In the midst of all the kerfuffle about last week’s decision by Britain’s University and College Union (UCU) to commence discussion of a boycott of Israeli academic institutions, characterised by panic and shrill accusations of anti-Semitism, a voice of sanity. Israel’s Alternative Information Centre is promoting this petition. Here is an extract.
We Palestinian and Jewish citizens of Israel strongly support the proposal for UNISON [British public sector union] to implement an economic and cultural boycott of Israel.
We refuse to accept the state of poverty, unemployment, oppression and violence from which our Palestinian brothers and sisters are suffering in the OPT. We stress the connections between the violent oppression of the Palestinians in the OPT, and the oppression of the working poor, women, immigrant workers, the unemployed, Arabs, and other minority groups within Israel. The ongoing conflict in the region prevents Israeli workers from effectively mobilizing against neo-liberal reforms and an accelerated process of privatization, under the guise of an ongoing state of emergency in which national security always take precedence over sectarian needs. [my emphasis]
The initiators of this statement have taken a courageous and principled stand and they and their supporters deserve congratulations and support. If you happen to be Israeli and would like to sign please send your name to: bds.occupation@gmail.com.
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