This UN school in the Gaza Strip was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike at the beginning of June. Israel claimed it harboured Hamas fighters. Photo Shutterstock Take your own principles seriously and cut the institutional ties with Israeli universities linked to human rights violations and violations of international law immediately. This demand was made (again) through an open letter addressed to the executive board last week. The board is reflecting on a response.
This open letter’s message is largely the same as that in the earlier petition, which was signed by well over two hundred employees. Over four hundred people have signed the open letter.
The authors reiterate the demands made in the petition to sever ties and call on the executive board to develop an assessment framework with staff and students for present and future collaborations to ensure these do not go against WUR’s mission ‘to improve the quality of life‘.
Contrary to the earlier petition, the writers explicitly denounce WUR’s present stance, ‘In their recent statement on WUR’s ties with Israel, the executive board refers to its Principles of Collaboration. In this document, human rights play a pivotal role. In light of all that is going on in Gaza, we have no other option but to conclude that WUR’s actions do not match its principles,’ says spokesperson Joost Jongerden.
Scholasticide
A new aspect is also that the writers refer to the UN’s concerns over scholasticide in de Gaza Strip – the systematic destruction of Palestinian education. Jongerden: ‘Universities in Gaza are completely razed, which shows that WUR has no business upholding institutional ties with Israeli universities who partner with the army.
The open letter was submitted to the executive board mid-last week. The authors have yet to receive a reply. A spokesperson for the executive board says the board is reflecting on a reply.
