Major South African universities began looking into their own ties with Israeli universities within hours of the University of Johannesburg's (UJ) decision on Wednesday night to terminate its links with Ben-Gurion University unless it fulfils, within six months, two conditions UJ has specified.
After the Mail & Guardian's report last week that Unisa vice-chancellor Barney Pityana had signed a petition calling on UJ to sever all ties with Ben-Gurion, three more varsity heads added their names: Saleem Badat (Rhodes), Derrick Swartz (Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University) and Dan Ncayiyana (former vice-chancellor of what is now the Durban University of Technology).
They joined about 250 signatories to the petition, launched last month, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, poet Antjie Krog, law professor John Dugard, writer Breyten Breytenbach and sociologist Ran Greenstein.
'No formal links'
Wits University vice-chancellor Loyiso Nongxa told the M&G he was not aware of "any formal links -- a memorandum of understanding [MoU] -- between Wits and Israeli universities".
And "the issue -- whether or not we should enter into such agreements -- hasn't come up over the past 10 years that I’ve been at Wits”, he said.
Three hours later, Wits spokesperson Shirona Patel said she had searched the university's database and could confirm that it "has no formal ties with any Israeli university, according to our database".
The University of Cape Town followed suit shortly afterwards: "There are no institution-level partnerships with Israeli universities," said spokesperson Mologadi Makwela.
He added that "Professor Milton Shain of the UCT Kaplan Centre for Jewish Studies and Research has indicated that there are no formal links with any Israeli universities."
All 23 vice-chancellors will receive the UJ senate's resolution, said Duma Malaza, the chief executive officer of the varsity heads' representative body, Higher Education South Africa (Hesa). "It is likely that the next meetings of Hesa's executive committee on October 7 and board on October 27 will ... reflect on this issue," he added.
Oct 1, 2010
#BDS: Lessons from the UC Berkeley Divestment Effort, Hillel on Campus
Israel right-or-wrong apologists have reason to be worried after three lengthy UC Berkeley student senate hearings concluded each with a solid majority of votes (60% or more) in favor of divestment from companies that profit from the Israeli occupation. Though in the end, the vote fell 1 short of the needed supermajority required to overturn a veto, neither our opponents nor we forget that a clear majority consistently supported the bill.
Now, a few weeks after the hearings are over, it is a good time to examine how familiar tactics were deployed to stop the divestment effort and are now being used to prevent future similar ones. These tactics do not advance the cause of peace and have the unintended potential to cause harm to Jews in the US. Silencing debate, confusing the facts, taking over student senates, making indiscriminate charges of anti-Semitism, criminalizing anti-occupation activism, implicitly or explicitly condoning widespread hostility against Muslims, Palestinians, and anti-occupation Jews – these are the tactics with which we’ve unfortunately become too familiar. We’ll review them below.
1) Silencing debate
The first tactic, which predates UC Berkeley’s divestment initiative, is the effort to shut down debate within the Jewish community. The story is an old one, but given the growing level of desperation among the Israel right-or-wrong crowd, the measures being deployed are increasingly bold and destructive.
Just a few months ago, the San Francisco Jewish Community Federation issued the most restrictive funding guidelines in the country. These guidelines aim to silence open discussion within the institutional Jewish community on Israeli policies and the merits of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement. And they also have led to an old-fashioned blacklist of well-known human rights groups now banned from the Federation’s donor designated fund’s acceptable charities list.
The guidelines’ impact has not gone unnoticed. An open letter in The Forward signed by Jewish professors, rabbis, and other notables from both the left and center describes the San Francisco Federation guidelines in these terms:
#BDS: Jewish actor visits West Bank camp in quest for peace
In a small, bare room in a refugee camp in the southern West Bank, a Palestinian Muslim man and a British Jewish woman face each other on plastic chairs and grope towards a mutual understanding across decades of mistrust, injustice, hostility and violence.
The man is Said Ali Banat Hajarah: 82, partially deaf, failing eyesight, a former farmer nostalgic about his fields and livestock, bitter at the loss of his family home more than six decades ago, still grieving the deaths of his father and a son at the hands of Israeli soldiers, convinced that the gun must be part of the toolbox of resistance alongside the pen and the voice.
The woman is Miriam Margolyes: 69, stage and film actor, ageing knee joints that won't allow her to sit on the floor, intensely curious about life in a refugee camp under occupation, furious at the actions and policies of the Israeli government, passionately opposed to violence as a tool of resistance.
Margolyes has travelled to Al Arroub, halfway between the Palestinian cities of Bethlehem and Hebron, to hear stories like Hajarah's. "I wanted to see what's going on, to learn – and it's not a happy experience," she tells the Guardian.
#BDS: Full List of Irish Artists Who Endorsed the Boycott of Israel
Last Updated 29th September 2010
- Astrid Adler - Visual Artist, Musician, Mime artist
- John Arden – Playwright, Novelist
- Siobhán Armstrong - Musician
- Derek Ball - Composer
- Robert Ballagh - Visual Artist
- Margo Banks – Painter
- Cormac Begley - Musician
- Liam Bradley - Musician
- Diarmuid Breatnach – Musician, Poet
- Cormac Breatnach – Musician
- Cecily Brennan – Artist
- Ronan Browne – Musician
- Conor Byrne - Musician
- Roisin Byrne - Visual artist
- Séamas Cain – Poet, performance artist
- Moya Cannon – Poet
- Liam Carson - Scríbhneoir
- Clare Cashman – Visual artist
- Rhona Clarke – Composer
- Siobhán Cleary - Composer
- Mickey Coleman - Singer/songwriter
- Joe Comerford - Film-maker
- Michael Connerty – Musician (Moutpiece)
- Neilí Conroy – Actor
- Dorothy Cross – Sculptor
- Charles Cullen – Visual artist
- Michael Cullen - Painter
- Cindy Cummings - Dance Artist
- Sinéad Cusack - Actor
- Margaretta Darcy – Author and playwright
- John F. Deane - Writer
- Raymond Deane - Composer
- Seamus Deane – Author
- Renate DeBrun – Painter and printmaker
- Damien Dempsey - Singer
- Tim Dennehy – Singer/Songwriter
- Eoin Dillon - Ceoltóir (Kíla)
- Keith Donald – Musician
- Philip Donnery - Musician
- Gráinne Dowling - Visual artist
- Kevin Doyle – Writer
- Robert Doyle - Musician
- Roger Doyle - Composer
- Felim Egan - Visual artist
- Martin A. Egan – Musician
- Naisrín Elsafty - Singer
- Róisín Elsafty – Singer
- Zahrah Elsafty – Singer
- Elaine Feeney - Poet
- Stephen Gardner – Composer
- Anthony Glavin - Novelist and short story writer
- Dearbhla Glynn – Film-maker
- Johnny Gogan – Film-maker
- Carmel Gunning – Musician
- Marie Hanlon – Visual artist
- Robbie Harris - Musician
- Paul Hayes - Composer
- Graham Henderson – Musician
- Donogh Hennessy - Musician
- Rita Ann Higgins – Poet
- Michael Holohan - Composer
- Andy Irvine – Musician
- Ryan Johnson - Musician
- Fergus Johnston - Composer
- Fred Johnston – Poet
- Trevor Joyce – Poet
- Bernadette Kiely – Painter
- Brian King – Sculptor
- Vincent Kennedy - Composer
- Trevor Knight - Music/Theatre
- Conor Kostick - Novelist.
- Gavin Kostick – Playwright
- Dave Lordan - Poet
- Donal Lunny –Musician
- Pól MacAdaim – Singer/songwriter
- Iarla Mac Aodha Bhuí - Scríbhneoir
- Mickey MacConnell – Singer/Songwriter
- Tony Mac Mahon – Musician
- Lorcán Mac Mathúna - Singer
- Brian Maguire - Visual artist
- Alice Maher - Visual Artist
- Brenda Malloy – Musician
- Jimmy McCarthy - Singer/songwriter
- Martin McElhinney - Musician (Coldwar)
- Paul Nash – Musician (Coldwar)
- Trevor McLave - (Coldwar)
- Joe McGowan - Author
- Jackie McKenna - Sculptor
- John McLachlan - Composer
- Joleen McLaughlin – Musician (Henry Sisters)
- Karen McLaughlin – Musician (Henry Sisters)
- Lorna McLaughlin – Musician (Henry Sisters)
- Tina Mc Laughlin- Singer/Songwriter
- Eoin McLochlainn - Visual artist
- John McSherry - Musician
- Paula Meehan – Poet
- Christy Moore - Musician
- Thom Moore - Songwriter, writer/translator
- Sharon (Shaz) Morgan – Musician, Photographer
- Fiach Moriarty – Singer/Songwriter
- Sami Moukkadem - Musician, film-maker, writer
- Hassan Ould Muctar - Musician
- Conor Mullan - Musician
- Janet Mullarney – Visual artist
- Gráinne Mulvey – Composer
- Deirdre Murphy - Dancer
- Jimmy Murphy – Playwright
- Niamh Ní Charra – Musician
- Peadar Ó Ceannabháin - Singer
- Saileog Ní Cheannabháin - Musician
- Treasa Ní Cheannabháin – Singer
- Áine Ní Chuaig – Musician
- Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh – Musician/Singer
- Liam Noonan – Musician (Digital Disorder)
- Dave Murphy – Musician (Digital Disorder)
- Keith McGovern – Musician (Digital Disorder)
- Ken Deasy – Musician (Digital Disorder)
- Pádraig Ó Baoill – Scríbhneoir
- Niall Ó Callanáin - Musician
- Eamonn O'Doherty - Architect, Sculptor
- Méabh O Hare – Musician/Film-maker
- Jane O'Leary – Composer
- Brian Ó hUiginn - Musician
- Donal O'Kelly – Playwright/Actor
- Ciarán Ó Maonaigh - Ceoltóir
- Seosamh O Neachtain – Dancer
- Eoin O'Neill - Musician
- Jerry O'Reilly – Singer
- Peadar Ó Riada – Ceoltóir
- Gregory Rosenstock - Writer
- Pauline Scanlon - Singer
- Rossa Ó Snodaigh - Ceoltóir (Kíla)
- Paul O'Toole – Singer/Songwriter
- Michael Quane – Sculptor
- Bob Quinn - Visual artist/filmmaker
- Jim Ricks - Visual Artist
- Stephen Rothschild - Painter/printmaker.
- Mary Russell - Author
- Dermot Seymour - Painter
- John W. Sexton – Poet.
- Eileen Sheehan - Poet
- Ronan Sheehan - Novelist
- Michael Smith – Poet and translator
- Moira Tierney – Film-maker
- Hugh Travers - Writer
- Caoimhín Vallely - Ceoltóir
- Laura Vecchi - Painter/writer
- John Wakeman – Poet
- Hilary Wakeman - Author
- Hazel Walker - Visual artist
- William Wall - Author
- Ronan Wilmot - Actor/Director
- Steve Woods – Film-maker
- Adam Wyeth - Poet
- Luke Mercer – Musician (Oddsocks Revival)
- Adrian White – Writer
- Tom Fitzgerald – Visual artist
- Clara Rose – Musician
- Conor McGrady – Visual Artist
- Dermot McLaughlin - Musician
- Michael Owens - Singer/Songwriter
- Anthony Fox - Actor, Writer
- Conor Grimes - Writer, Actor
- Stuart Nealon - Poet
- Darach Ó Scolaí – Writer
- Cahal Johnson – Musician
- Michael Gallagher – Photographer
- Kevin Spratt (aka Captain Moonlight) – Musician
- Cara Dillon – Musician
- Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh – Ceoltóir
- Fiach (Moriarty) – Singer/songwriter
- Loreana Rush – Photographer
- Alice Hanratty – Painter
- Barry McGovern – Actor
- Nuala Ní Dhomhnail – Poet
- Lillis Ó Laoire – Musician
- Stephen Rea – Actor
- Liam Ó Maonlaí – Musician
- Ellen Cranitch – Musician
- Sharon Shannon – Musician
#BDS: IPSC "Irish artists' pledge to boycott Israel"
In August 2010 the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) launched the following pledge, initially signed by over 140 Irish creative and performing artists, whereby they undertake to boycott the Israeli state under present circumstances:
"In response to the call from Palestinian civil society for a cultural boycott of Israel, we pledge not to avail of any invitation to perform or exhibit in Israel, nor to accept any funding from any institution linked to the government of Israel, until such time as Israel complies with international law and universal principles of human rights." - See the full list of signatories here.***If you are an Irish artist or an artist based in Ireland and would like to add your signature, please contactculturalboycott [at] ipsc.ie***
Described by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) as "a ground-breaking initiative", this pledge has so far been signed by over 140 Irish creative and performing artists: novelists, playwrights, poets, actors, composers, singers, dancers, painters, sculptors and filmmakers, ranging from those starting out on their careers to household names. - See here for the full PACBI statement of endorsement.
ccording to IPSC Cultural Boycott Officer Dr. Raymond Deane, "These artists are aware of the Israeli Foreign Ministry's statement in 2005 that “We see culture as a propaganda tool of the first rank, and...do not differentiate between propaganda and culture.” These artists refuse to allow their art to be exploited by an apartheid state that disregards international law and universal principles of human rights, but look forward to the day when normal cultural relations can be re-established with an Israel that fully complies with such laws and principles."
Dr. Deane, himself a classical composer and a signatory of the pledge, recalled Nelson Mandela's dictum that "boycott is not a principle, it is a tactic depending upon circumstances." Dr. Deane added: "Five years ago, when 170 Palestinian civil society organisations called a campaign of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel, they provided a central plank for worldwide activism on behalf of their cause."
Dr. Deane continued, "Culture cannot stand aloof from such activism. Whether or not art is 'above politics', its presentation and representation in the real world can all too easily be hijacked by oppressive states. With this pledge, Irish artists have an opportunity to distance themselves from such exploitation, and to take a non-violent stand on behalf of the oppressed Palestinian people."
#BDS: Europe Offers Tax Benefits for Illegal Settlements
Organisations raising funds to benefit the Israeli army and illegal settlements in the West Bank enjoy tax-exempt status in Europe, an IPS investigation has shown.
The Sar-El Foundation is one of several groups working in the Netherlands dedicated to supporting the Israel Defence Forces. It organises regular visits to Israel, where Dutch volunteers spend three-week periods training with the IDF.
Max Arpels Lezer, the foundation's Amsterdam-based chairman, said that he tries to encourage volunteers to work in Israeli hospitals but if "that is not possible they can do civilian work on military bases."
He has previously stated that while the volunteers do not become soldiers, "they help in the battle against the Palestinians." But he would not comment when asked why he wishes to assist the Israeli army, given that a United Nations inquiry led by retired South African judge Richard Goldstone found that its troops committed war crimes during a three-week offensive against Gaza in 2008-2009.
The Sar-El Foundation is one of several groups working in the Netherlands dedicated to supporting the Israel Defence Forces. It organises regular visits to Israel, where Dutch volunteers spend three-week periods training with the IDF.
Max Arpels Lezer, the foundation's Amsterdam-based chairman, said that he tries to encourage volunteers to work in Israeli hospitals but if "that is not possible they can do civilian work on military bases."
He has previously stated that while the volunteers do not become soldiers, "they help in the battle against the Palestinians." But he would not comment when asked why he wishes to assist the Israeli army, given that a United Nations inquiry led by retired South African judge Richard Goldstone found that its troops committed war crimes during a three-week offensive against Gaza in 2008-2009.
#BDS: Israel-bound submarines banned from testing in Norway's waters
Oslo decision means German shipbuilder HDW will have to carry out deep-water testing of Israeli vessels elsewhere.
Israel-bound submarines will no longer be allowed to undergo tests in Norwegian territory, as part of the country's ban on security exports to Israel, Norway has informed a German shipbuilder.
In early 2011, the Israeli navy is due to receive one improved Dolphin submarine built by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW ), a German shipbuilding company based in Kiel. It is scheduled to receive another one in 2012.
HDW leases a Norwegian submarine base to test its new submarines.
The first new Dolphin submarine has begun water trials, supervised by an Israeli team in Germany.
Following Oslo's decision, the German shipbuilder will have to carry out its deep-water testing at another site.
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