RE: [xmca] Boycott Information

"Both the behaviour of the occupying forces in the Occupied Territories, and Israeli state
policy, is not simply barbaric; they are clearly designed to make these areas ungovernable and non-viable, and eventually to eradicate altogether any distinctive Palestinian culture and history."

Shirley,
There is so much recent history of the Arab/Israeli conflict that points against this kind of simplistic, good/evil interpretation, that one wonders what kind of political agenda or deep psychological fixation prompts the leadership of a respected academic union to draw its blinders tight and wade into a political morass, blades drawn. The best parsing I've read of the complex Palestinian/Israeli conflict (though now a few years old) analyzes the dual agendas being played out on both sides of the conflict (see attached).
David

-----Original Message-----
From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu [mailto:xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu] On Behalf Of Shirley Franklin
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2007 4:45 AM
To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
Subject: Re: [xmca] Boycott Information

As a Jewish member of UCU I support the boycott, which is a boycott
against Israeli UNIVERSITES as Zionist institutions not a boycott
against individual Israeli academics. It will be possible for us to
engage with Israeli academics but not with their institutions -
examining, university delegations,etc.

It is really important that anti-semitism is not confused with anti-
zionism. The boycott basically supports the rights of Palestinians to
live equally as Israelis do in their own homes, in their own lands.
UCU members are not singling Israel out. Both the behaviour of the
occupying forces in the Occupied Territories, and Israeli state
policy, is not simply barbaric; they are clearly designed to make
these areas ungovernable and non-viable, and eventually to eradicate
altogether any distinctive Palestinian culture and history. The
illegal settlements, the strategic use of the road network between
the settlements, and the separation wall constitute an intentional
policy of disaggregation of Palestinian territory.
The discriminatory practices in respect of water supply, land
ownership, military checkpoints, incursions and the use of airpower
regardless of civilian casualties, house demolitions and other
collective punishments, and the dramatic differences in the financing
of educational, health and other resources between Israelis and
Palestinians render Israeli state policy both discriminatory and
destructive. These policies are not consistent, the UCU members
insist, with peace, security or indeed any form of academic freedom
for the Palestinian population.

Universities play a particularly important role in Israeli society,
one that is distinct from the role of academic institutions in other
oppressive states. No Israeli university has explicitly dissociated
itself from the Occupation, nor even debated publicly the question of
whether or not it would be appropriate so to do. All Israeli
universities are, therefore, directly or indirectly complicit in
virtue of the training of, and support for, the occupying forces, or
a failure to condemn the outrages carried out in the name of every
Israeli citizen.

Shirley Franklin
On 31 May 2007, at 03:03, David Preiss wrote:

> This is indeed a quite complicated issue, David, and that has made
> many people think there is an anti-Semitic push behind this
> boycott. I understand criticism towards Israel very well, but if we
> start boycotting academics because of the military options of their
> countries there are many that should stop working with our American
> or even UK friends as well because of the Iraq policy of their
> governments, not to speak of our colleagues which are living under
> the many oppressive regimes that abound around the world these
> days. I think this whole thing is a very bad idea that does not
> serve its moral purposes.
> David Preiss
>
> On May 30, 2007, at 8:21 PM, David H Kirshner wrote:
>
>> Earlier today (May 30, 2007), the United Kingdom's University and
>> College Union endorsed the principle of a boycott of Israeli academic
>> institutions, and called for an educational campaign among UCU
>> members
>> in support of such a boycott. Those who are interested in this issue
>> might want to communicate their opinions to UCU General Secretary
>> Sally
>> Hunt: sallyhuntucu@googlemail.com
>>
>> David Kirshner
>> _______________________________________________
>> xmca mailing list
>> xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
>> http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
>>
>
> David Preiss, Ph.D.
> Subdirector de Extensión y Comunicaciones
> Escuela de Psicología
> Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
> Av Vicuña Mackenna 4860
> Macul, Santiago
> Chile
>
> Fono: 3544605
> Fax: 3544844
> e-mail: davidpreiss@uc.cl
> web personal: http://web.mac.com/ddpreiss/
> web institucional: http://www.uc.cl/psicologia
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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> xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
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Received on Thu May 31 09:14 PDT 2007