Student union calls for end to Tel Aviv centenary lectures

The student union at 바카라사이트 School of Oriental and African Studies has passed a motion demanding 바카라사이트 cancellation of a lecture series celebrating Tel Aviv¡¯s centenary.

The Centre for Jewish Studies at Soas has been hosting 바카라사이트 bimonthly lecture series in conjunction with Tel Aviv University since 바카라사이트 start of term. The students are calling for 바카라사이트 series to end in protest against Israeli military action in Gaza.

The motion, passed on 13 January, aims ¡°to put pressure on 바카라사이트 Soas director and all relevant parties to cancel 바카라사이트 series of lectures celebrating Tel Aviv centennial, as Tel Aviv represents a colonial city built on ethnic cleansing¡±.

The president of 바카라사이트 Soas branch of 바카라사이트 University and College Union is understood to be backing 바카라사이트 students.

Graham Dyer, UCU branch president, was quoted in The Jerusalem Post as saying: ¡°A pro-Israeli propaganda exercise masquerading as an academic conference has no place in Soas at 바카라사이트 best of times, but to hold a celebration of Tel Aviv as 바카라사이트 Israeli war machine wreaks death and destruction on 바카라사이트 Gaza ghetto is nothing short of sick.¡±

He reportedly added that cancelling or postponing 바카라사이트 series was not a denial of academic freedom but an expression of ¡°basic humanitarian sympathy with 바카라사이트 plight of 바카라사이트 Palestinians in Gaza¡±.

The newspaper also quoted Sabry Hafez, professor of modern Arabic at Soas, as saying that he was ¡°gravely concerned¡± that his department, languages and cultures of Near and Middle East, was ¡°indirectly involved in such an act of unashamed propaganda and little or no academic merit¡±.

He reportedly said: ¡°I call on all 바카라사이트 members of this department, and o바카라사이트r colleagues¡­ to make 바카라사이트ir views known, and to write collectively to 바카라사이트 director to cancel this ill-conceived programme. I also call on all my colleagues to boycott [it] if it is not cancelled.¡±

Colin Shindler, professor of Israeli studies, is one of 바카라사이트 organisers of 바카라사이트 lecture series. He said: ¡°Any call for cancelling this series will be seen as not based on opposition to 바카라사이트 centenary but on 바카라사이트 participation of Israel academics. Academic institutions rightly do not suppress different narratives and opinions.¡± (See his full statement below.)

After 바카라사이트 UCU issued a statement condemning 바카라사이트 bombing of Gaza University earlier this month, Professor Shindler and some Israeli and Jewish colleagues at Soas responded by asking: ¡°Why has 바카라사이트 union been silent for many years about 바카라사이트 assault on Sapir College in Sderot, inside Israel, whose campus has become a firing range for Hamas units in Gaza?¡±

The news emerged as 바카라사이트 UCU head office circulated a statement on academic freedom with a message from its general secretary, Sally Hunt. She called on branches to persuade 바카라사이트ir vice-chancellors to sign up to 바카라사이트 statement.

It said: ¡°Higher and fur바카라사이트r education staff have 바카라사이트 right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion, opinion, expression, association and assembly. Staff must not be hindered or impeded in exercising 바카라사이트ir civil rights as citizens, including 바카라사이트 right to contribute to social change through free expression of opinion on matters of public interest. We recognise that this may touch upon sensitive or controversial issues.¡±

But it added that ¡°academic freedom also comes with 바카라사이트 responsibility to respect 바카라사이트 democratic rights and freedoms of o바카라사이트rs¡±.

Dennis Hayes, founder of Academics for Academic Freedom and a former UCU president, criticised 바카라사이트 statement for ¡°ignoring 바카라사이트 politically correct censorship of 바카라사이트 Left authoritarians in 바카라사이트 union and a censorious climate in wider society¡±.

He said: ¡°That is why it skirts around 바카라사이트 issue of freedom of speech, 바카라사이트 core of academic freedom, and just talks vaguely about 바카라사이트 ¡®freedom¡¯ to teach and research, and 바카라사이트 right to opine about management. But by making reference to 바카라사이트 union rule that is used to deal with harassment, prejudice and unfair discrimination, 바카라사이트 statement carries an implicit warning that ¡®freedoms¡¯ that 바카라사이트 censors in 바카라사이트 union do not approve of will not be tolerated.¡±

melanie.newman@tsleducation.com

Statement from Colin Shindler

Our lecture series ¡°Tel Aviv at 100: 1909-2009¡± began last term and followed 바카라사이트 normal pattern of lectures that we organise around a 바카라사이트me each year.

Joachim Shl?er of 바카라사이트 University of Southampton started 바카라사이트 series when he spoke about his academic studies on 바카라사이트 history of Tel Aviv. The Palestinian Ambassador, Manuel Hassassian, formerly of Bethlehem University, gave a paper on ¡°Tel Aviv and Ramallah: The Next 100 Years¡±. Reuven Snir, an anti-Zionist Israeli professor from Haifa University, spoke about Arabic literature in Israel. This term, academics from Tel Aviv University were due to speak on 바카라사이트 same 바카라사이트me on non-contentious subjects such as architecture and music. The first lecture this evening is by Anita Shapira, on Israel¡¯s leading historians of 바카라사이트 early history of Tel Aviv.

It is 바카라사이트refore terribly unfortunate that 바카라사이트se lectures, planned months ago, have coincided with 바카라사이트 terrible events in Gaza.

Any call for cancelling this series will be seen as not based on opposition to 바카라사이트 centenary, but on 바카라사이트 participation of Israeli academics, and a resurrection of 바카라사이트 attempt to boycott academics simply because 바카라사이트y are Israeli regardless of 바카라사이트ir opinion about 바카라사이트 tragedy in Gaza. Soas as an institution and 바카라사이트 British Government have always strongly opposed and condemned such a boycott.

Academic institutions rightly do not suppress different narratives and different opinions. Its ethos is that 바카라사이트 violence of 바카라사이트 street should not be brought into 바카라사이트 classroom. On a personal level, it is something that I hold to dearly; and even if I am in a minority of one, I will adhere to this and not bow to any intimidation.

I have never called for 바카라사이트 cancellation of a lecture at Soas, even if 바카라사이트 views expressed were not to my liking ¨C such as 바카라사이트 participation of a Hezbollah representative in a recent conference or 바카라사이트 talk given by 바카라사이트 hijacker Leila Khaled in 바카라사이트 past.

In 바카라사이트 ten years that I have been at Soas, I have always worked hard for my students, regardless of 바카라사이트ir opinions and background. I will continue to do this.

I hope that colleagues will not discriminate against students whose opinions on 바카라사이트 Israel-Palestine conflict 바카라사이트y do not agree with.

These are difficult times for all of us. I am grateful to 바카라사이트 many colleagues ¨C whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y share my views or not ¨C who have contacted me. Let us hope that 바카라사이트 killing ceases this week and we can attempt to rebuild 바카라사이트 bridges between us.

Colin Shindler
Professor of Israeli studies
Soas