FAQ
Questions and answers: Palestine protests at WUR
Why protest at WUR?
The WUR currently has several ties with several Israeli universities and institutions; (source: https://academiccomplicity.nl)
What are your demands?
1. Disclose
Disclose WUR’s ties with all Israeli institutions and companies, as well as companies that profit from genocide, apartheid, and the exploitation of the palestinian people and their land.
2. Boycott
Boycott Israeli institutions that participate in genocide, apartheid, and the exploitation of the palestinian people and their land.
3. Divest
Divest from Israeli companies/funds, that profit from genocide, aprtheid, and the exploitation of the palestinian people and their land.
4. Statement
Post a statement of solidarity with the palestinian universities and other education institutions, targeted by the zionist militia who also murdered professors, academic staff and students. Create a permanent scholarship programme from palestinian students.
What is wrong with Israeli institutions?
Nothing inherent, but, at the moment, Israeli institutions are not neutral players in the Israel-Palestine conflict. These institutions work at the behest of the Israeli government, specifically with regards to a Zionist agenda.
Why would that be an issue?
These institutions (are forced to) practice violence; through settling in occupied regions and enabling a continuation of the apartheid regime. While there are many ways in which the ties between the Israeli state and institutions perpetuate violence, a couple examples are listed below.
- Israeli universities (including Tel Aviv University) support the Israeli army and were involved in creating the Dahiya Doctine (a military strategy focused on destroying civilian infrastructure, which caused many deaths directly, and indirectly through food insecurity).
- Israeli universities perpetuate apartheid, both on campus, as well as at the borders.
Is cutting ties with Israeli institutions antisemitic?
Antisemitism is racism, prejudice and hostility towards Jewish people. Israeli institutions are not Jewish people. Not all those involved in Israeli institutions are Jewish, nor are all Jewish people Israeli.
WUR should assure that Jewish people (students, researchers, etc.), whether Israeli or otherwise, can study, work or otherwise be engaged with WUR. To be very clear, Jewish and/or Israeli people should always be welcome at WUR. This facilitates a diversity of people and opinions that is very welcome. These connections do not have to go through Israeli institutions that perpetuate violence. We would like WUR to explore ways in which these connections can be facilitated.
WUR is just doing science, why would they involve themselves in politics?
WUR offers humanity programs, such as MID (Master’s International Development) and MDR (Master’s Development and Rural Innovation), among others, which engage with the inherent links between science, institutions, politics and ecology. We are taught how science is not neutral but shaped by the society we live in (scientists choosing to study one subject over another, funding being available for only certain types of research, limitations of where experiments can be conducted, etc).
In humanitarian studies, this line blurs even further. Students are taught how researching and applying technical ‘solutions’ is not always useful when underlying socio-political or socio-economic issues are not addressed. You may have heard that in many areas, hunger is not necessarily a problem of poor farming, but is created through, for example, political instability, or climate change. Critically engaging with these issues by analyzing these situations makes science inherently political, as politics is part of the playing field in which these problems arise.
Solving water and food scarcity in Gaza requires a critical engagement with the socio-political system in which these occur. Since the WUR is “for the quality of life”, we ask them to practice what they teach.
What about academic freedom?
Academic freedom means more than the freedom to collaborate with any institution. It also includes the freedom to critically examine the status quo. At the moment, Israeli universities heavily censor critical engagement with Israel’s infringement of Palestinian rights to self-determination.
Another issue is the infringement of Palestinian academic freedom. All universities and 85% of schools in Gaza have been severely damaged or destroyed by the IDF. 103 academics (our colleagues!) have been killed. Institutions (working at the behest of a government) that infringe(s) academic freedom should not be supported.
Would it even matter if WUR cuts ties with Israeli institutions? What would it accomplish?
It might seem inconsequential, a single university breaking ties with mere institutions. But if the WUR would do this, they would be the first Dutch university to show solidarity for the Palestinian cause, which would be a huge achievement in itself. With that, the WUR would show that Dutch universities have the freedom to express concerns about human rights violations, regardless of overarching governmental policies. These seemingly inconsequential acts help an international effort to pressure Israel into a ceasefire deal that will stop the immediate loss of life (yes, this includes releasing hostages).
A single drop of water cannot grow a plant, but a plant cannot grow without water.