Public Comment

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.