Defend LSE SU call for Boycott of Israel
*15th February 2008*
*LSE Union Demands Divestment from Israel*
The London School of Economics Students’ Union (LSESU) yesterday voted overwhelmingly to call on its university and the National Union of Students (NUS) to divest from companies that provide military and commercial support for the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land, condemning the decades of human rights abuses and systematic oppression that has occurred as a result.
A motion, brought to the weekly Union General Meeting of more than 400 LSE students by the LSESU Palestine Society, resolved to lobby the LSE and NUS to divest from companies that provide military support for the Israeli occupation, facilitate the maintenance of the illegal “annexation” wall or operate on illegally occupied land or within Jewish only settlements. With a six to one margin, the Union voted to support the aim of targeted divestment until companies cease such practices or until Israel ends its discriminatory oppression and colonisation of Palestinian communities.
The Union also resolved to affiliate to the international campaign to end the siege on Gaza and engage in education campaigns to publicise more widely the injustices of Israel’s discriminatory polices. This includes working with Palestine solidarity organisations such as Jews for Justice for Palestinians, the British Committee for Universities in Palestine (BRICUP), the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Zochrot and the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD), in a bid to end the legalised racial and religious discrimination in Israel.
This has been the result of much debate on LSE’s campus over recent weeks, following an earlier motion which acknowledged growing public comparisons made between Apartheid South Africa and the legalised ethnic segregation that has been imposed for decades by the
Israeli state. As such, the original proposed motion was amended to provide consensus across the Union in unequivocally condemning Israel’s policy of ethnic segregation, with 339 students voting in favour of divestment compared to just 46 against.
Irene Calis of the LSESU Palestine Society stated: “This is an historic moment in the struggle for justice and peace for all citizens of the Middle-East. It is time for us to demand our universities divest and stop funding Palestinian oppression. By putting political and economic pressure on the Israeli state, the student movement can not only show continued solidarity with the Palestinian people, but also expedite the end of the Israeli occupation”
Emilano Huet-Vaughn, who spoke in favour of the motion added, “The resounding support for divestment after lengthy debate shows growing awareness of Israel’s systematic discrimination against the Palestinian people and a disgust with the colonial settler regime in the West Bank, and the brutal siege of the Gaza Strip. As a result many LSE students of all backgrounds have voted to take a stand for justice, equality and human rights for all.”
*ENDS*
On Tuesday evening, over 20 LSE students silently occupied a meeting of LSE’s governing body for over 30 minutes in protest at LSE Director Howard Davies’ implicit support for the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
Holding up banners stating “Academic Freedom for All” and “Equal Rights for Palestinians”, the students peacefully entered an LSE Council meeting, the monthly meeting of LSE’s 25 directors, bringing it to a halt, and reissued a request for a meeting with Davies to discuss the issue, as well as that a statement be displayed on the LSE website recognising the right to education for Palestinians. After lengthy deliberation, and threatening to ask security to forcibly remove the students, Davies and Council Chair, Lord Grabiner, reluctantly agreed to attend a meeting and that a statement would be issued that acknowledged Palestinians’ right to education.
LSE staff and students had twice written to Davies to protest his stance against any debate of a boycott of Israeli academic institutions, as proposed by the UCU (University and College Union) in May 2007. In two subsequent responses (22 June 2007 and 5 September 2007) Davies had refused outright to meet with student representatives. He also declined to address or recognise the desperate condition of Palestinian academic institutions, stating that the School “has no corporate position” on this matter.
Widespread student outcry emerged after Davies posted a controversial statement on the LSE website condemning the UCU resolution and any debate on the issue, ignoring entirely the plight of Palestinians.
LSE students, staff and alumni wrote a joint letter to Davies in response. The letter, signed by most of the LSE Students Union Executive and more than 100 students, staff, alumni and heads of student societies, expressed concern at Davies’ apparent opposition to the free expression of opinion and debate on campus. The letter also questioned the school’s continued silence on “the massive Israeli assault on Palestinian academic institutions and the fundamental rights and freedoms of Palestinians, including freedom of expression, association and movement and the right to education.”
The letter went on to note that “the speed with which the School appeared to oppose any sanctions on Israeli academic institutions, while remaining silent on the desperate conditions facing Palestinian academic institutions, is bound to have created the impression of bias.”
Seph Brown, spokesperson for the LSE Students’ Union Palestinian Society, stated:
“As a Director of a world-class academic institution, Howard Davies should represent a balanced and fair perspective, especially on the issue of the colonization of Palestine. To condemn the discussion of an academic boycott of Israel, but to then ignore their blatant disruption and devastation of Palestinian academic freedom is entirely hypocritical. Davies is ignoring the existence of the hardships and suffering of Palestinian students all together.”
“We hope now that Davies will keep his promise and attend a meeting with the students who pay his wages and that the subsequent statement on the LSE website will finally recognise the right to education for Palestinians.”