/UK 374.Walter Bernstein, Writer/Director,
322.Shammi Nanda, filmmaker, India USA 375.Wayne Anthony, Filmmaker,
323.Sherene Seikaly, USA 324.Sherif El- Ireland 376.Wayne Cyr, USA 377.William
Azma, Filmmaker/ Video artist, Egypt Wells, Townhouse Gallery, Egypt 378.Yasin
325.Sherine Salama,Filmmaker, Ali Türkeri, Filmmaker, Turkey 379.Yigit
Palestine/Australia/ Egypt 326.Shilpa Jain, Dogan, Turkey 380.Yücel ـnlü, Filmmaker,
filmmaker, India 327.Shirabe Yamada, Turkey 381.Zaher El-Bizri,
Palestine/Japan 328.Shmuel Yerushalmi, Painter/Designer, Lebanon 382.Zehra
Poet, Israel 329.Shuruq As'ad, Palestine Güleray, Screenwriter, Turkey 383.Ziad
330.Sibel Ercan, Turkey 331.Sibylle Muna, Palestine 384.Zivia Desai Keiper,
Mansour, Filmmaker, Germany 332.Simon Uhuru Productions / Tri Continental Film
Coveaney, Filmmaker, Ireland 333.Sinan Festival, South Africa
Sakizli, Composer, Turkey 334.Sonja Krohn.
Artist, Norway 335.Sophie Fiennes, Posted on 04-08-2006 at:
Filmmaker, UK 336.Souhad Rafey, Curator, http://www.pacbi.org/etemplate.php?i
USA 337.Soydan Kenes, Filmmaker, Nazim d=315
Hikmet Cultural House, Turkey 338.Steff
Bossert, Director of Photography,
Switzerland 339.Stephan Milich, Germany
340.Sulaf Elsalfiti, Canada 341.Sumitra
Rajkumar, Filmmaker, India/ USA 342.Sura
Faraj, Publisher/Editor, USA 343.Susan
Abulhawa, Writer, USA 344.Susan Benn,
Performing Arts Labs Ltd, UK 345.Susan
Falls, USA 346.Susan Nathan, Author
12
2004 [1].
A Call from Palestine:
Palestinian Students’ We emphasize our endorsement of the
BDS call issued by more than 170
Campaign for the Palestinian civil society organizations in
July 2005 [2].
Academic Boycott of
We also support the Call from Gaza
Israel (PSCABI) issued by a group of civil society
organizations in the second week of the
Gaza Massacre (Gaza 2009) [3].
"Gaza today has become the test of our Our goal, as students, is to play a role in
indispensable morality and common humanity" promoting the global BDS movement
which has gained an unprecedented
Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) momentum as a result of the latest
National Committee genocidal war launched by Israel
against the occupied and besieged Gaza
Strip. We address our fellow students to
take whatever step possible, however
The Palestinian Students’ Campaign for small, to stand up for justice,
the Academic Boycott of Israel (PSCABI) international law and the inalienable
calls upon freedom-loving students all rights of the indigenous people of
over the world to stand in solidarity Palestine by applying effective and
with us by boycotting Israeli academic sustainable pressure on Israel,
institutions for their complicity in particularly in the form of BDS, to help
perpetuating Israel‘s illegal military put an end to its colonial and racist
occupation and apartheid system. We regime over the Palestinians.
note the historic action taken by
thousands of courageous students of We strongly urge our fellow university
British and American universities in students all over the world to:
occupying their campuses in a show of
solidarity with the brutally oppressed (1) Support all the efforts aimed at
Palestinian people in Gaza. We also boycotting Israeli academic institutions;
deeply appreciate the decision by
Hampshire College to divest from (2) Pressure university administrations
companies profiting from the Israeli to divest from Israel and from
occupation. Such pressure on Israel is companies directly or indirectly
the most likely to contribute to ending supporting the Israeli occupation and
its denial of our rights, including the apartheid policies;
right to education.
(3) Promote student union resolutions
In this regard, we fully endorse the call condemning Israeli violations of
for boycott issued by the Palestinian international law and human rights and
Campaign for the Academic and endorsing BDS in any form;
Cultural Boycott of Israel, PACBI, in
13
consistently excluded itself from any for the worst, keep silent.).
international obligation to heed UN
resolutions or the judgement of any How to apply a boycott? For academics
international court. To date, it has defied it’s perhaps a little clearer - a question of
246 Security Council Resolutions! declining invitations from state
institutions and explaining why. For
As a direct consequence seven million invited actors, musicians, jugglers or
Palestinians have been excluded from poets it can be more complicated. I’m
the right to live as they wish on land convinced, in any case, that its
internationally acknowledged to be application should not be systematised;
theirs; and now increasingly, with every it has to come from a personal choice
week that passes, they are being based on a personal assessment.
excluded from their right to any future
at all as a nation. For instance. An important mainstream
Israeli publisher today is asking to
As Nelson Mandela has pointed out, publish three of my books. I intend to
boycott is not a principle, it is a tactic apply the boycott with an explanation.
depending upon circumstances. A tactic There exist, however, a few small,
which allows people, as distinct from their marginal Israeli publishers who
elected but often craven governments, to expressly work to encourage exchanges
apply a certain pressure on those wielding and bridges between Arabs and Israelis,
power in what they, the boycotters, and if one of them should ask to publish
consider to be an unjust or immoral way. something of mine, I would
(In white South Africa yesterday and in unhesitatingly agree and furthermore
Israel today, the immorality was, or is waive aside any question of author’s
being, coded into a form of racist royalties. I don’t ask other writers
apartheid). supporting the boycott to come
necessarily to exactly the same
Boycott is not a principle. When it conclusion. I simply offer an example.
becomes one, it itself risks to become
exclusive and racist. No boycott, in our What is important is that we make our
sense of the term, should be directed chosen protests together, and that we
against an individual, a people, or a speak out, thus breaking the silence of
nation as such. A boycott is directed connivance maintained by those who
against a policy and the institutions claim to represent us, and thus
which support that policy either actively ourselves representing, briefly by our
or tacitly. Its aim is not to reject, but to common action, the incalculable
bring about change. number of people who have been
appalled by recent events but lack the
How to apply a cultural boycott? A opportunity of making their sense of
boycott of goods is a simpler outrage effective.
proposition, but in this case it would
probably be less effective, and speed is John Berger
of the essence, because the situation is
deteriorating every month (which is Posted on 15-12-2006 at:
precisely why some of the most http://www.pacbi.org/etemplate.php?i
powerful world political leaders, hoping d=415
18
(beyond the scope of the PACBI boycott the individual product of an Israeli cultural
criteria) may call for in response to what is worker per se is not boycottable, regardless
widely perceived as a particularly offensive of its content or merit.
act or statement by the cultural worker in
question (such as direct or indirect
incitement to violence; justification -- an (5) Event or project promotes false
indirect form of advocacy -- of war crimes symmetry or “balance”
and other grave violations of international
law; racial slurs; actual participation in Cultural events and projects involving
human rights violations; etc.). At this level, Palestinians and/or Arabs and Israelis that
Israeli cultural workers should not be promote “balance” between the “two sides”
automatically exempted from due criticism in presenting their respective narratives, as
or any lawful form of protest, including if on par, or are otherwise based on the false
boycott; they should be treated like all other premise that the colonizers and the
offenders in the same category, not better or colonized, the oppressors and the oppressed,
worse. are equally responsible for the “conflict,”
are intentionally deceptive, intellectually
dishonest and morally reprehensible. Such
(3) Event is partially or fully sponsored events and projects, often seeking to
or funded by an official Israeli body encourage dialogue or “reconciliation
between the two sides” without addressing
The general principle is that an event or the requirements of justice, promote the
project carried out under the normalization of oppression and
sponsorship/aegis of or in affiliation with an injustice. All such events and projects that
official Israeli body constitutes complicity bring Palestinians and/or Arabs and Israelis
and therefore is deserving of boycott. It is together, unless framed within the explicit
also well documented now that Israeli context of opposition to occupation and
artists, writers and other cultural workers other forms of Israeli oppression of the
applying for state funding to cover the cost Palestinians, are strong candidates for
of their -- or their cultural products’ -- boycott. Other factors that PACBI takes
participation in international events must into consideration in evaluating such events
accept to contribute to Israel’s official and projects are the sources of funding, the
propaganda efforts. To that end, the cultural design of the program, the objectives of the
worker must sign a contract with the Israeli sponsoring organization(s), the participants,
Foreign Ministry binding her/him to and similar relevant factors.
“undertake to act faithfully, responsibly and
tirelessly to provide the Ministry with the
highest professional services. The service References:
provider is aware that the purpose of
ordering services from him is to promote the [1]
policy interests of the State of Israel via http://www.pacbi.org/etemplate.php?i
culture and art, including contributing to d=869
creating a positive image for Israel.” [6] [2]
http://www.pacbi.org/etemplate.php?i
d=315
(4) Product is not funded or sponsored [3]
by an official Israeli body http://www.pacbi.org/etemplate.php?i
d=415
Unless violating any of the above criteria, in [4]
the absence of official Israeli sponsorship, http://www.pngo.net/data/files/engli
27
sh_statements/08/PNGO-THT-
HP5208(2).pdf Implementing the
[5]
http://www.anc.org.za/un/reddy/cult
Academic Boycott:
ural_boycott.html
[6]
Individuals vs.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spage Institutions
s/1005287.html
movement. In July 2004, the Campaign and in the diaspora. On July 13, 2005 the
issued a Call for Boycott addressed to UN International Civil Society
the international community, urging it Conference adopted the Palestinian Call
to comprehensively and consistently for BDS.
boycott all Israeli academic and cultural
institutions until Israel withdraws from Does Academic Boycott Infringe on
all the lands occupied in 1967, including Academic Freedom?
East Jerusalem; removes all its colonies
in those lands; agrees to United Nations It may; but who’s Academic Freedom is
resolutions relevant to the restitution of being referred to within this context?
Palestinian refugees’ rights; and That of Israeli academics. Are we to
dismantles its system of apartheid. This regard only the academic freedom of
statement was met with widespread Israelis as worthy? Plus, the privileging
support, and has to date been endorsed of academic freedom as a super-value
by nearly sixty Palestinian academic, above all other freedoms is in principle
cultural and other civil society antithetical to the very foundation of
federations, unions, and organizations, human rights. The fact that Palestinians
including the Federation of Unions of are denied basic rights as well as
Palestinian Universities' Professors and academic freedom under Israel's
Employees and the Palestinian NGO military occupation is ignored. The fact
Network (PNGO) in the West Bank. that, with the exception of a tiny yet
crucial minority, Israeli academics are
What is the Call for Boycott, largely supportive of their state’s
Divestment and Sanctions (BDS)? oppression or are acquiescently silent
about it is ignored. The fact that Israeli
On July 9, 2005, one year after the academic institutions have been and
historic Advisory Opinion of the continue to be entirely complicit in the
International Court of Justice (ICJ), continuing aggressions against
which found Israel's Wall built on Palestinian society is ignored. The fact
occupied Palestinian territory to be that Israeli academic institutions are
illegal, a clear majority of Palestinian themselves directly engaged in
civil society called upon international violations of Palestinian human rights
civil society organizations and people of and international law is ignored.
conscience all over the world to impose
broad boycotts and implement BDS is opposed by many Israelis who
divestment initiatives against Israel, support the Palestinian struggle. By
similar to those applied to South Africa calling for BDS, aren’t we alienating
in the apartheid era, until Israel meets these Israeli supporters?
its obligation to recognize the
Palestinian people's inalienable right to Although the views of Israeli supporters
self-determination and fully complies regarding methods of struggle should
with international law. BDS has been be taken into consideration, Palestinians
endorsed by over 170 Palestinian have the ultimate right to decide on the
parties, organizations, trade unions and best method for attaining freedom from
movements representing the Palestinian an illegal occupation and systematically
people in the 1967 and 1948 territories oppressive regime. Supporters of the
Palestinian struggle within the
31
Israelis who are opposed to the First Claim: Academic boycotts in general
occupation should be doing so on moral hurt the one sector in the oppressor society
grounds, above everything else, and that is most likely to be sympathetic to the
should not dictate the agenda of the struggle of the oppressed. Israel is no
struggle. This remains a struggle of exception, it is held.
Palestinians and their supporters --
including conscientious Israelis -- led by Response: Even if this holds in other
Palestinians against Israel's racist and places, in Israel it simply does not.
colonial policies. It is high time to Israeli academics by and large serve in
recognize this profound fact. the occupation army, and hardly ever
publicly denounce Israel's occupation,
Another crucial issue that demands its system of racial discrimination
consideration here is the fact that even against its own Palestinian citizens or its
conscientious Israelis are objectively in a obdurate denial of the internationally-
situation of conflict of interest: boycotts, sanctioned rights of Palestinian
even of the most sensitive and nuanced refugees. This constitutes collusion --
types, will in all likelihood hurt their even if passive, at times -- with their
interests. Does this morally rob them of state's criminal oppression of the
the right to opine or give Palestinians Palestinian people. Moreover, Israeli
advice about boycott, as their views will academics' organizations, such as
always be tainted by self-interest? No, university senates or professional
but the fact that their interests are on the associations, have been totally silent on
line should not be ignored either in the conduct of those academics who
judging the degree of fairness of their have contributed to the occupation
opinions. A few principled academics, regime either through direct service as
like Ilan Pappe, have decisively advisors or as producers of "knowledge"
overcome this conflict of interest by useful to the project of control,
declaring their readiness to accept the oppression, and occupation. As far as
price that they may have to pay as a we know, no racist or complicit
result of implementing any meaningful academic has ever been publicly
boycott against Israeli academic censured by representative bodies or
institutions. Such admirable moral associations of academics. Many of
clarity and consistency should set an those Israelis who object to the
example to other Israeli academics. academic boycott admit, quite freely,
the complicity of the academy as a
Regardless of intentions and moral whole in the colonial project, both
considerations, we do think it is historically and in the present.
important to lay out the most recurrent
and serious pragmatic/political Second Claim: Academic boycott by its
arguments raised by progressive very nature contradicts academic
Israelis, and to respond to each of them freedom.
with due deliberation.
Response: This claim needs to be
The "counterproductive-ness" claim -- examined carefully. We think that the
by far the most potent of all assertions -- freedom that Israeli academics appear
rests on the following arguments: keen to preserve is the freedom to
34
continue being scholars, i.e. to have an the struggle for emancipation, self-
uninterrupted flow of research funds, to determination and equality. That is our
continue to get grants to be released most urgent consideration.
from teaching, to take sabbaticals, to
continue to be able to write, engage in Fourth Claim: Conscientious Israelis
scholarly debate, and to do all the things who are exempted from the call for
respectable academics are supposed to boycott will be isolated even further by
do. But can they or should they be able their Israeli colleagues if they accept
to enjoy these freedoms (which sound such a privilege. This will hurt their
more like privileges to us) without any standing and diminish their ability to
regard to what is going on outside the influence those colleagues' attitudes
walls of the academy, to the role of their towards the occupation.
institutions in the perpetuation of
colonial rule? We are faced here again Response: This is even less relevant than
with the problem of Israelis seeing the the consideration raised in the third
world from their vantage point, and claim! The above response amply
assuming -- and demanding -- that addresses it.
others do the same. Why does the world
owe it to Israel's academics to help them Fifth Claim: Although the Palestinian
perpetuate their privileged position? call for boycott explicitly calls for
"institutional" not individual boycott, by
Third Claim: Israeli academics opposed exempting "conscientious Israeli
to the occupation are themselves largely academics" opposed to occupation and
antagonistic to boycott. Insisting on oppression, it implies that the rest of
boycott, therefore, runs the risk of losing Israeli academic individuals are to be
them. Palestinians cannot afford that, boycotted. This apparent contradiction
particularly given their evident political sheds some doubt on the sincerity or
weakness. coherence of the Palestinian call.
from our realization that there is always ** The full text of PACBI's Call for
a grey area where an academic may be Boycott can be read at:
perceived as representing her/his http://right2edu.birzeit.edu/news/arti
institution rather than her/himself. We cle178
were cautious and nuanced enough to
address that eventuality. This does not Posted at:
imply anything beyond what it says. http://www.zcommunications.org/aca
Our discourse has always avoided demic-boycott-and-the-israeli-left-by-
double-talk and mixed messages, unlike omar-barghouti
that of most of our detractors.
---------------------------------
* Founding members of the Palestinian
Campaign for the Academic and
Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI)
36
Why single out Israel when the US, Just about now, many a proud Zionist is
Britain and other western countries do gearing up for major point-scoring:
the same things in Iraq and don't I know that many of these very hi-
Afghanistan? tech toys come from Israeli research
parks, world leaders in infotech? True
Boycott is not a dogma; it is a tactic. The enough, but not all of them. Several
reason the strategy should be tried is days into Israel's Gaza assault, Richard
practical: in a country so small and Ramsey, managing director of a British
trade-dependent, it could actually work. telecom specialising in voice-over-
internet services, sent an email to the
Boycotts sever communication; we need Israeli tech firm MobileMax: "As a result
more dialogue, not less. of the Israeli government action in the
last few days we will no longer be in a
This one I'll answer with a personal position to consider doing business with
story. For eight years, my books have yourself or any other Israeli company."
been published in Israel by a
commercial house called Babel. But Ramsey says his decision wasn't
when I published The Shock Doctrine, I political; he just didn't want to lose
wanted to respect the boycott. On the customers. "We can't afford to lose any
advice of BDS activists, including the
wonderful writer John Berger, I
38
state so as to bring home the message isolated. If they find this uncomfortable,
that there is a price tag attached to the there is always an escape route: pay
continuation of the occupation.” The heed to Professors Pappe, Rinehart and
academic boycott makes sense to Pappe others who point to the horror Israel is
as “part of the overall campaign for causing others and act to change the
external pressure.” He continues, situation.
“Within such a call, it makes no sense
for an activist like myself to call on
sanctions or pressure on business, Argument 3: Academic Freedom - The
factories, cultural festivals, etc. while boycott violates the principle of
demanding immunity for my own peers academic freedom and as such is
and sphere of activity – academia.”11 unacceptable.
Professor Pappe understands that he
may also be hurt by such a boycott, but The boycott’s impingement on the
he recognizes that the sacrifice is academic freedom of Israeli scholars has
necessary given the horrible situation been repeatedly condemned. It has
we now find ourselves in. been called “contemptible,” “
hypocritical,” and “an unacceptable
In the end, the anti-boycott focus on breakdown in the norms of intellectual
individuals just creates a red-herring freedom” (these terms have not been
that deflects attention away from the applied by these same critics to the
larger, and more important, issue. As destruction of Palestinian academic
Pappe indicates, individual Israelis (and freedom). For simplicity sake, let us
their academic institutions) simply work from the statement of Dena S.
cannot abstract themselves from that Davis, a law professor at Cleveland
larger issue. Israel is their country. State University, published in the
Olmert, Sharon, Natanyahu, Barak, Chronicle of Higher Education on April 18,
Begin, Shamir, etc. were and are their 2003. Davis writes that “Academic
Prime Ministers. The only Prime boycotts undermine the basic premise of
Minister to take tentative steps in the intellectual life that ideas make a
direction of a just peace, Yitzhak Rabin, difference, and the corollary that
was assassinated. Clearly, the intellectual exchanges across cultures
Occupation is their collective sin. Those, can open minds.”12 Unfortunately, there
on the outside who support the boycott, is nothing necessary about the
understand present day Israel for what assumption that the “difference” ideas
it really is – a society that has make results in a more humane world
institutionalized discriminatory policies, or more humane outlooks. Thus, it is not
created de facto first, second, and third only positive ideas that can make a
class citizenship categories and has, for difference. As noted above, Israeli
forty years now, maintained policies of Zionists (be they academics or
occupation and colonization that have politicians, cultural leaders,
systematically destroyed Palestinian businessmen, etc.), have been
society. As a consequence, Israeli interacting with the world outside of
academic, cultural and sports Israel since 1948. This sharing of ideas
institutions (and their employees) will with the outside has made no positive
now themselves become relatively more difference in the evolution of Zionist
oppression against both Palestinians
46
inside and outside of Israel proper. principle they should be claiming for
However, it may very well have made a the Palestinians the same rights of
negative difference and prolonged and academic freedom they claim for
deepened Israeli injustice in this regard. themselves. Their pointed failure to do
Free communication on the part of so makes them subject to the general
Zionists has allowed them to build solid boycott of Israel that is now evolving as
support within the American population a consequence of Israeli policies.
and its politicians based on racist
stereotyping of Arabs generally and Not taking Israelis policies into
Palestinians in particular, as well as the consideration is one of the more obvious
correspondingly gross over-idealization weak links in the hew and cry over the
of the Zionist movement and its results. boycott coming from a wide range of
Thus, historically, unimpaired well placed Israelis and Europeans,
‘intellectual life’ and ‘exchanges across ranging from politicians to university
cultures’ have not only failed to lead to presidents.15 Like the vast majority of
the humanization of Zionism or its Israeli academics, none of them has
policies but have led to the corruption of ever raised their voices over the
the political establishment in destruction of Palestinian academic
Washington, D.C.13 freedom at the hands of the Israeli
occupation. Only when it is Israeli
This makes problematic the claim that academics who are under threat of
academic freedom somehow operates in boycott do these academic knights
a vacuum and, in and of itself, always mount their horses and take up their
leads to the good, or the betterment of shields. As Margaret Pappano of
the world. Nonetheless, supporters of the Queens University in Ontario has
boycott agree that its opposite, the observed, “you cannot let decades of
obstruction of the “free flow of ideas” ought gross injustices to one side pass and
to be undertaken only in extreme then suddenly leap to the defense of the
circumstances. Unfortunately, that is other side without implicating yourself
exactly the situation successive Israeli in a political position.”16 Those who
governments have brought about. Keeping now want to make an issue over
to the realm of academia, proof of the academic freedom for Israelis have got
severity of the situation (and the to explain where they have been for the
hypocrisy of anti-boycott critics in their past forty years of attacks on Palestinian
failure to face up to it) can be found in education in the Occupied Territories.
the condition of academic life in the
Occupied Territories.14 Here, Israel’s
illegal occupation has destroyed Argument 4: Inconsistency - The
intellectual life for the Palestinians. The boycott adherents unfairly single out
practice of “exchanging visits” and Israel while ignoring all other military
“talking to each other,” such as it has occupations in places such as Tibet,
been over the last 40 years, on the part Chechnya, etc.
of Israeli academics have not produced
the courage or insight to stand up and How do those who claim that boycott
protest this destruction. If Israeli supporters are ‘picking’ on Israel know
academics are truly interested in that they also ignore the behavior of the
academic freedom as a valuable Chinese in Tibet, Russians in Chechnya,
47
Americans in Iraq, and so on? Boycott regimes, the Israelis and their
supporters are generally not one issue supporters directly influence (in what
people and many of us do support well we feel is a corrupting way) the policy
intentioned efforts to isolate other makers of our own countries. Thus their
oppressive regimes beyond that of actions have import beyond the
Israel. However, for a good number of Occupied Territories and potentially
those who support this boycott the affect the lives of ordinary citizens of
struggle against Israeli occupation is a most Western nations. This particularly
high priority. There are a number of obvious in the case of United States
reasons for this. where for the last sixty years the
American treasury has been utilized as a
First, many of us, Jews, Muslims, bottomless well of “charity” for the
Christians, or non-denominational Zionist state. In the United States
Americans, Europeans, and others, feel a Zionist lobbies are extremely powerful
special affinity for Israeli/Palestine. We with both political parties, Congress and
all have emotional, cultural, or religious the media. George W. Bush’s his neo-
ties to the Holy Land, even the non- conservative advisers actually see Israel
religious among us. What the Zionists and its illegal, aggressive behavior as a
refuse to acknowledge is that the place model for their own policies.17
their mythology makes special for them,
is also special to a lot of other folks
based on other interpretations of the Argument 5: Giving Comfort to
same myth and other forms of oral and Terrorists – The boycott of Israel
written tradition as well. ignores the (alleged) facts that (A) the
Israeli army is in the Occupied
Second, one can argue that just because Territories as an act of self-defense
other nations behave badly does not let against suicide bombers and other
the Israelis off the hook. After all, the terrorists and (B) boycott efforts only
Israelis now have the dubious encourage and lend comfort to these
distinction of running the longest post- terrorists.
WWII occupation in the world. There is no
reason why boycott supporters should (A) It is highly questionable whether the
not start with the problem that has Israeli army is in the Occupied
persisted longest and then work Territories to protect Israel from
backwards. terrorists. Much more likely is the
proposition that the IDF is in the
Third, and most importantly, the Israeli- Occupied Territories to protect Israel’s
Palestinian crisis can be seen as more colonial settlers who, in turn, are in the
politically important for citizens of the Occupied Territories to possess
Western nations than other “Judea,” “Samaria.” To this end, the
contemporary crises and examples of IDF is also in the Occupied Territories to
oppression. This is because Zionist prevent the creation of a viable
influence spreads far beyond Israel’s area of Palestinian state. It is these acts of
dominion, and now negatively influences the possession and prevention which
formulation of Middle East foreign policy in produce Palestinian resistence in all its
the West. In other words, unlike the forms.
Chinese, Russians, and other oppressive
48
their allegiance to radical right wing York Times, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco
parties, by once more putting these Chronicle, and Los Angeles Times, when
forces in command of the government. they believed that those newspapers gave
After Sharon’s unexpected death the too much attention to the Palestinians.
http://www.jewishpeacethread.com/http:
Israeli citizenry chose as their leaders
//www.jfjfp.org/http://www.jewsagainstt
the close associates of Sharon. What this
heoccupation.org./
electoral history indicates is that the 5. “Israelis Feel The Boycott Sting: Creeping
majority of Israelis are either unwilling Sense of Isolation as Culture, Economy
or unable to understand the real origins takes hits”
of their own insecurity and the nature of http://www.sfgate.com/cgi_bin/article.cgi
the occupation. ?file=chronile/archive/2002/08/06/mn337
09.dtl
It is under these circumstances that 6. Ha’aretz supplement in English, 16 May
outside pressure becomes the only 2003
viable way of encouraging change in http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/sh
Israel. Under normal circumstances one art.jhtml?itemno=293793
7. Z net, 4 February 2003
would look to the government of the
http://www.Zmag.org/content/print_artic
United States, Israel’s ally and patron, to le.cfm?itemID=2961§ionID=22
apply the necessary pressure. However, 8. Making reference to the boycott, Tim
we all know that American leaders are Shallice, professor at the Institute of
operating under the same delusions as Cognitive Neuroscience, University
those of Israel as to the nature of and College, London observed, “Are
reasons for the occupation. For instance, mainstream [academic and] science
the prospect of changing the perceptions organizations in Israel sponsoring fact-
of the U.S. Congress on this issue is even finding commissions over Jenin? Are they
less likely than dislodging the publishing detailed analyses of what has
expansionists form power in Jerusalem. been happening over the last 18 months in
the Occupied Territories? Are they making
clear the long-term dangers of colonist
This leaves us with the strategy of a
policies? If the answer to these questions is
grassroots, international movement to Yes, then I am wrong to sign [on].”
boycott Israel at all possible levels: Http://www.pjpo.org/letter_Shallice.html
economic, cultural, and academic. Those 9. “No one has of course mention anything
of us who support this effort are proud about Palestinian freedom of inquiry and
of our stand and convinced of its just the sanctity of the Palestinian academy in
nature and necessity. And, as this this raging debate. What I have to say
detailed article attests, we are willing to about this is particularly relevant to Israeli
defend it against all who would academics, since the vast majority of them
question its validity or the motives of its have been carrying on their business as
usual for the past 35 years oblivious to what
participants.
is happening to their Palestinian
counterparts, not to mention to the
Palestinian nation as a whole.” Lisa Taraki,
Notes Lecturer at Birzeit University in the West
Bank.
2. Http://www.pjpo.org?letter_taraki.html Http://www.pjpo.org/letter_taraki.html
3. Taking just the year 2003 we find that 10. M. Shahid Alam, “The Academic
American Zionist groups have launched Boycott of Israel,”
their own targeted boycotts of the New
50
http://www.counterpunch.org/alam0731.h
tml
11. Ilan Pappe, “Arguments in Favor of the
Boycott,” http://www.solidarite-
palestine.org/rdp-int-030131-html
12. Chronicle of Higher Education, 18 April
2003, p. B13
13. It is to be noted that those few very
brave Israelis, both academic and non-
academic, who have taken a stand against
such policies have not done so because they
had access to foreign academics or
foreigners per se.
14. These conditions are well documented at
Birzeit University’s Right To Education
website,
ADVANCE \d
4http://right2edu.birzeit.edu
15. A partial list of university presidents
who have recently raised their voices
against the boycott includes Gilles Patry,
University in Ottawa; Amy Guttman,
University of Pennsylvania; John Casteen,
University of Virginia; Lee Bollinger,
Columbia University; Karen Hitchcock,
Queens University in Ontario; Chancellor
Robert Birgeneau, University of California
at Berkeley; Principle Heather Munroe-
Blum, McGill University in Montreal; and
David Skorton, Cornell University.
16. “The Ivory Tower Behind the Apartheid
Wall,” posted at
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article7124
.shtml
17. This position is convincingly argued by
Melani McAlister in her book Epic
Encounters: Culture, Media, and U.S.
Interests in the Middle East 1945-2000
(University of California Press, 2001). See
also Michael Lind, “The Weird Men Behind
George Bush” (New Statesman, 7 April
2003)
18. The Guardian, 29 April 2003
19. Shahid Alam, ibid.
Posted at:
http://www.logosjournal.com/issue_6.3/d
avidson.htm