Johannesburg University joins academic boycott of Israel

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by Saed Bannoura

23-3-2011
One of South Africa's most prominent universities has announced that it will cut all financial and academic ties with Israel's largest university, Ben Gurion University, due to Ben Gurion University's "collaboration with military, occupation and apartheid practices."


South Africans march against Israeli apartheid (image from bdsmovement.net)

The decision to join the academic boycott, which was called by Palestinian academics in 2005, came just one week after a group of academics from across South Africa published a report called “Findings on Ben-Gurion University of the Negev: Institutional Complicity and Active Collaboration with Israeli Military, Occupation and Apartheid Practices.”

The two universities had partnered in a water research project, and some Israeli critics have claimed that South Africa's water quality will suffer as a result of the boycott.

But University of Johannesburg Deputy Vice Chancellor Adam Habib challenged that claim, saying, “There has been quite a lot of scare mongering that if the partnership breaks, South Africa will be confined to bad water quality. The quality of our water is suffering because we are not spending the type of money on cleaning water that we need to, and not employing skill sets required. We can deal with acid rain water in the region if we are prepared to spend money.”

The South African University joins hundreds of other universities, colleges, trade unions and churches worldwide, including South Africa's largest trade union, COSATU, which have divested economically and boycotted Israeli institutions and companies involved in the military occupation of Palestinian land.

The boycott is aimed at pressuring Israel to adhere to its obligations under international law and past signed agreements, to end its occupation of Palestinian land, and to provide equal rights for Palestinians.

Organizers of the boycott have compared the movement to the anti-apartheid efforts of the 1970s and 80s, which eventually helped bring an end to the race-based political system in South Africa that discriminated against the indigenous African population to privilege the white minority that had immigrated there from Europe. South African activists have been at the forefront of the movement to boycott, divest from and sanction Israel for its discriminatory policies and practices toward Palestinians.

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	Reactie van medi assuli	datum: 2011-03-25 10:39:33
@lieverniet, De link die U plaatste was een posting van 22 mrt,waaruit ik begreep dat over een boycott gestemd moest worden. Welnu dat is volgens de Haaretz van vandaag 25 mrt. gebeurt.Zie Http://www.haaretz.com./news/diplomacy-defence/south-african-school-cuts-ties-with-ben-gurion-university-in-israel-1.351564

	Reactie van liever niet ♪ khaybar yahud ♬	datum: 2011-03-24 14:49:22
Oh wat raar zeg, de Universiteit in Johannesburg zegt namelijk iets heel anders vandaag, zelfs het tegenover gestelde: http://www.uj.ac.za/EN/Newsroom/News/Pages/Academicboycott.aspx Nu is ons wel bekend dat de BDS club zich groter voordoet dan ze werkelijk zijn bekijk ook hun 'achievements calender' http://bdsmovement.net/?q=event////month Helemaal leeg het is grappig dat de BDS deze keer een journalist voor ze laat liegen namelijk Saed Bannoura, nog vermakelijker is hoe al de blogs, facebooks e.d dit klakkeloos overnemen. (behalve de BDS website zelf natuurlijk) Iedereen weet dat het om het vervullen van hun eigen leugens gaat, zoals de symboliek van het zuid afrika die Israel zou boycotten. Met deze doorzichtige tactiek weten we al wat de echte intenties zijn Het is niet de eerste keer dat er gelogen wordt. firma list en bedrog hangt met leugens aan elkaar vast, lekker vijhandige atmosfeer maken vooral blijven steunen en mee geassocieerd worden goed bezig :)