BRICUP Newsletter 34 November 2010

www.bricup.org.uk [email protected] A Special Edition of the BRICUP Newsletter announcing the creation of The European Platform for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (EPACBI) in on September 25 and 26, 2010.

BRICUP (The British Committee for the A basic structure to enable the network of national Universities of Palestine) and AURDIP (Association groups and organizations to exchange ideas and des Universitaires pour le Respect du Droit develop joint projects was agreed upon. This International en Palestine) are issuing special included a small Coordinating Committee and plans newsletters simultaneously to announce the agreed for an email based communication system. founding Declaration of EPACBI. The Newsletters In the evening, delegates attended a public meeting include supporting articles, in French and English, in the centre of Paris, which brought together over including statements from the two organizations and 100 people to listen to prominent supporters of the delegates who were present. Some 50 academics academic and cultural boycott. These were: the attended from 9 countries: Belgium, , English art critic, author and painter, John Berger; Germany, , , Norway, Spain, PACBI representative, Nahed Taufik; the Israeli Sweden and the . Discussions film maker and harsh critic of Zionism, Eyal Sivan; concerned coordination of the campaign across Professor Christophe Oberlin, the eminent vascular in order to respond more effectively to the surgeon who as part of a 3 member team from call of Palestinian civil society for a comprehensive France, entered Gaza in January to treat the injured academic and cultural boycott of Israel. at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis; together with Together with representatives of PACBI (Palestinian BRICUP’s Chair, Professor Robert Boyce and Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of AURDIP’s President, Professor Ivar Ekeland. Israel), the European delegates overwhelmingly adopted the common principles laid out in the EPABI has established a website www.epacbi.eu. PACBI guidelines, signalling a significant extension EPABCI can be contacted at [email protected] of boycott activity Priority areas for campaigning **** were agreed. These included the EU funding of Israeli academic research, extending the reach Paris Declaration of EPACBI EPACPI throughout Europe and support for This declaration announces the establishment of a academics of all nationalities who suffer harassment common European platform for the academic and for their support for boycott. Working groups were cultural boycott of Israel. The national, regional and identified to carry these objectives forward.

1 local organisations and movements adhering to this apartheid demonstrates the potential effectiveness of platform: this approach.

 Accept and promote the boycott of Israeli We urge all European academics, professionals and academic and cultural institutions and cultural practitioners to consult their consciences divestment from companies that contribute and reconsider any links they have, or are to Israel’s grave violations of international contemplating, with Israeli institutions in their law and human rights. fields. We urge those who wish to achieve justice in the Middle East and to promote respect for international law around the world to form local,  Support the call of Palestinian civil society regional and national structures for the promotion of for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) this boycott. We will assist and advise in the and accept the guidelines on its formation of such organisations in order to achieve a implementation issued by the Palestinian continent-wide coordination of academic and Campaign for the Academic and Cul