South African academics reject call to boycott Israeli university
University of Johannesburg staff reject bid endorsed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, pass compromise urging Ben-Gurion University to work with Palestinian schools.
By The Associated Press Tags: Israel news South AfricaUniversity of Johannesburg professors rejected calls to sever ties with an Israeli university Wednesday, but called on Ben-Gurion University to work with its Palestinian counterparts.
 |
Ben Gurion University. |
| Photo by: Eli Hershkovitz |
Calls for similar academic boycotts to protest Israel's Palestinian policies also have failed in the West.
The South African university's faculty senate met Wednesday to vote on the proposal, which had been endorsed by anti-apartheid icon Archbishop Desmond Tutu, but instead accepted a compromise without a vote. They asked Ben-Gurion University to work with Palestinian universities on research projects, and to start the collaborations within six months if it wants to maintain ties with the University of Johannesburg.
UJ Vice Chancellor Adam Habib said the compromise reflected his institution's values.
"We believe in reconciliation," Habib said. "We'd like to bring BGU and Palestinian universities together to produce a collective engagement that benefits everyone."
The universities have joint research projects and academic exchanges on biotechnology and water purification.
Relations between Ben-Gurion University and Rand Afrikaans University, a formerly all-white university under South Africa's apartheid system, began in 1987. The University of Johannesburg, created in 2005, took over various campuses including Rand Afrikaans University and a university in the black township of Soweto as part of efforts to ensure higher education was transformed with the rest of South Africa after the end of apartheid.
Israel officially opposed apartheid, but its ties with the white government were seen as close. South Africa's post-apartheid government has been a sharp critic of Israel's Palestinian policies. The late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was among the guests at Nelson Mandela's 1994 inauguration as South Africa's first black president.
Tutu and more than 200 prominent South African academics had supported ending UJ's links with the Israeli institution.
"Israeli universities are an intimate part of the Israeli regime, by active choice," Tutu wrote in an essay that appeared in a South African newspaper Sunday. "While Palestinians are not able to access universities and schools, Israeli universities produce the research, technology, arguments and leaders for maintaining the occupation."
Academic boycotts of Israeli universities have been inspired by boycotts of South African institutions during apartheid. A 2003 proposal for British universities to sever all ties with Israeli academic institutions was defeated. Two years later Britain's Association of University Teachers voted to boycott Israel's Haifa and Bar Ilan universities. That decision was overturned only a month later under fierce international pressure.
U.S. professors and students also have called for academic and cultural boycotts of Israel.
The moves have prompted sharp criticism. Harvard University law professor Alan Dershowitz once threatened legal action that would "devastate and bankrupt" anyone who boycotts Israeli universities.
The New York-based Anti-Defamation League described the British moves as anti-Semitic, arguing Israel was being singled out while human rights violators such as Iran, Sudan, Venezuela and Zimbabwe were ignored.
Why Facebook Connect?
Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.
- Latest
- Most Viewed
- Most Rated
- Open all
Is not relevant...
What excuse will you offer G-d if you were the advocate for the militant Palestinians when they meet their Maker? That the shiny new Kalashnikovs looked more manly in their hands than any dry book on algebra ever would? That the Gazan summer camp for kids on how to capture and kill Israeli soldiers is much more beneficial than them learning about robotics? That the Palestinian State Master plan can only peacefully be achieved by first massacring the Jews in Israel? Tutu, you are a stupid man for making such foolish remarks about things your brain can't even fathom.
Archbishop Tutu, If Palestinians don't have access to universities (which Israel built, by the way), then how can BGU work with Palestinian university researchers? And while we're talking about Palestinians, why did they destroy the greenhouses that Israel left behind for them when it left Gaza in 2006?
It is just to not punish Israeli intellectuals for what it's anti-intellectuals have done.
Fosters discussion, BGU and other Israeli Universities need to work with Palestinian Universities. A University, particularly a research university, needs to rise above the conflict to foster true intellectualism and academic collaboration
Are there two different universities we're talking about here? Ma'an's reporting a remarkably similar story about a remarkably similar university -- and the ban's just been approved.
His actions in the past and present show that he is anti Israeli and he does not get any respect for that. What a stupid idea to boycott university.
The most interesting thing about this article is the following; "Relations between Ben-Gurion University and Rand Afrikaans University, a formerly all-white university under South Africa's apartheid system, began in 1987". This was a full 7 years before the end of Apartheid. So for 7 years, as the world rallied against Apartheid, Ben Gurion University was in effect supporting it.
Strange it was boycott that got majority votes. Do they want the Palestinians to languish in a no mans land for ever? They have short memories.
As someone who boycotted S. Africa during Aparthied (and world condemnation worked), I thank Bishop Tutu for this gesture. You cannot be an enlightened society and oppress another people. Yea, yea, yea, your history does not matter either. Occupation is occupation and it has to end. I blame Dennis Ross for letting the settlements grow during his futile reign of "no substance and all process." By the time Israel has a decent govenment, there will be nothing to negotiate over.
Some people there do have brain and decency and see what is really going on in ME.
Desmond Tutu. Even his own people make fun of him......Behind his back. He's one of the most idiotic leaders that rose after decades of subjugation by first the Arabs & then by the White man.Isn't it a pity that Africa can't produce anyone of a higher stature,& integrity?
Palestinian and Israeli universities already cooperate. However, it is the Palestinian universities that choose to boycott Israeli universities. In August (last month) Al-Quds agreed to continue a Master's Degree program with Haifa, Hebrew, and Tel Aviv UNiversities, though it violated the boycott. And let us not forget that the Jordanian government refused to let the Palestinians have universities - students had to travel to Jordan or Egypt or . . . Since 1967, they have not only developed their own universities, but many, many West Bank students attend university in Israel - so did students from Gaza before Hamas closed everything down. Desmond Tutu was a great man in his time, but he doesn't know much about the rest of the world today.
only one person thought to point out the fact that desmond toto is supposed to be a man of the cloth, he forgets that his religion's roots are in israel not mecca what a short memory ! the arabs were slave trading long before there were universities but how soon they forget let them boycott universities it is their loss israel's worse crime is that it survives perhaps the great preacher expects a crucification a la JC?
Can someone here in favor of the campaign to boycott Israeli academia explain to me why Israel out of all of the alleged "bad" or "human rights violating" countries in the world is MOST worthy of the MOST concentrated boycott effort. Why not China? Why Not Saudi Arabia. It stands to reason that the worlds worst human rights violator should get the most concentrated effort and all the way down the list. Why Is Israel number 1?
You ask why of all the Human-Rights violators Israel is picked out,while such great violators,e.g. Saudi Arabia,Sudan,Afghanistan,Hamas,etc,etc are left out.One feasible explanation could be,If it comes from the West,that they try to wash their hands of Jewish blood.Every morning when they look at the mirror, they see their hands reeking w/Jewish blood. It's so thick,nothing can wash it away. With the Islamists,it's the same,only to a lesser degree.
and I myself would never visit Saudi Arabia because of its policies toward women. So Israel is not alone among the guilty, but it is more worthy of boycott becasue it has pretentions that it is "a light unto the nations" when it is a standard-issue-occupier with an attitude, and money to spend on PR.
Cast Lead.. Everyone with a computer saw the images and they were appalling. You can argue it anyway you like, but that's yr answer.
And since Israel is the #1 benefactor of US aid we have a right to criticize it
have no universities worthy of dealing with in the first place.
China and Saudi Arabia haven't had the longest modern day occupation of a whole people, China and Saudi Arabia haven't used white phosphorus on women and children.
WTF is China doing in Tibet if not occupying it, making fortune cookies with the Dalai Lama? Saudi Arabia violates its own womens rights and that of guests has public beheadings etc,non muslims cannot worship as they please. Back on the subject matter who takes Tutu aka Rafiki seriously enough to boycott a university that helps produce an aids vaccine Africa desperatley needs???
Just one word Tibet
By appalling images you surely mean those images of terrorists using civilians as human shields? The leaflets sent down to tell the civilians to get out of the way etc... And you say Cast Lead is worse than what was done in Sudan, an undeniable genocide. hundreds of thousands of killed in Sudan. about 1000, mostly illegal terrorists killed in Gaza... But Israel is the priority boycott? Seems a little fishy.
BGU is now under attack from Im-Tirzu, a rightist organization, claiming that the professors there are too leftist. Now comes South Africa and complains the university is too rightist?? Why do they pick on BGU and not, for example, the self acknowledged religious (and very rightist) university of Bar-Ilan? Possible answers: 1. BGU is the southernmost university in Israel, thus geographically closest to South Africa. 2. Since BGU carries the name of Israel's founder, the South Africans think it represents Israeli academia. 3. Being located in the Negev, the Africans think BGU is the natural place for Arab Beduines to go too. Except not many Beduines go to college while northern Arabs are more inclined to do that, and they tend to go to Haifa University. 4. BGU appears first in the alphabetic list of Israeli university. If anybody has another explanation, please let me know.
"We believe in reconciliation," Habib said. "We'd like to bring BGU and Palestinian universities together to produce a collective engagement that benefits everyone."
Desmond Tutu's Nobel for Peace Award is man made, and based on human assessment. He is a dancer to the drum of hatred beating by the world against the nation of Israel. Soon and very soon, Tutu will bow to the awesomeness of the greatness of God Almighty in exalting His people, Israel. It is painful that Desmond Tutu can take this step against the people of God he claim to be serving. Let him know for sure that Israel has been surviving hatred and antagonism, not, and never by their power, but by the Power of the most high God. If Desmond Tutu lead the whole world to boycott Israel, let him know that GOD WILL NOT ABANDON NOR BOYCOTT Israel, forever. Shalom.
Mr. Tutu will, not be the one who will put a wedge between Jewish-African partnership! Sadly, some people who have good intentions (that is what I think Tutu has) are paving the road to hell, as they side with those who have bad intentions. That is a shame.
dont you even question as to whether someone like desmond tutu may just be right? or like the rest of israeli society, are you wearing horseblinders?
Never in my life have I met such an idiot as Tutu. This guy is a total idiot. His empty tongue never ceases and he loves to hear his own voice. I remember well when the Blacks had their "Power" day. Tutu moved into a luxurious home in Cape Town's most prestigious areas where only the millionaire Whites could afford to buy and live without problem. The first thing tutu did was to have a swimming pool party for black kids. The kids were not at fault for the horrific noise they made.... they just weren't used to that kind of life anymore than Tutu and his family were. Rightly so, the neighbours complained when the fun got out of hand. Tutu, the up and coming 'man of the year' learned his painful lesson and I heard and read no more. Tutu does not enjoy being unknown and blabs his stupid mouth off. Perhaps one day the "old boy" will learn. It is never too late, is it?
Bishop Tutu should have known better. After all If Mandela had chosen the path of isolation iso reconcilliation, SA would have been a very different country.
I'd love to collaborate with Palestinian scientists. I think that this bottom-up approach might have higher chances to advance peace than the mindless games of Biblieberman. The question is: are Palestinian scientists willing to work together with (representatives of) their occupiers before a peace deal has been signed?
The hypothetical peace, or one state solution maybe? Its like invading ones home, and then saying "I agree to split your house with me", and any peace agreement would be signed by Palestinians under duress - so its unvalid. The Holocaust - absurd (they killed my parents so I take your house?). UN 47' resolution? Weak. It may simply be revoked, and then Jews will have to leave. History, religion??? The Israeli left rejects history and is ashamed of its Jewish origins. The only Jewish left living by their moral principles are living abroad, like Chomsky, Finkelstein and others. Jewish left living inside Israel cannot honestly justify their living here in any way.
Jews live in Israel, not because they have invaded the home of some other person, or because of the Holocaust, or because you or some other person rejects history or are ashamed of your origins. Rather, Jews live in Israel because it is the long-standing and ongoing homeland of the Jewish people, which constitutes a people under international law and has the right to self-determination in its homeland pursuant to that law.
I am Zionist left. I justify Israel's existence not by the holocaust as the Post-Zionists like to argue. This predates the holocaust. We are Jews by nationality. THAT is what we became in ancient times and have remained ever since. We therefore deserve a national homeland in the place we come from. We DO NOT have a justification to forcibly remove people from their homes, but we have the right to be here. We were in exile, we have the right to return just as they do. Time doesn't heal in these instances. By your twisted logic, Armenians don't have a right to Armenia.
Do you believe in a moral right of return? Then there are two possibilities: 1. You believe the right does not apply to Jews - in which case you are an anti-Semite for denying Jews a right granted to others. 2. You believe the right of return has an expiration date. If such is the case, please let me know how long a people must be exiled in order for them to lose their right of return. That way, we know when you believe the Palestinians lose this alleged right. Only two possibilities (or both). Which is it?
I really would enjoy to have this discussion with you. I have some points and would like to debate it deeply with someone with your views. My mail is irondude@yahoo.com. Please Haaretz, can you kindly accept to post this?
seems SA professors have forgotten the history of their liberation.