KTH involved in a FP7 security research project with Technion, Israel

Two researcher at the School of Architecture and the Built Environment  at KTH are involved in an EU security research project with the Israel Institute of Technology, Technion as one of the partners. The project is funded by the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).

Even though Israel is not a member of the EU it is treated like a member partner in the FP7. EU has developed an intimate relationship with Israel in the area of research and innovation through a number of EU programmes, which have delivered millions of euro from the EU taxpayer into Israeli universities, companies and other institutions that are deeply complicit in developing instruments of oppression of the Palestinian people. Read More

The seminar was organised by the Action Group at KTH for the Boycott of Israel and Students for Palestine at the Stockholm University under the umbrella of BDS Sweden (Isolera Israel Sverige).

Salim Vally, Associate professor from University of Johannesburg, started his speech by reminding us that Professor Edward Said once stated why the Palestine case is so important. According to Said the corporate debasement of global universities challenges employees to retake the intellectual work, which includes solidarity. Even though 'corruption per excellence' at universities make many scientists not want to spoil their career or are claiming the neutrality of science. Said applied his statement on the case of Israel. Intellectuals can make a difference and South Africa was very much inspired by Said in its own struggle against apartheid.

In 2009 the University of Johannesburg (UJ) decided to react against apartheid in Israel and to retake an agreement with the Ben Gurion Negev University. During the apartheid era there were strong links between South Africa and Israel. In 1980 35 per cent of the armament came from Israel, disregarding the nuclear collaboration. Israel was in complicity with South Africa in many ways.

The campaign before the decision lasted 18 months and was met initially by fierce opposition. But very quickly prominent university staff, including 9 Vice Chancellors, 170 South African professors, the well-known personalities Desmond Tutu, Kader Asmal and Alan Boesak, trade union leaders, the student union put their names on a petition to repeal the agreement. Vice chancellors even went to Israel for a fact-finding mission. Vally also mentioned that Israel's discriminatory water policies laid down in the Amnesty International report 'Troubled Waters – Thirsting for Justice: Palestinians Access to Water Restricted', was a strong argument for signing up.

At the start the campaigners thought they were not able to win. But the campaign turned out to be an ideal opportunity to explain the Israeli occupation policy. In a secret ballot 2/3 of the UJ senate members voted to repeal the link with Ben Gurion, which was a significant victory.

The argument of academic freedom worked well during the campaign. It must be applied to real life situations. For instance Israel is privileged by the West. Palestinians are depicted as a "demographic threat" and even some reactionary professors talk about killing Palestinians. A lot of intellectuals are sitting inside a bubble and the academic boycott should break this bubble and install academic freedom.

Vally concluded by saying that not a single academic institution in Israel has been outside the military establishment. They are complicity involved in military and infrastructure investment promoting an apartheid state. Sweden with its great struggle against apartheid in South Africa should be vital for the international movement supporting the boycott of Israel.

Abir Kopty is a Palestinian activist with Israeli citizenship now living in Ramallah. She started by giving homage to two Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike at the time of the meeting. Today more than 4 million Palestinians are living in refugee camps all over the Middle East after the Al-Nakba exodus in 1948. They are denied the right to return, which is clear sign of apartheid.

In addition Palestinians living inside Israel are the forgotten part even though they comprise 20 per cent of the Palestinians or 1.2 million people. Israel politics against them are quite sophisticated and based on the denial of the Palestinian right to a nation and the obsession of maintaining a Jewish majority in Israel. The Palestinian population reside on only 3 per cent of the land. A complicated license system inhibits any possibility to expand, which is institutionalized discrimination. 250 000 are internal refugees, who are not allowed to return to their proper villages. A lot of Bedouin villages are not recognized by Israel, some of them even destroyed. The state investment in school is 3 000 Shekel per Israeli student and 800 Sh per Palestinian student. Palestinians are only one per cent at Israel universities, so when Israel talks about academic freedom it is not a freedom for Arabs. A Palestinian cannot bring his/her spouse to Israel, or move outside Israel without risking his/her citizenship. A majority of the Palestinians live below the poverty level.

Abir Kopty told the audience that 47 Palestinians had been shot inside Israel but only two perpetrators had been convicted. "It is OK to kill Arabs", is the logical message. Israel has maintained an image of democracy, but it is gradually falling apart. More information is becoming available. Even though Palestinians can vote the limits of democracy are defined by the Israel state. For instance a Palestinian Knesset member is facing charge for her support to the Freedom Flotilla and defending the Palestinian rights. The Nakbah law, banning Palestinians for remembering the exodus the same day as Israel celebrates its founding, has been an eye-opener for many. During the Gaza war 800 Palestinians were sentenced for protesting.

Abir Kopty concluded by saying that justice can only be achieved by ending the occupation and the Palestinians are given full citizens rights and the right to return. Citizens of the world can make a difference in the struggle as most governments are complicit in Israel's violations of international law and rights, and BDS is an important tool for change. "When Palestinians are free it will also be a victory for you", she said.

Mike Mansfield is lawyer from the UK, who has worked with civil rights law for 44 years. He has represented Palestinians in the UK and Palestinians killed by the Israel Defence Force (IDF). He stressed that legal inquests allow for a platform to convict the real murderer. For instance, IDF shot children in the Gaza war. The case was taken to a UK court, which investigated what had happened on the ground in Gaza. The jury in London effectively convicted the IDF of murder. In another case the British television journalist and photographer James Miller in May 2003 visited families in Rafah, Gaza, whose houses had been demolished by IDF soldiers. He was murdered when he was filming a house segment as a part of a documentary. The IDF was later convicted by the UK court. In UK Mansfield is now trying to set up a group of lawyers protecting Palestinians rights.

Mansfield has been one of the 15 judges in the Russell Tribunal initiative aimed to check how Israel violates international humanitarian rights. The international community has had enough and Israel has to be ready for the Tribunal investigation. On the most important question if Israel is an apartheid state, the Tribunal found 16 features of apartheid. Mansfield urged every concerned citizen of the world to read the Tribunal document. The Tribunal judgement gives the comprehensive fact, even if there are slight differences around the territory. Some of the world's best lawyers were sitting in the  jury.

He took the Separation Wall to exemplify the features, as the wall is the most symbolic piece of apartheid. 14 out 15 answered that the wall was unlawful. He told the audience to use this as an argument of apartheid. The 720 km long wall affects the right to live and move. The court listened to the Israeli argument for building the "separation wall", but said it was disproportionate. "You Israel,  take away the wall", said the court.

Finally Mansfield referred to the paragraphs 159-160 in the Tribunal judgement, which say what should be done. He stressed that there is an obligation for everyone to stop the Israel violations. "Now when the Russell Tribunal judgement is public, what is the Swedish government doing? As citizens we have an obligation to get authorities and organisations to actively contribute to end the occupation.
This is not a question of being anti-Israel", he concluded.

With reservation for points that may have been misunderstood.

Jan-Erik Gustafsson, Assoc. Prof.
Member of the Action group at KTH for the Boycott of Israel

Click here to download the PDF version

Dear Cassandra Wilson,

As different groups working in solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle against apartheid, war crimes and terrible injustices perpetrated against them by Israel, we applaud you for your courageous decision not to play for the Holon International Women's Festival.   Thank you for your statement in support of the cultural boycott of Israel as called for by Palestinian civil society.

Although the government-funded Holon festival claimed to empower women, since Palestinian women were excluded, this was selective empowerment. Your brave decision to refrain from performing in Israel showed respect and deep compassion for Palestinian women and your action is an inspiration for other women to stand up against injustice.  We thank you for enduring the intense pressure to perform for the Holon festival.  You showed great strength by seeking information about the BDS campaign and deciding to cancel so close to your scheduled performance.  

It is not uncommon for an artist who takes such a stand to be on the receiving end of false accusations, threats, and unfounded criticism by apologists for Israeli crimes.  In solidarity, we hope that you remain strong in the face of such pressure and recognise there is enormous support for you and respect for your decision among those who embrace justice, human rights and freedom.  You have joined a growing list of artists of conscience who have refused to play in today’s Sun City and we all express our gratitude to you.

Sincerely,

DPAI (Don’t Play Apartheid Israel)
South Africans Against Apartheid Israel
Alice Walker Film
Palestine Forum Japan
Artists Against Apartheid
Boycott! Supporting the Palestinian BDS Call from Within  (Boycott from Within)
USACBI (US Campaign for the Academic & Cultural Boycott of Israel)
IPSC Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign
CAPJPO-EuroPalestine
BRICUP British Committee for Universities of Palestine
Palestinagruppen Stockholm
Wits Palestine Solidarity Committee (South Africa)
Action Group at KTH (Kungliga Tekniska högskolan) for the Boycott of Israel
Irish Friends of Palestine
Derry Friends of Palestine
Irish Ship to Gaza
Palestina non si arrenderà (Greece)
Endorsed by GYBO (Gaza Youth Break Out)
Endorsed by the PACBI (Palestinian Campaign for the Academic & Cultural Boycott of Israel)

Tribunalen konstaterar i sitt utlåtande att den israeliska statens behandling av palestinierna uppfyller kraven för brott enligt artikel 2 i FN:s Konvention om Apartheid och artikel 7 i Romstadgan för den Internationella Brottmålsdomstolen. Bland brotten, riktade mot den palestinska befolkningen som etnisk grupp, nämns riktade mord, tortyr och godtyckliga arresteringar och fängslanden av individer, något som också var vanligt i apartheidtidens Sydafrika.

Vissa lagar, som Lagen om Medborgarskap, ger den judiska befolkningen överhöghet över den palestinska, och på Västbanken lyder palestinierna under israeliska militärlagar, medan de illegala judiska bosättarna åtnjuter rättigheter enligt israelisk lag. Yttrandefriheten har  inskränkts genom bland annat ”Nakba-lagen” som förbjuder palestinierna att offentligt uppmärksamma minnet av fördrivningen 1948. Bara under år 2011 har hittills 16 olika lagförslag antagits som diskriminerar den palestinska befolkningen.

Russell-tribunalen, som naturligtvis inte fått någon uppmärksamhet i vår del av världen, uppmanar det internationella samfundet att samarbeta och utöva påtryckningar genom internationella organisationer, och multi- och bilaterala avtal, för att se till att den israeliska varianten av apartheid får ett slut. När får vi se några av våra riksdagspartier - som numera tävlar om att varit mest emot apartheid i Sydafrika! - ta fasta på uppmaningen och äntligen göra någonting åt världens sista existerande apartheidstat?

By: Gunnar Olofsson
23.11.2011

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.

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