{"id":4830,"date":"2014-08-06T10:25:41","date_gmt":"2014-08-06T08:25:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rescop.freepresshost.cloud\/?p=4830"},"modified":"2019-02-13T18:12:38","modified_gmt":"2019-02-13T17:12:38","slug":"1200-professors-researchers-academic-bds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rescop.freepresshost.cloud\/eu\/bds\/1200-professors-researchers-academic-bds\/","title":{"rendered":"1,200 Spanish University professors and researchers demand to break academic relationships with Israel"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sentitzen dugu, baina sarrera hau Castellano<\/a> bakarrik dago.<\/p>

Castellano<\/a> | Catal\u00e0<\/a><\/p>\n

More than 1,000 professionals have signed a manifesto, released by the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) academic campaign for Palestine<\/a>, demanding to end all institutional relations with the Israeli academic world, until it stops supporting occupation and apartheid in Palestine.<\/strong><\/h6>\n
\"1.200<\/a>
1.200 Spanish University professors and researchers with the Academic Boycott campaign. \/ AFP. M Abed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The campaign, which started two years ago<\/a>, asks for support from professionals from the academic and scientific field, and also from associations linked to this field, such as student\u2019s and worker\u2019s unions, research centres, professional associations, etc. From the 1,400 people who have signed the manifesto, 150 are professors, 850 are teachers and 200 are researchers<\/strong>. More than 52 associations linked to the academic field have also signed; among them there are research groups and University departments.<\/p>\n

This initiative is part of an international campaign: Boycott, Divestments and Sanctions<\/a><\/strong> (BDS) to Israel. This international calling is a non-violent strategy driven by the Palestinian Society in 2005<\/strong>. It is growing as an effective pressure strategy towards Israel, so that it respects Human Rights and International Law. Last year, the physician Stephen Hawking, the Nobel Peace Prize Desmond Tutu and four American academic associations adhered to the boycott. It\u2019s important to emphasize that this demand is at an institutional level and not at an individual one. On the same line, the European Union has established a de facto boycott<\/a> to all collaboration with Israeli research centres and Universities placed in the Occupied Territories.<\/p>\n

The campaign will keep collecting signatures and foresees to support specific campaigns which will develop in different Spanish universities, such as the University of Vic<\/a> and the University of Malaga<\/a><\/strong>, where the aim is to break ties with the Haifa University and the Tel Aviv University, respectively.<\/p>\n

In Catalonia, activists from the above mentioned campaign, occupied on May 15th the Secretary of Universities and Research asking for transparency<\/strong> in all of the agreements signed last November when a delegation of businessmen, councillors and directors of research centres lead by Artur Mar travelled to Israel to tighten economic and academic ties with Israeli institutions.<\/p>\n

As a result, a meeting was achieved with the Secretary of Universities, Antoni Castell\u00e0, where the campaign\u2019s demands were exposed. He delivered the agreements signed
\nduring that trip. Even though he assured that no Catalan Universities collaborate with universities which are involved in the Occupation of Palestine, these Israeli universities do actively participate in military research projects and in the Palestinian occupation. This is documented in Alejandro Pozo\u2019s report: Defensa, Seguretat i Ocupaci\u00f3 com a Negoci. Relacions Militars, Armament\u00edstiques i de Seguretat entre Espanya i Israel<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Spanish campaign, has achieved a special echo in Catalonia, where 40% of the total signatures are from: more than 550. The Universities which have participated the most are the Universitat Aut\u00f2noma de Barcelona and the Universitat de Barcelona. This is specially significant since the Generalitat is clearly trying to transform Israel into a priority partner, with a specific emphasis when it comes to University ties.<\/p>\n

For more information and to contact with members of the campaign send an e-mail to bdspbai@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Red de Solidaridad contra la Ocupaci\u00f3n de Palestina (RESCOP<\/a>)<\/strong><\/h6>\n

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