Hanif Osman

Notes from The academic boycott of Israel: an evening with KCL,

LSE & SOAS academics at KCL (26/11/15).
Dr. Moshe Machover (KCL)
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Advises people to read Halper, Jeff (2015) War Against the People: Israel, the
Palestinians and Global Pacification, in relation to the global military industrial
hegemony. It puts the Palestinian struggle in global context, and therefore useful
reading.
Differences between South African and Israeli Apartheid:
o South African was based on exploitation of a people; Israeli based on
separation (a core tenant of Zionism).
o South African needed the indigenous population; Israeli pushes away
majority of Palestinian population, as surplus to requirements.
The academic boycott is intended to raise public opinion and attention not a
means to an end in itself.
The two state solution is not going to happen. Equally, the one state
solution is not going to happen because of a loss of the Jewish nature of the
Israeli state. Therefore, by logical deduction and the current evidence, the
likely result is the eviction of the Palestinian population. This is precisely why the
BDS movement is so important.
Machovers later clarification of his belief that the mass expulsion of
the remaining Palestinians is possible/likely:
The Israeli government already has plans to dispose of Palestinians but is
looking for an opportunity/excuse to do so.
Benjamin Netanyahu in 1989: "Israel should have exploited the repression of the
demonstrations in China [Tiananmen Square], when world attention focused on
that country, to carry out mass expulsions among the Arabs of the territories."
(Israeli Journal Hotam, November 24, 1989)
(http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2009/03/2009325171634815939.ht
ml) Further analysis here: http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?
option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=10939.
You just need to see what the likes of Liebermann and other prominent Israeli
politicians are saying to realise that ethnic cleansing/mass expulsion is very
much on many Israeli minds. Indeed, mass expulsion seen as essential by early
proponents of Zionism see Herzls writings.
Question (along the lines of): Is it not anti-Semitic to boycott Israel?
No! Its anti-Semitic to say that boycotting Israel is anti-Semitic, as it implies
that Israel acts exclusively on behalf of World Jewry. No Jew voted for the attack
on Gaza so why claim that any denunciation of the massacre on Gaza is aimed
against all Jews? If you claim this, then youre implicating world Jewry in the
Gaza massacre, and thus being anti-Semitic.

Hanif Osman

Dr. Jason Hickel (LSE)

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In South Africa, the minority white population relied upon cheap labour thats
why unions in South Africa were so important in helping to bring about the
downfall of apartheid there. However, there are very few (unimportant) unions
in Palestine/Israel. Therefore, divestment from outside is very important.
A piece of great news: the American Anthropological Association (AAA) voted
88.5% in favour for boycotting of Israeli institutions until Israel complies
completely with international law.
He has done academic research on South Africa (he himself grew up in
Swaziland, a small country bordered in the North, West and South by South
Africa, and so witnessed apartheid first-hand).
Process: ANC called for boycott British academics (250 or so) agreed and
boycotted academically. This helped to lead to a U.N. general assembly
resolution. 5 years later, apartheid collapsed.
The ANC themselves maintain that academic boycott was key.
But he stress that economic boycott was (and is for Israel) important, too.
Standard features of apartheid are all visible in Palestine: number plates, walls,
checkpoints, roads
But the most important is land dispossession. In South Africa, 90% of the
population was black. Similar situation in pre-1948 Palestine. But expulsions in
1948 and 1967, and actions today, where Israel now claims control over 90% of
the land (and of the 10% of land that still belongs to Palestinians, the IDF
occupies/makes regular intrusions into 97% of it. The IDF can still enter the
other 3% whenever it wants).
Overall, the analogies are clear between Israeli apartheid and South
African apartheid.
Why Israel? Well, we sanction lots of countries, such as Zimbabwe, yet we do
not sanction Israel. It is acting with impunity.
Why universities? Hickel quotes Desmond Tutu: Israeli Universities are an
intimate part of the Israeli regime, by active choice. Rest of quote, for
information: While Palestinians are not able to access universities and schools,
Israeli universities produce the research, technology, arguments and leaders for
maintaining the occupation. [Ben Gurion University] is no exception. By
maintaining links to both the Israeli defence forces and the arms industry, BGU
structurally supports and facilitates the Israeli occupation. Desmond Tutu,
talking shortly before the University of Johannesburg cut its ties with Ben Gurion
University (http://bdsmovement.net/activecamps/academic-boycott). Hickel also
adds that universities are essential to shaping the culture of the nation if
universities are forced (through boycott) to change their behaviour, there will be
a monumental impact.
Is it not anti-Semitic? No its a boycott of the Israeli state. Its an anti-racist,
anti-anti-Semitic movement. There are Jewish people on board.
The irony is too profound to contemplate of the Israeli states crimes
the sorts of crimes committed against the Jewish people.
Question (along the lines of): Why would we close off the last links to
progressive, left-leaning individuals in Israel? Is boycott not counterproductive, as we lose the last remaining group of people likely to

Hanif Osman

support the struggle for Palestinians (some of whom are active now in
doing so)?
Hickels main points in answer to this question:
o There are no Israeli university faculties that supported BDS.
o Israeli campuses are heavily monitored and have extensive surveillance.
o Evidence of the state of academia in Israel is the fact that most of the socalled New Historians (whove written on the ethnic cleansing of
Palestinians etc.) have been exiled!
o Overall, therefore, little/nothing is likely to change if we hold on in the
hope that the entrenched status quo may turn!

Dr. Mayssoun Sukarieh (KCL)

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The academic boycott is a moral principle its not do with states etc.
Boycotting Israel is a window to think about so many other issues
o Global capitalism
o From Israels inception, it has served as a global capital offshoot/colony.
o Engagement in global arms trade
The boycott was called for by mass Palestinian civil society.
The so-called peace process never ended the facts on the ground are firmly
against peace (i.e. the settlements).
There is no international community pressure (i.e. to get Israel to withdraw to
the 1967 lines) and so therefore the response has to be civil society people to
people.
^ This approach also serves as a counter to international capitalism.
These causes must be connected together. Dont be picky otherwise overall
analysis not effective. I.e. fight for all struggles, including wider struggle against
global capitalism.
Question (along the lines of): How does standing for boycott affect
your academic career? Do you fear any negative impacts of your
stance?
Academics are supposed to stand for the truth (thats the nature/expectation of
their job). Therefore, why be cowed into not supporting boycott?
It is considerably worse in the U.S. (gaining tenure is virtually impossible).
Question (along the lines of): How do we affect academic change in
our universities?
Obtaining university boycotts of Israel through bodies such as the Academic
Board are effective.
Must target specific element of Israeli oppression (i.e. a particular company or
government agency, which is tangibly and demonstrably exploiting
Palestinians), to achieve maximum impact/success rate. Cumulative effect of
these individual boycotts will build up from there, you can make greater
demands.