Dutch scientists boycott Israeli universities
Over 400 scientists and teachers are boycotting Israeli academic institutions because of their ties to the army. They want the Netherlands to stand up for the Palestinians and to break all economic, political and military ties with Israel for the time being.
The petition calling for this has been signed by 425 scientists and lecturers from Dutch universities and universities of higher education, including some twenty TU Delft employees. They write that the current armed conflict in Israel is not between equal parties. According to them, Palestinians live as second-class citizens in an apartheid system, under military occupation. This is the cause of the escalation of violence now taking place in Israel, according to the petition.
The Dutch government should cut “all economic, political and military ties” with Israel until the rights of the Palestinians are guaranteed. The signatories themselves say they are heeding the call of Palestinian colleagues to boycott Israeli academic institutions because of their ties to the army. As far as they are concerned, cooperation with individual Israeli scientists and teachers can continue. (HOP, HC)
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