Boycott Israel? Norwegian University Must Decide

Later this month, Norway's second largest university, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), will consider a proposed boycott of Israel.

The university's board of directors is expected to vote on an appeal by several employees calling for a boycott of "the educational, research and cultural institutions of Israel and their representatives, regardless of religion or nationality."

Why the call for the boycott? The appeal's first sentence says it all: "Since 1948, the state of Israel has occupied Palestinian land and denied the Palestinians basic human rights." The boycott should continue until there "is an end to the occupation."

It goes on to accuse Israeli academics, among other alleged misdeeds, of developing "Zionist ideology and renouncing Palestinian history and identity."

There you have it. Israel is deemed illegal. It has no right to exist. Until it disappears from the face of the earth, it must be treated as a pariah nation, so radioactive as to be untouchable.

Well, as least the petitioners are being honest.

More often, we're treated to deliberately vague slogans such as "end the occupation," without any specificity. Do these calls refer to 1948, the year of Israel's establishment, or 1967, the year Israel fought a war of self-defense and, in winning, acquired territory it then expected to trade for a peace agreement? It can be hard, if not impossible, to tell.

Of all the nations in the world, according to these Norwegian luminaries, only Israel has no legitimacy and must be ostracized.

Obviously, the ancient Hebrew presence, the continuous link between the Jewish people and the land, the Balfour Declaration, the League of Nations mandate, and the votes of the UN Special Committee on Palestine and the UN General Assembly have no bearing, though they provide a legal and historical foundation for statehood far exceeding that of many countries.

In reality, if the petitioners were truly concerned about sovereign legitimacy, they might begin by asking how many countries in the world today were established by violent conquest. And how many were created by politicians in distant capitals dispassionately drawing and redrawing boundaries in far-off lands?

The list would be a rather long one and, incidentally, would include any number of Arab countries. (For instance, the indigenous people of North Africa were not Arab, yet today the countries of the Maghreb are all referred to as Arab, following invasion and occupation.)

The petitioners' appeal also assails Israel for creating a climate of fear and harassment at the "eleven Palestinian universities in Gaza and the West Bank."

Not surprisingly, no mention is made of the fact that there were no universities whatsoever in Gaza or the West Bank before 1967. They all emerged after Israeli rule.

And there's no reference to what took place in the West Bank and Gaza before 1967. It's as if it were a historical black hole, even if it shouldn't be for those who claim concern for "Palestinian history and identity."

The West Bank was in Jordanian, not Israeli, hands. Indeed, Jordan formally annexed the territory. Gaza was under Egyptian military rule.

No one spoke of a Palestinian state, though the Arab world had the power to create one at the time. And no one in Amman or Cairo had any interest in fostering a sense of "Palestinian history and identity," except as a weapon to be used against Israel, whose destruction they sought.

But surely none of this concerns the Norwegian signatories to the boycott appeal. It's all just a diversion from the one issue at hand. Theirs is a singular preoccupation with Israel. Nothing else matters.

If the petitioners were genuinely concerned about human rights, of course, they would appeal to NTNU - an institution with a proud international character and hundreds of cooperative agreements with universities around the world - to boycott serial violators of basic liberties, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

For some reason, most likely to be found in the deep recesses of the human mind, the rights of Iranians, North Koreans, Burmese, Cubans, Darfuris, Zimbabweans, and others just don't have the same cachet for those single-mindedly focused on Israel.

To the petitioners, that Israel is consistently rated by Freedom House as far more democratic than its neighbors has no bearing. That the American Association of University Professors, in response to the Norwegian boycott move, noted that "Israel has the best record of supporting academic freedom of any country in the area," falls on deaf ears. That Israel alone in its region doesn't have capital punishment means not a whit. That Israel faces enemies who would destroy it clearly has no claim on their conscience. And that Israel's Arab population has continued to grow, even as the Jewish population in neighboring Arab countries was compelled to flee, evokes at best a yawn.

I hope the university's board of directors will do the right thing on November 12.

Whether or not each member of the board loves Israel, or approves of every Israeli action, isn't the issue.

The board should reject the appeal because of its naked politicization and bias, which should have no place in an academic institution like NTNU.

But I also hope the petitioners will have the courage of consistency. If they want a boycott of Israel, then they should lead by example.

If any of them or their families suffers from multiple sclerosis, let them refuse to take Copaxone.

If they have Parkinson's disease, stop the Azilect.

If they need an endoscopy, make sure the doctor doesn't use the PillCam, the ingestible video capsule to evaluate gastrointestinal ailments.

If they use a computer, check first that it doesn't have Israeli technology developed for Intel.

And they shouldn't dare go near their cell phones, which are filled with Israeli innovations.

In fact, Israel ranks in the top twenty nations in the world for patent filings, so the petitioners will need to be extremely vigilant.

And since four Israeli universities are ranked among the top two hundred in the world (Norway has one on the list, and it's not NTNU), with especially high ratings in science, medicine, and technology, the petitioners will have to be very busy watching out for any Israeli "intrusion" into their lives.

But, hey, all this constant attention will have at least one redeeming feature for the petitioners. It'll keep them from grappling with the real complexities on the ground in the Middle East. How much easier it must be for them to cling to their airtight narrative of hatred of Israel.

 

Comments

[TheLonelyGod]

I don't know if anyone is still reading this thread, but if you are: The Norwegian university voted unanimous against the boycott:

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1258027275931&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[Jennifer31]

"Since 1948, the state of Israel has occupied Palestinian land ..." The boycott should continue until there "is an end to the occupation."
This statement is consistent with the current official Palestinian charter that calls for destruction of the state of Israel.

[Sentientbeing09]

If Israelis want to declare a state and expand their borders fine. Nobodys stopping them declaring independence.

Just dont do it on occupied Palestinian land by killing the population and demolishing their homes. Whats hard to understand about that?

Many of Israels claims are illegal and illigitimate. They have no support anywhere outside Washington lobbying organizations.

[Steven114]

Boycotting academic institutions? What's next, burning the books?

[Sentientbeing09]

No. Economic Sanctions.

[Steven114]

Are the arabs ever blamed for their actions against Israel? All the bombings, and not one cares about the jewish suffering. Nothing new I guess. You cant encourage violence from one side, and expect that there will be no reply to it.

[califlefty]

I suggest that all those here posting in favor of boycotting Israel man-up and prove their moral character by carrying a card in their wallets stating that in case of medical emergency "All Israel manufactured or invented devices, pharmaceuticals laboratory or diagnostic materials be withheld, in my diagnosis treatment or where available equivalent Palestinian, Iranian, Syrian or Saudi materials be used in their instead. " Good luck with that.

[Sentientbeing09]

Oh please. Israel is hardly a powerhouse of technological invovation. Theyre no better or worse than any Western industrialized nation. Good marketeers though!

Pro-Israel hand-clappers even credit themselves for the succeses of American companies such as Motorola and IBM for no other reason than they have a manufacturing plant located there.

Boycott Israel.

India and China will be more than eager to take up the slack.

[alexa07]

The Israeli expansionists & their American friends want to turn back the clock. Can't do. Too much of the world is watching daily as the Palestinians undergo any number of losses, confiscations, demolitions, settler rampages, harassment by guards in watchtowers & the like on the international satellite channels. The Gaza onslaught & carnage was likewise a real turning point as protests occurred in countries all the way from Mexico across Asia, Europe & even in the USA (despite our craven media filters). The world has begun to respond with boycotting as the next step after protesting. Israeli leaders have been put on notice. You may try to counter the momentum, but it will continue to build until even the most apologetic US Congress & media leaders will have to disconnect themselves from the racist pro-occupation, pro-settlement policies of the Israel govt.

[Wozzeck]

"Not surprisingly, no mention is made of the fact that there were no universities whatsoever in Gaza or the West Bank before 1967. They all emerged after Israeli rule."

A visit to the oldest Palestinian university's web site discloses Israel's great assistance to Palestinian universities:

"After the June 1967 war, when the West Bank and Gaza fell under Israeli military occupation, the College saw the pressing need for developing into a full fledged university, essentially to provide higher educational opportunities to students who were often barred from continuing their education abroad due to imposed military travel restrictions. Therefore, the College announced in 1972 its plans for the development of a four-year program leading to a Bachelor degree in Arts and Sciences."

"In 1973, just as Birzeit's development into a full-fledged university was nearing completion, Israel closed the campus by military order for two weeks. This was the first of many military ordered closures. Between 1979 and 1992, the University was closed 60% of the time. The 15th and last closure lasted for 51 months, from January 8, 1988 until April 29, 1992. During this prolonged period of closure, the University continued to operate underground with small study groups in makeshift arrangements outside the campus. Under such conditions, many students needed as long as 10 years to complete their four-year degree courses."

The university's president, Hanna Nasser, was deported by Israel in 1974.

http://www.birzeit.edu/about_bzu/p/2542

[Macready]

You are misrepresnting the Norwegian academics . . . which for your own ends . . it does not strengthen your argument . . rather the reverse . . .

I am am with them!. . . I applaud them . . . I hope other instittutions will follow their lead!

[Wisdo]

"Since 1948, the state of Israel has occupied Palestinian land and denied the Palestinians basic human rights." The boycott should continue until there "is an end to the occupation."

There you have it. Israel is deemed illegal. It has no right to exist. Until it disappears from the face of the earth, it must be treated as a pariah nation, so radioactive as to be untouchable"

I see what you did there. Very clever. If it were not for the fact that I too, can read english. I can read the first sentence, and I can read the second one - where you pretend the first one said something different.

[Trial Lawyer]

what so called Palestinian lands was Israel occupying in 1948? Claiming that is advocating for the destruction of the state of Israel

[Sentientbeing09]

Many of Israels claims are illigitmate and illegal. They have no support.

Recognizing international law and human morality is more important that massaging Israels ego and border ambitions.

[Justtellthetruth]

This story is being GROSSLY misrepresented by it's author.

The facts are simple. The people organizing the boycott do not seek the end of Israel, as he tries to color their intentions, but rather cause them to commit to remove the occupation and the settlers from the occupied territories.

For the purpose of getting REAL negotiations going.

Here is what they REALLY want.

"We, who have signed this letter, believe that it is time that academic institutions contributed to an international pressure against Israel so that real negotiations between Israel, democratically elected Palestinian authorities and the international society can begin," the letter said."

Israel is running the worlds only violently enforced colonial settler movement in violation of international law as interpreted by the US state departments reading of the Geneva convention. This has led to thousands of unnecessary deaths and to decades suffering for millions of palestinians

So, NOT for the end of israel, but for negotiations for removal of settlements and occupation. A noble cause. The same cause that our president (hopefully still) is fighting for.

In fact, I hope our president takes an important lesson from these brave people and starts to bring SERIOUS financial and diplomatic pressure to bear on this ultra right wing, radical Israeli administration.

[vascopyjama]

You won't find any US universities doing something like this. Our institutions are all about making money.

[Freenation]

give me a break, can anyone please stop the intel, cell, internet innovations example please!!! if they invented they got paid was it given free to the world?

norwegian university should be commended for their action, as for israeli academics this boycott is not for them but towards the people who are hindering the peace process...

[Sentientbeing09]

Who cares what they claim to have invented. It doesnt affect the purpose of a boycott.

Makes the Israeli policies of illegal occupation of Palestine too expensive to continue.

Make the Israelis pay dearly for every Palestinian home demolished and every olive tree destroyed.

Every branch. Every brick.

[JackWhistle]

One state. Send in the army and marines to make sure the Israelis don't try to undermine the democracy (the powerful are never willing to let go). Thats my call. Regardless, this is a great development. About damn time too. Should be some boycotts over the US too, until Bush and co are prosecuted. Same with any state, corp, or organization that commits atrocities. Actually we would have to prosecute a hell of a lot more than Bush and co to clean our slate. Ooof.. we got work to do.

[reciprocat]

Yeah...this is actually a good idea, if it actually happens. They will, as far as I know, be the first University to take a full stand.

A peek at the "Economic and political boycotts of Israel" page of wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_and_political_boycotts_of_Israel) reveals that boycotts on different levels are apparently on the increase.

This is a good thing. According to Noam Chomsky "public opinion in the US and Britain is increasingly becoming more aware of the crimes committed by Israel." It's efforts like these boycotts that make this awareness possible as the U.S. mainstream media and opinion shows never acknowledge the occupation and other unpeaceful endeavors of Israel to be a crime.

No, a boycott like this is not a serious attempt to change Israeli policy all by itself. That is not what is expected. It is designed to comply with the conciouses of the boycotters, but also equally importantly, bring an announcement of the seriousness of the crimes to a wider audience. This announcement is particularly important to get to the U.S. where serious discussion about how to influence our bestest friend in the middle-east towards better behavior is essentially forbidden.

[SimonNZ]

The worldwide boycotts of apartheid South Africa started in Scandinavian universities, a fact that must be extremely worrying for Israel.