Click here to see our Newsletter No 2, 7 February 2012

Israel: An Apartheid State
When	Thurs. 1 March 2012, 18:00
Where:	Room B5, Södra Huset, Stockholm University [map]
Speakers	Salim Vally, professor at the University of Johannesburg, member of the Palestine Solidarity Committee in South Africa; lived through the apartheid years. 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.
A warm welcome!

Academic Boycott of Israel

Newsletter 01 | December 23, 2011

:: The Call for a Swedish academic boycott of Israel

When closing at the end of September the call had been signed by 218 persons. In summary, the call demanded that Swedish universities must not participate in research or any other type of cooperation with Israeli academic institutions and that the Swedish government should act for the cessation of EU's research support to Israel, which will strengthen the continued occupation of Palestine. The Call was sent in hard copy to all Swedish universities and to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. You can read the full statement and the names of all those who signed it at http://www.psabi.net/.

:: A growing movement to boycott Israeli universities

The demand for the academic boycott is getting worldwide support. The biggest student union in Europe – the United Union of London's 20 universities and colleges, comprising 120,000 students – has decided to boycott. In Norway, 100 prominent persons have signed an appeal to the same end. Other examples are the university staff association of McGill University in Montreal, students and academics at the Uppsala University, and the student union of Berkeley, California. The University of Johannesburg has broken its cooperation with the Ben-Gurion University.

:: Eurpean network formed

Within the EU countries, a network for the academic and cultural boycott was formed in 2010. For further information, see its website www.epacbi.eu. This network recently held a successful meeting in the UK. The Swedish representative Jan-Erik Gustafsson will contribute with his report from the conference in the next issue of the newsletter.

:: UK student body slams university's Ahava link

A collaboration between King's College London (KCL) and an Israeli company located in an illegal West Bank settlement has been condemned by the UK's National Union of Students (NUS), in a significant boost for campaigners. KCL Action Palestine Campaign against Ahava has received growing support, including a petition that now has over 1,000 signatures. Last month, there were also votes of support for the campaign from University of London (ULU) Senate and the KCL Student Union.

:: Visit the website of the British Committee for the Universities of Palestine

This committee is very actively promoting the academic boycott of Israel. On Bricup's website: www.bricup.org.uk/ you will find valuable information on how academic cooperation with Israel contributes to the occupation and about the boycott campaign in general. You can subscribe to the very informative newsletter of BRICUP.

Kind regards and season greetings.

218 signed the call for a Swedish academic boycott of Israel

Swedish universities must not participate in research or any other type of cooperation with Israeli academic institutions. The Swedish government should act for the cessation of EU’s research support to Israel, which will inevitably strengthen the continued occupation of Palestine. This is what 218 Swedish persons demand in a Call for academic boycott of Israel. Twelve of the signato­ries are professors, while 14 are associate professors, 23 senior lecturers or researchers and 70 are students. The boycott is not aimed at individuals but against institutions. So far no Israeli academic institution has dissociated itself from Israel’s apartheid policy or the discrimination of Palestinians in Israel. Therefore all collaboration with Israeli academic institutions should be stopped, the signatories say. English Svenska

The State of Israel occupies the Palestinian Territories, denies basic human rights to the Palestinians and refuses to comply with the successive UN resolutions. According to UN resolution 194, Palestinian refugees have the right to return to their homes. Israel subjects the Palestine people in the occupied territories to daily harassment and forces them to evacuate more and more areas for Israel settlements. The situation has rightly been compared to apartheid South Africa.

By Prof Rania Masri, Lebanon August 1st, 2011 This past June, the Israeli parliament passed legislation that criminalizes individuals or organizations who call for a boycott against Israel. According to the law, anyone calling for a boycott of Israel, including the illegal settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem, can be sued by the boycott’s targets without having to prove that they sustained damage, and any person or a company that declares a boycott of Israel will not be able to bid in government tenders.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said that the boycott law ‘reflects democracy in Israel.’ Democracy, in Abraham Lincoln’s words is, “the government of the people, by the people, for the people.” Thus, the rights of all the citizens of the state must be equally recognized. Are the rights of all Israeli citizens respected? No. Earlier this year, David Rotem, Israeli Member of Parliament and the Chairman of the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, stated, “Israel is a Jewish and democratic state, not a state of all its citizens.” Not a state of all its citizens! How can a state claim to have a democratic form of government while not accepting the equality of all its citizens regardless of race or religion? How can a state claim to be a democracy and reserve the rights of nationality to a select group? Isn’t it an oxymoron to limit basic rights to one group alone and yet persist in calling the state a democracy? Palestinian citizens of Israel can vote, but they remain a subordinated minority – by Israeli law! Here are a few examples of the racist policies: (1) Palestinians, expelled from their homes in 1948, are denied their legal right of return solely because they are not Jewish, while Jews from all over the world are granted automatic citizenship; (2) Palestinian towns and villages are prohibited from expanding, while new communities are being built for Jews; (3) A dual system of law discriminates between Jewish Israelis and indigenous Palestinians based on ”Jewish nationality.” And let us not forget the 44-year-long illegal military occupation of the West Bank, Jerusalem and the control of Gaza! This boycott law is itself a violation of one of the keystones of any democratic system: the right to free speech. The new law makes it illegal for Israelis and Palestinians to advocate nonviolently to counter the ever-growing illegal Jewish-only colonies built on Palestinian land, and the ever-growing racist laws against Palestinian citizens of Israel. The call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS), issued in 2005 and supported by Palestinian civil society, calls for Israel to comply with international law by: (1) Ending its occupation and colonization of Arab lands and dismantling the Wall; (2) Recognizing the fundamental rights of Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and (3) Respecting, protecting and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN Resolution 194. It is also supported by hundreds of Israelis who appeal for a “boycott [of] Israeli goods and Israeli institutions.” “This is the only road left,” they wrote in a letter to the [UK] Guardian. “Help us all, please!” Where shall we stand: with domination, or with equality? Rania Masri, assistant professor in Environmental Sciences at the University of Balamand, Lebanon

University of Johannesburg votes on cancel partnership  with Ben-Gurion University

In a protracted and spirited debate, the Senate of the University of Johannesburg (UJ) 23 March voted to allow its formal relationship with Ben-Gurion University (BGU) in Israel to lapse on 1 April 2011. read more

UJ ENDS ISRAELI LINKS
23 March 2011

A landmark victory was achieved today in South Africa for the international boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign of  Israel. Setting a worldwide precedent for the academic boycott of Israel, the University of Johannesburg (UJ) has decided to sever ties with Israel’s Ben-Gurion University (BGU). read more

Letter to the Ethical Committe at the KTH

The Action Group at KTH for the Academic Boycott of Israel submitted questions to the Ethical Committee
at KTH concerning the application of KTH's ethical policies. The letter was sent in the 2nd of December 2010, still up to date the Ethical committee did not respond. We think the questions are important and directly related to our duties as employees at KTH. Here you can find the letter sent to the committee:
 
Dear KTH Ethical Committee,

The Action Group at KTH for the Academic Boycott of Israel has some questions concerning the nature of the ethical policy of KTH and the function of the committee.
How does the KTH Ethical Committee apply its ethical policy in practice? What are the mechanisms of implementation?
Can you give examples of cases presented to the committee? What types of actions have been taken? How do you make sure that decisions of the Committee are implemented? When KTH signs cooperation/partnership agreement with specific university about international cooperation, how are the KTH ethical policies applied? Does KTH evaluate the activities of the partner of collaboration? Does KTH examine the ethical policy of the partner university?

We would appreciate if you could give us replied to these three questions at your earliest convenience
On behalf of the Action Group at KTH for the Academic Boycott of Israel.

Samer Sawalha

Press release 2010-06-03

KTH must break its research agreements with Israel!

- The Israeli killing of ten peace activists on board of the Ship to Gaza convoy shows that Israel
once again resorts to military force in violation of International law. In this situation world opinion
cannot restrict itself to make public statements. Effective actions against the military state of Israel
are also needed, says Dick Urban Vestbro, Professor Emeritus at The Royal Institute of Technology
and member of the Action group at KTH for boycott of Israel.

The Action group states that KTH must break its collaboration with Technion, Israel's leading
technical university, with which KTH since 1998 has an agreement comprising exchange of
students, teachers, researchers and direct research cooperation.

Technion is directly supporting the Israeli occupation army. One example is the development of
unmanned vehicles for the destruction of Palestinian houses. Another example is research on
equipment to trace underground tunnels in which goods are transported into sieged Gaza.

Technion researchers serve as advisors to the Israeli military industry and cooperate closely with
Elbit, the biggest arms producer in Israel.

Recently the Action group wrote to the Rector of KTH, providing him with extensive evidence
about the close links between Technion and Israel's military-industrial complex. One of the
signatories of the letter, PhD student Alaa Kullab – who is from Gaza himself – says:

- KTH has an ethical policy saying that "research cooperation shall not contribute to legitimize
oppression or discrimination". This policy should be implemented in practice.

For further information, go to the website of the Action group, http://www.psabi.net/ or contact:

Dick Urban Vestbro, 0706559483
Alaa Kullab, 0762343587

To Rector

KTH

2010-05-19
On 10th of February You banned a meeting to be held at KTH by 'The Action Group at KTH for Boycott of Israel'. Your explanations were that KTH premises cannot be used for political meeting and also that KTH cannot take positions different from the official Swedish foreign policy.

On 12th of May two organisations, Liberala studenter och Stureplanscentern, both affiliated to political parties, arranged a political debate in Salongen, which is one of KTH's premises. The title of this debate was "Freedom and integrity on Internet" with Alexander Bard (Liberati) and Mikael von Knorring (v) as discussants, a hot political issue. It was announced widely at KTH notice boards.

We, Action Group at KTH for Boycott of Israel, appreciate that KTH administration did not ban this debate.

With reference to the above, we interpret the position of KTH's central administration to mean that KTH's premises are open for meetings and debates about political questions. Otherwise, the reaction of KTH's central administration against the meeting of the 'Action Group for the Boycott of Israel' implies political discriminations, and being at odds with the constitutional right to assembly.

For the Action group
Dick Urban Vestbro Jan-Erik Gustafsson

Copy to:
KTH ethical Committee
Member of KTH Board, EU-parlamentarian Lena Ek
Dean Folke Snickars
Head of the ABE School Stellan Lundström
Student Union KTH

Forskningsstöd från EU stöder Israels underrättelse- och säkerhetsindustri

EU:s sjunde ramprogram 2007-2013 har en budget på 57 miljarder euro. Räknat per invånare får inget annat land så frikostigt med stöd ur FP7 som Israel, trots att Israel ockuperar Västbanken och har förvandlat Gaza till ett öppet fängelse. Efter det israeliska forskningsrådet är EU numera den näst viktigaste finansieringskällan för forskning för israeliska akademiker och företag.

I september förra året uttalade Javier Solana, då EU:s höge representant i utrikes- och säkerhetspolitiska frågor till en församlig i Jersualem att ”Tillåt mig säga att Israel är en medlem av Europeiska unionen utan att vara en medlem av dess institutioner”.

Det måste vara besvärande för EU:s medlemsstater att mer och mer av EU:s forskningsstöd vänder sig till Israels lukrativa underrättelse- och säkerhetsindustri. Sedan Israel blev en del av det ”europeiska forskningsområdet” har EU-kommissionen tecknat ett dussintal gynnsamma forskningskontrakt t.ex. med Israel Aerospace Industries (statsföretag som tillverkar drönare som bl.a användes i senaste Gazakriget), Motorola Israel (producerar ”virtuella stängsel” runt israeliska bosättningar) och Elbit Systems (ett av Israels största privata militära teknologiföretag med ansvar för delar av den illegala separationsmuren runt Jerusalem).

Elbit har också intimt samarbete med israeliska universitet, bl.a. Technion som KTH har ett samarbetsavtal med. Nyligen har första, andra, tredje och fjärde AP-fonderna beslutat att avsluta sina investeringar i Elbit Systems. Enligt ett pressmeddelande har AP-fondernas Etiska råd inte haft någon framgång i dialogen med Elbit Systems. Förra året drogs sig norska pensionsfonder ur Elbit System. Danske Bank har gjort detsamma.

Bob Hayes på Statewatch skriver att 58 säkerhetsprojekt hittills har finansierat ur FP7 till ett värde av 1,4 miljarder euro. Israel deltar i 12  och t.o.m. leder och koordinerar fem av dessa. Ett av de senare kontrakten leds av Verint Systems, som beskriver sig självt som ”en ledare i optimering av arbetsstyrkor och säkerhetslösningar, inklusive video för underrättelser, allmän säkerhet och kommunikationsunderrättelseverksamhet och nydanade lösningar”. Verint subventioneras nu av EU för att utveckla underrättelse och kommunikationssystem som i ett senare skede kan säljas till medlemsstaterna. EU:s skäl för att använda FP7 till detta är att gynna en ”industriell konkurrens”, eftersom EU har en omogen industri inom området. Kommission menar att subventionera Israels underrättelse och säkerhetsindustri är fullt förenligt med detta syfte.

Naturligtvis är detta djupt kränkande för det palestinska folket. Israels kontroll över vad som återstår av palestinska territorier består nu lika mycket av hårdvara och mjukvara som kommer från underrättelse- och säkerhetsindustrin som den traditionella militära övermakten.

Genom forskningsstöd till underrättelse- och säkerhetsindustrin blir EU i praktiken medskyldig till militära aktioner som visar liten hänsyn människoliv och palestinska levnadsförhållanden. Vill europeiska skattebetalare att EU skall sätta av deras pengar för en industri som befinner sig i centrum av en av de mest blodiga och utdragna geopolitiska konflikter i vår tid?

Jan-Erik Gustafsson

Stockholm Technical University tried to stop meeting about research collaboration with Israel
12.02.2010

Wednesday 10 February Rector Peter Gudmundson of the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) decided that a meeting entitled "Why should we boycott Israel?" would not be allowed to use the premises of the university. The organizers of the meeting, The Action Group at KTH for Boycott of Israel, considered that Rector's decision is at odds with the constitutional right to assembly. Therefore the meeting was held as scheduled. The meeting focused largely on the relations between KTH and Israel Institute of Technology Technion, Haifa, with which KTH has an agreement about collaboration since 1998. The agreement is about exchange of students, teachers, research staff and general research cooperation.

In order to discuss the issue of boycott as an instrument to make Israel respect International Law the Action group invited the famous Swedish-Israeli composer and artist Dror Feiler, who is also the President of European Jews for a Just Peace. He said that virtually all Israeli universities are closely tied to the Israeli war industry. Technion has close links to the arms producer Elbit, whose chairman is a Doctor of Honour at the university. Technion is involved in the development of unmanned aerial and land vehicles destroying Palestinian houses, and in the development of other weapons in the hands of the occupying power. Technion is also developing methods for discovering underground tunnels, aiming at the siege on Gaza.

Associate Professor Jan-Erik Gustafsson informed the meeting about his third visit to the Palestinian university of Birzeit on the West Bank, a university with which KTH is cooperating through the European Union Tempus program. Gustafsson said that Palestinian universities are waging a campaign for academic and cultural boycott of Israel. It is advocating a comprehensive boycott of Israeli institutions. So far the campaign has been signed by more than 100 civil society organizations. Dror Feiler added that the demand for boycott is supported by a growing number of Israeli organisations and individuals. Already in 2008as many as 407 academic protested publicly against the discrimination of Palestinians at Israeli universities.

The KTH action group demands that KTH shall break its agreement with Technion, and that KTH shall implement its own Ethical policy, saying that the activity of the university shall be based on "human rights and freedom and free and open discussion... and the dissociation from all forms of discrimination". The leadership of KTH and its Ethical Committee was invited to the meeting, but it refused to engage in any kind of discussion with the Action group.

"The fact that the Rector tries to ban our meeting shows that KTH does not comply with its own ethical policy", says Professor Emeritus Dick Urban Vestbro and Assoc Prof Jan-Erik Gustafsson, who are members of the the Action Group at KTH for Boycott of Israel.

Further information: Dick Urban Vestbro, 0706559483

Action Group at KTH for Boycott of Israels

The group is a politically and religiously independent group of students and staff at KTH (Royal Institute of Technology) working in favour of a boycott of Israel with the purpose to end colonial occupation of Palestinian land and the violation of human rights as expressed in the UN Charter and the Geneva Convention of 1949. Boycott actions include the breaking of academic ties with Israeli universities, breaking relations with professional bodies which have not disassociated themselves from Israel’s violations of human rights.

Anyone who wants to work actively for these aims is welcome to join the group. The group is not a formal part of KTH, but advocates that KTH must apply its stated ethical policy “based on democracy, people’s equal rights, human rights and a free and open discussion, equal opportunity between women and men, and rejection of all forms of discrimination” (University Board 2008-10-21).

The action group seeks cooperation with other solidarity and human rights organisations.

Why should we boycott* Israel?
(18 January 2010)

1. A boycott against Israeli academic institutions and professional organizations conveys the message that scholars and professionals around the world are strongly concerned about Israeli violations of International Law. Israeli scholars and professionals who are in opposition to such violations should, of course, not be boycotted.

2. Although the KTH Action Group focuses on academic and professional boycott, our activities should be seen within the context of a general boycott of Israel.

3. Israel is violating fundamental human rights of the Palestinian people. The Palestinians are deprived of their land, their real estate property, their freedom of movement, their access to water, to education, and the right to live peacefully in their own country. Israel has a world record in violating International Law.

4. Other means to solve the conflict have proved ineffective. Despite the continuous violation of human rights and international laws, and the refusal to abide by UN resolutions, Israel enjoys lack of diplomatic pressure, great tolerance with the Zionist expansion project and special trade agreements with USA and the European Union.

5. Popular Palestinian organisations demand boycott and sanctions as a way to stop violation of human rights and achieve peace. Also Israeli organisations in opposition to the Israeli government policy are in favour of boycott. Thus boycott actions should be seen as an act of solidarity with those who act against an oppressive system.

6. There is a rapidly growing world-wide movement for boycott of Israel, which means that the boycott has a good chance to make a difference.

7. Boycott actions can be carried out by ordinary citizens at their work places and in their everyday life. One does not have to wait for binding decisions of established organisations in order to contribute to a peaceful settlement of the conflict.

Questions and answers about boycotting* Israel

Why boycott only Israel? What about China, USA, Russia?

It makes no sense to boycott big countries such as China, USA or Russia. Their economies will not be affected much by boycott actions. Israel is a small country which is very dependent on economic ties with other countries. Boycotting Israel can therefore make a difference.

Boycotting Israel means taking side in a conflict where both sides violate human rights.

One cannot depict “the two sides” as equal. The Palestinians are the main victims in the conflict and their rights are violated by Israel. To boycott Israel means taking side against violation of International Law, not against Israel as a state.

Why not boycotting Hamas? It also violates human rights.

Hamas is already subject to heavy sanctions. There is very little to boycott. A boycott would not make any difference for Hamas.

Dialogue and cooperation is better to achieve changes.

The experience from 60 years of obstruction of UN resolutions and various types of dialogue and cooperation has proved beyond doubt that Israel is not affected by such methods.
Boycott means closing the door to dialogue.

No, it does not. Boycott is a tactic, not a doctrine. If Israeli institutions or groups of people prove to be open to change, boycotts should be combined with dialogue. The experience from apartheid South Africa shows that the boycott campaign could in fact be combined with discussions with such groups that acted against racism and for cooperation with the liberation movement.

Do you cooperate with the Israeli peace movement?

We want to cooperate with all groups that are against Israeli violation of International Law and of fundamental human rights, whether these groups are for or against boycott.
A boycott will affect ordinary citizens rather than the government.

We think that boycott, disinvestments and sanctions will affect the Israeli economy, and that the Israeli government is quite sensitive to a weakening of the economy. We also think that Israeli institutions are very sensitive to academic and cultural boycott. A boycott may affect some Palestinian and Israeli citizens negatively, but organisations of the oppressed people (the Palestinians) themselves demand boycott actions. Also Israeli groups working for peace and justice are in favour of boycott.

A boycott will make the Israelis support even more oppressive measures by the government.

It is difficult to think of more oppressive measures than those that are already implemented. The Palestinian people have suffered too much and too long to hope for the Israeli government to start respecting International Law. We think that effective sanctions will make many Israelis change their minds away from the present policy of land grabbing and ethnic cleansing. Many Israelis will probably leave the country if the economy deteriorates, and that is likely to reduce the oppressive strength of the Israeli state.

Boycotts have proved ineffective. It will not lead to any results.

The boycott instrument must be applied after thorough consideration. It cannot be used against just any country. Boycotts may have been ineffective in some cases. The boycott campaign against apartheid South Africa was successful, however. Independent investigations have shown that sanctions contributed substantially to the downfall of the apartheid regime. Israel is even more dependent on international economic cooperation. Thus a boycott can be quite effective.

What I do as an individual makes no difference.

Also an individual can do something. That is one of the advantages with a boycott. As consumers we can stop buying Israelis products. Many already do that. But we do not act as individuals only. We are part of a world-wide movement. We can support actions of organisations that participate in the boycott campaign.
What can I do to support the boycott movement?

You can stop buying Israeli products. You can talk with your friends and relatives. You can raise the issue at coffee breaks at your work place. You can put up posters for a boycott. You can cast your vote in favour of boycott in the association to which you belong. You can sign a petition. You can give money to groups that work for a boycott. You can become a member of a solidarity organisation. You can form an action group. There is no end to what you can do to achieve peace and respect for human rights in Israel/Palestine.

*When referring to boycott we also mean disinvestment and various types of sanctions.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

:: Newsletter No 2, 7 February 2012

read more

University of Johannesburg votes on cancel partnership  with Ben-Gurion University. read more

UJ ENDS ISRAELI LINKS
The University of Johannesburg (UJ) has decided to sever ties with Israel’s Ben-Gurion University (BGU). read more

:: INVITATION TO A SEMINAR

Tite: Shall Swedish universities continue collaboration with Israeli universities involved in military research?

Date  Tuesday 14 September , 16-00 - 18.00
Place: Coffee and rest room, Ground floor, Teknikringen 74-76

:: REPORTS FROM GAZA
Relations Between Swedish and Israeli Universities

Date and time: 31 March, 17-19
Address: Room V77: Teknikringen 76, nb; Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)

During the seminar we will discuss the following questions:

1. Does the academic collaboration between Swedish and Israeli Universities contribute in the violation of Human Rights in Palestine?
2. If Israeli universities are involved in military activities against Palestinians, is it then an ethical issue for the Swedish universities?

Invited Speakers

Stellan Vintagen: Associate Professor in Sociology, and Senior Lecturer in Peace and Development Studies, University of Gothenburg.
Alaa Kullab: A Palestinian PhD Student from Gaza, Department of Energy Technology, (KTH)

click here to download the invitation

:: Recently Completed Seminar:

Why should we boycott Israel?
We would like to invite you to a
seminar organized by Action Group at
KTH for boycott of Israel, the seminar
will discuss and make the case for
boycotting Israel.

Date: Thursday 11.02.2010
Time: 17:00
Location: The seminar room of Spatial Planning,
Drottning Kristinas väg 30, 1st floor.

.... click to download the invitation

:: Dexia Banking Group would no longer offer loans to Israeli Settlements
click here to read more

:: Sussex University students vote to boycott Israeli goods | Press release, University of Sussex Students' Union, 6 November 2009 ... Read more
Petition | An academic Call to Support Human Rights in Gaza

:: The plight of rural Palestinians on the West Bank is as grim as ever AFPA Palestinian farmer, stumped again | Read more ....

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