Newsletter No 2, 7 February 2012

Academic Boycott of Israel, Newsletter No 2

This message is sent to 120 persons who have stated their support for a Swedish academic boycott of Israel.

7 February 2012

:: Israeli Apartheid Week 2012 in Sweden

In the period 26 February - 10 March BDS Sweden organises a tour of four leading experts on Israeli apartheid policies. They are:
- Salim Vally, senior researcher at the University of Johannesburg, member of the Palestine Solidarity Committee in South Africa.
- Abir Kopty, former spokesperson for Mossawa Advocacy Center for Arab Citizens of Israel and an activist in the Coalition of Women for Peace.
- Michael Mansfield QC, Professor of Law at the City University London and a member of the Russell Tribunal.
- Michael Deas, European coordinator of the Palestinian BDS National Committee.
The speakers will address meetings in Malmö, Gothenburg, Varberg and Stockholm. To see the full program (in Swedish) click here.

:: Security research collaboration between Israel and EU

A recent agreement provides for cooperation with Israel in the EU Framework Program for research. No other non-EU country gets more money per capita than Israel, despite its occupation of Palestinian territory. The former EU High Representative of Foreign Relations and Security Javier Solana stated in September 2009 that “Israel is, allow me to say, a member of the EU without being a member of the institutions”.

It is embarrassing for the EU states that more and more of the EU research funding supports the buoyant Israel intelligence and security industry. Since Israel became a part of the European Research area the EU commission has signed dozens of lucrative research contracts with e.g. Israel Aerospace Industries (a state-owned company producing drones used for instance in the latest Gaza war), Motorola Israel (produces “virtual fences” around Israel settlements), Elbit System (one of Israel biggest private military-technology companies delivering security systems to parts of the illegal separation wall) and Verint Systems (delivering intelligence system for ‘homeland security’ industry) . Several studies show that Tel Aviv University, Ben Gurion University, Technion are highly imbedded in collaboration with this military-industrial complex.

In March 2010 Bob Hayes at Statewatch wrote that of 58 EU security research projects funded under the EU € 1.4 bn security research component of the 7th Framework Programme (2007-2013) Israeli companies and institutions are participating in 12, and coordinate five of them. By subsidising research for the Israeli intelligence and security military-industrial complex the EU becomes complicit in oppression of Palestinians civilians.

By Jan-Erik Gustafsson, Assoc Prof, KTH

:: US Scholars’ Delegation Calls for Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel

Five faculty members from U.S. universities who recently completed a week-long visit to Occupied Palestine and Israel are calling on colleagues everywhere to support the United States Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (USACBI). See further.

:: UK's student body endorses divestment

In a historic move, the National Union of Students (NUS) in the UK has thrown its weight behind campaigns targeting companies complicit in Israel’s occupation and breaches of international law. Click here to read more

:: Press release from BRICUP

- UK universities complicit in illegal occupation
- Activists call for ending of EU funding of settlement activity
- Natural History Museum already in the firing line. click here to see further

:: Swedish minister threatens to withdraw aid to Palestinians

In October last year the Swedish Minister of International Aid Gunilla Carlsson gave a speech to teachers and students at the Birzeit University. She then stated that Sweden may withdraw its aid to Palestine, if the issue of boycott would be pursued and if Palestinians would not collaborate with the Israelis. click here and here to read more (in Swedish).