ALBAWABA - A movement to stop students from going to Israeli colleges is growing. Nada Hussien, who is the coordinator for Palestine and the Arab World for PACBI, says these schools should be boycotted because they play a big part in settler colonialism and apartheid.
The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement is leading the academic boycott effort against Israeli universities. In a recent interview, Hussien talked about the movement's goals and effects. She made it clear that the goal of the effort is to stop Israel from hiding its crimes and violations against Palestinians in the arts, culture, academia, and sports.
Hussien noticed that there was a rise in support for the Palestinians' fight for freedom and justice around the world. Since October 7, 2023, thousands of scientists and academic institutions have shown support at a level that has never been seen before.
A lot of academic groups have signed open letters, petitions, and pleas calling for an academic boycott. They have also called for a ceasefire, the reopening of border crossings, the sending of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and the lifting of the blockade.
The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University recently ended its deal with the Israeli company Elbit Systems because the Palestinian Federation of University Professors and Employees Union (PFUUPE) put pressure on them to do so. This choice was made after fighting against the school for more than a year.
Also, four Norwegian universities have cut links with Israeli schools. For example, OsloMet University has ended its exchange agreements with Haifa University and will no longer work with any Israeli schools in the future.
People want to stop going to Israeli colleges because they take part in settler colonialism and apartheid. For example, Ariel University was built on Palestinian land that was taken away illegally, and Tel Aviv University and the Technion Institute worked together on projects that made things worse for Palestinians.
professors are being asked to join the boycott of Israeli universities because they know that Israeli universities target Palestinian students and professors on purpose and destroy the education system in Palestine over and over again. The boycott is an important part of the world's efforts to hold Israel responsible for breaking international law and human rights.
