SIGN PROTEST LETTER re. 'Israel Day of Science' at Science Museum London
Marple | 02.02.2009 17:22 | Anti-militarism | Anti-racism | Palestine
This post seeks signatures on a letter to the Science Museum in London imploring them not to host an 'Israel Day of Science' celebrating the work of Israel's universities, at a time when academic institutions throughout the world wish to boycott and sanction these institutions in order to put increasing pressure on the Israeli government to end the oppression of the Palestinian people. Please read and sign as you feel fit. Its a good letter and an important time to make our presence felt on this issue.
BRICUP is the British Committee for the Universities of Palestine...
Dear Supporter
With amazing and insensitive bad taste the Science Museum in London (and the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry) are allowing their premises to be used for an 'Israel Day of Science' sponsored by the Zionist Federation. The research of seven Israeli universities is to be showcased. The planned dates are March 3 (Manchester) and March 5 (London).
Details of the events
This cannot be allowed to happen. These universities are without exception complicit in the mechanisms and policies of the Israeli occupation, and in developing the military technology used in the massacre in Gaza. Protests are rolling in from scientists and non-scientists alike.
BRICUP has drafted a statement to be sent to the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the London Science Museum Lord Waldegrave. We are collecting the names of those who wish to support this statement - and we will then send it in with publicity. Please look at it, and if you agree let us know.
Unless you tell us to the contrary we will take it that you equally oppose the Israel Science Day in Manchester, and are willing to support an equivalent statement to the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry..
Please circulate this message urgently and widely. Time is short - the deadline for signatures is 21 February 21st. We believe that this outrageous piece of PR for Israel can be stopped.
Mike Cushman
for BRICUP
*BRICUP is an organisation of academics whose twin missions are:- *1. to support Palestinian universities, staff and students, and 2. to oppose the continued illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands with its concomitant breaches of international conventions of human rights, its refusal to accept UN resolutions or rulings of the International Court, and its persistent suppression of Palestinian academic freedom
In support of these aims, BRICUP's aims are to:-
a) Put pressure on the EU and the UK government for the exclusion of Israel from the European Research Area.
b) Develop a policy which encourages individual academics to break their professional links with Israel by such actions as:
i) Refusing research collaborations with Israeli institutions or to referee papers or grant applications issuing from such institutions
ii) Refusing to attend academic conferences in Israel
iii) Supporting Israeli academic colleagues working with Palestinian colleagues in their demand for self-determination and academic freedom
c) Work within our trades unions and professional organisations in support of such actions Explore forms of support to Palestinian academic colleagues
You can read more about our work on our website www.bricup.org.uk, or by purchasing our pamphlet "Why boycott Israeli Universities?" (Price including postage and packing within the UK £5.00).
*Donations and pamphlet purchase requests to:
BM BRICUP, London WC1N 3XX, UK*
Dear Supporter
With amazing and insensitive bad taste the Science Museum in London (and the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry) are allowing their premises to be used for an 'Israel Day of Science' sponsored by the Zionist Federation. The research of seven Israeli universities is to be showcased. The planned dates are March 3 (Manchester) and March 5 (London).
Details of the events
This cannot be allowed to happen. These universities are without exception complicit in the mechanisms and policies of the Israeli occupation, and in developing the military technology used in the massacre in Gaza. Protests are rolling in from scientists and non-scientists alike.
BRICUP has drafted a statement to be sent to the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the London Science Museum Lord Waldegrave. We are collecting the names of those who wish to support this statement - and we will then send it in with publicity. Please look at it, and if you agree let us know.
Unless you tell us to the contrary we will take it that you equally oppose the Israel Science Day in Manchester, and are willing to support an equivalent statement to the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry..
Please circulate this message urgently and widely. Time is short - the deadline for signatures is 21 February 21st. We believe that this outrageous piece of PR for Israel can be stopped.
Mike Cushman
for BRICUP
*BRICUP is an organisation of academics whose twin missions are:- *1. to support Palestinian universities, staff and students, and 2. to oppose the continued illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands with its concomitant breaches of international conventions of human rights, its refusal to accept UN resolutions or rulings of the International Court, and its persistent suppression of Palestinian academic freedom
In support of these aims, BRICUP's aims are to:-
a) Put pressure on the EU and the UK government for the exclusion of Israel from the European Research Area.
b) Develop a policy which encourages individual academics to break their professional links with Israel by such actions as:
i) Refusing research collaborations with Israeli institutions or to referee papers or grant applications issuing from such institutions
ii) Refusing to attend academic conferences in Israel
iii) Supporting Israeli academic colleagues working with Palestinian colleagues in their demand for self-determination and academic freedom
c) Work within our trades unions and professional organisations in support of such actions Explore forms of support to Palestinian academic colleagues
You can read more about our work on our website www.bricup.org.uk, or by purchasing our pamphlet "Why boycott Israeli Universities?" (Price including postage and packing within the UK £5.00).
*Donations and pamphlet purchase requests to:
BM BRICUP, London WC1N 3XX, UK*
Marple
e-mail:
jw474@cam.ac.uk
Comments
Hide the following 5 comments
So what are Israeli academic institutions expected to do?
02.02.2009 23:46
Not be involved in any way with research that might in some way benefit the military? So are you boycotting UK and US universities until they do the same?
Condemn the occupation / offensives? So are you boycotting UK and US universities until they do the same re. Iraq and Afghanistan?
Universities are centres for free expression and political questioning. Independent Jewish Voices (IJV) lost the support of Rabbi Dr David Goldberg, a prominent campaigner for Palestinian/Arab concerns, because it wouldn't condemn an academic boycott of Israel.
only me
same as any other ...
03.02.2009 08:31
... get lost.
jackslucid
Universities are centres for free expression and political questioning...
03.02.2009 13:29
um rahel
"same as any other ... body or organization gving comfort or cover for liars...
03.02.2009 16:40
I'm not defending the bombardment of Palestinian universities but isn't that where Hamas and Fatah compete for recruits during the freshers' season with derring-do about their suicide bombing exploits?
only me
'only me' - war criminal
04.02.2009 08:25
Basically, this is the same line as the fantastical liars of the IDF and the governing policies behind them, equivalent to the notion that anything the IDF bombs must be guilty [of something] because the IDF only bombs the guilty.
No proof is offered up, just the oft repeated claim that they know better. Far from 'not defending' potential war crimes, this 'only me' (and if only that were true - there seems to be a whole professional army of commentators that leap like mad things to deface any and every means of media communication with their pre-scripted megaphone ramblings) is in fact encouraaging them.
Such has been noted and, should the oportunity arise, will be acted upon.
Murderous criminal racists do not have any place in rational discourse and nor do their ridiculous posturings. Further, it is absolutly right and urgent that British academic institutions cease and break all ties with israeli racist warmongerers currently involved in training the next generation of war criminals planning new and more obnoxious weapons and justifications for the fullfilment of their bizzare religious creed.
... or should we just mimic the rhetoric and encouage the bombing of israeli academic institutions that compete for recruits during the freshers' season with derring-do about their high altitude bombing exploits?
jackslucid