Academic Boycott of Israel
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Uri Yacobi Keller The Economy of the Occupation A Socioeconomic Bulletin Academic Boycott of Israel and the Complicity of Israeli Academic Institutions in Occupation of Palestinian Territories № 23-24 * October 2009 Shir Hever Economy of the Occupation ___________________________________________Socioeconomic Bulletin № 23 Academic Boycott of Israel and the Complicity of Israeli Academic Institutions in Occupation of Palestinian Territories ___________________________________________ October 2009 Published by the Alternative Information Center (AIC) http://www.alternativenews.org/ Jerusalem Beit Sahour 4 Queen Shlomzion Street Building 111 Main Street PO Box 31417 PO Box 201 Jerusalem 91313 Beit Sahour, Palestine Phone: 972-(0)2-624-1159; 624-1424 Phone: 972-(0)2-277-5444 Fax: 972-(0)2-625-3151 Fax: 972-(0)2-277-5445 Editor: Connie Hackbarth Graphic Designer: Tal Hever Printer: Latin Patriarchate Printing Press Cover: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem built the Rabin Building on lands expropriated from the Palestinian village of al-Issawiya, shown here in the background. Photography by Jill Granberg, December 5th, 2006. This research was conducted with the assistance of Diakonia. The AIC further wishes to acknowledge the partnership of: Advocacy Project, Associazione Comunita Papa Giovanni XXIII, Ayuntamiento de Xixon through the help of Paz con Dignidad, the Basque government through the help of Mundubat, Broederlijk Delen, the Catalan Government through the help of Sodepau, Comite Catholique Contre La Faim Et Pour Le Developemment (CCFD), Diakonia, Gobierno de Espana - Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y de Cooperacion through the help of Mundubat, Inter-Church Organisation for Development Cooperation (ICCO), the Irish Government through the help of Christian Aid and Junta Castilla-La Mancha through the help of ACSUR Las Segovias. Some rights received to The Alternative Information Center (AIC). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial License (USév3.0): http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ Table of Contents ___________________________________________ I. Introduction 4 II. Israeli Academic Institutions in Support of the Occupation 8 III. The Question of Academic Boycott on Israel 23 IV. Israeli Academic Institutions in Support of the Occupation 35 Endnotes 42 Many thanks are in place to Shir Hever and Connie Hackbarth from the Alternative Information Center, to Omar Barghouti of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cul- tural Boycott of Israel and to Roser Zaurin of the Comission Universita- ria Catalan per Palestina. Both the cover of this Bulletin and the photograph in page 38 are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic License (http://creativecom- mons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en). The photograph in page 38 was taken by Thomas Marthinsen on January 20th 2009 in Oslo, Norway. 4 | Economy of the Occupation I. Introduction . General cott have relied largely on the facts of the Israeli occupation and the idea of he idea of an academic boy- pressuring Israel through its academic cott of Israel first emerged world; often, they have not utilised de- Tin 2002 as part of the grow- tails relating to the specific academic ing boycott and divestment campaign institutions that they call to boycott. against Israel, itself a part of the Through this report, however, struggle against the Israeli occupa- the Alternative Information Center tion of Palestinian territories and the (AIC) aims to inform and empower violation of Palestinian human and the debate on an academic boycott national rights. Compared to other by giving information not on Israeli types of boycott, the academic boy- violence and violations of interna- cott has gathered a relative amount of tional law and human rights, but on widespread support amongst academic the part played in the Israeli occupa- unions and organizations, primar- tion by the very academic institutions ily in Great Britain. Not surprisingly, in question. The report demonstrates this relative success has stirred a pub- that Israeli academic institutions have lic debate and opposition to the boy- not opted to take a neutral, apolitical cott, mostly by pro-Israeli organiza- position toward the Israeli occupa- tions and academics. The campaign for tion but to fully support the Israeli academic boycott has wavered under security forces and policies toward the these pressures and various degrees Palestinians, despite the serious suspi- and measures of boycott have since cions of crimes and atrocities hovering been approved and then often can- over them. Any who argue either for celed by academic organizations. The or against an academic boycott against arguments in favor of this kind of boy- Israeli institutions, we believe, should Academic Boycott of Israel | 5 know and consider not only facts re- same scale. However, all main Israeli garding the situation in the Occu- academic institutions are involved in pied Palestinian Territories (OPT), the occupation. Indeed, all major Is- but also the ways in which the Israeli raeli academic institutions, certainly academic institutions make political the ones with the strongest interna- choices and actively take sides in the tional connections, were found to ongoing conflict. provide unquestionable support to Is- This report deals with relevant rael’s occupation. Some of the details facts about the connections between depicted in this report are evidence Israeli academic institutions and the of blunt and direct support to the oc- occupation. It is doubtful that in the cupation while others are more minor process of researching this report all details, which, nonetheless, provide a facts relevant to the subject were un- clear indication of the political stance covered, especially since some of the taken by academic institutions. economic connections between aca- It should be noted that the Israeli demic institutions and private compa- security forces are the prime propo- nies are actively hidden by the parties nents of the occupation and there- fore any aid given to This report aims to empower the debate on them is considered an academic boycott by giving information here as support for not on Israeli violence and violations of the occupation. It is international law and human rights, but on probable that uni- versities in other the part played in the Israeli occupation by countries may also the academic institutions. occasionally support the local security involved. The involvement of Israeli forces. However the situation of the academic institutions in the occupa- Israeli army is unlike that of other tion takes many forms and scopes, armies around the world and no sup- and not all Israeli academic institu- port given to the Israeli security agen- tions can be said to be involved on the cies can be defined as “neutral.” 6 | Economy of the Occupation . Overview of Academic as the most respected within Israel Institutions in Israel itself, and therefore also the most im- portant in the context of this report. There are seven Israeli universities: Throughout this publication we will The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, refer to them often as the “main” Is- Tel-Aviv and Bar-Ilan Universities in raeli academic institutes. Tel-Aviv, Haifa University and the Several of the Israeli academic insti- Technion in Haifa, Ben-Gurion Uni- tutions began even before the founda- versity in Be’er Sheva and the Weiz- tion of Israel itself. The Technion and man Institute in Rechovot. The Is- Hebrew University were founded by raeli Open University, which is not the pre-state Jewish settlement, a part attached to any specific geographical of the effort to prepare for the state to location in Israel, is also often consid- come. Eventually several Israeli univer- ered a “university,” but as research is sities, including the aforementioned not a major part of its function and its and the Weizman Institute, became importance and prestige are nowhere world renowned and greatly contrib- near the other universities, we relegate uted to Israel’s economy and prestige. it to the category of “non-university” The Israeli academic world enjoyed academic institutes. There are numer- many years of governmental support ous colleges and more minor institutes and backing in tandem with the Israeli in Israel, a few of which have acquired attempt to gain international legitima- a status and prestige rivaling that of cy and recognition as part of the “west- the universities. Prime amongst those ern developed world.” As the Israeli is the Herzliya Interdisciplinary Cen- economy moved towards knowledge ter (IDC), which is notorious for high dependent industries such as com- student fees and rich private donors puter software and electronics, Israeli who show great generosity. The Israeli academic institutes became more and universities and the Interdisciplinary more valuable in all respects. The Is- Center are probably the most impor- raeli image gained substantial political tant Israeli academic institutes in con- prestige from the intellectual sphere tact with foreign institutions, as well that developed in Israeli academia. Academic Boycott of Israel | 7 With Israel’s change into a more Though many researchers in fields neo-liberal society, funding for uni- of humanities and more theoretical aca- versities and other academic institu- demic disciplines need little more than tions started to decline. With less pen and paper to conduct their research, money and resources available from researchers in applied fields