don't boycott israeli academics

Yoshie Furuhashi furuhashi.1 at osu.edu
Sat Jul 13 09:31:31 PDT 2002



>Yoshie Furuhashi wrote:
>
>>The Academic Boycott of South Africa: Symbolic Gesture or Effective
>>Agent of Change?
>
>Of course, one difference between that and an Israeli boycott is
>that in SA, there was a righteous mass movement calling for it.
>There's no comparable force in Israel, is there?
>
>Doug

The majority of Israeli and diaspora Jews, I believe, currently do not support _any_ boycott of and divestment from Israel, though a minority of them have expressed support for this or that boycott or divestment campaign (Cf. <http://www.matzpun.com/>, <http://207.71.8.52/newwebsite/jewsagainsttheoccupation.org/what.html>). If that's an argument against an academic boycott of Israel, that's also an argument against any boycott/divestment campaign against Israel.

Israel and apartheid South Africa do not have the same demographic reality. The apartheid regime of South Africa was a _minority_ racist regime; whereas, due to the expulsions at the founding of Israel, Palestinians are a minority -- about 20% -- of the Israeli population, though the Jewish majority would become a precarious 54%, if you counted the populations of Israel and the occupied territories together. If you have to wait until the majority of Israeli and diaspora Jews sign onto the boycott/divestment campaign, you'll be waiting for a long time.

Here's another document from the campaign to boycott apartheid South Africa:

***** Document 98

Declaration of the International Conference on Sanctions Against South Africa, Paris, 27 May 1981.

A/CONF.107/8, 1981

200. The International conference on Sanctions against South Africa, organized by the United Nations in co-operation with the Organization of African Unity, was held at Unesco House, Paris, from 20-27 May 1981.

201. The Conference was attended by representatives of 122 Governments, the United Nations organs, Organization of African Unity, Movement of Non-aligned Countries, specialized agencies of the United Nations, intergovernmental organizations, national liberation movements, international and national non-governmental organizations as well as a number of experts and leading statesmen. The national liberation movements of South Africa and Namibia - the African National Congress of South Africa, the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania and the South West Africa People's Organization - were represented by high-level delegations led by their respective Presidents.

202. The Conference reviewed the situation in South Africa, and in southern Africa as a whole. There was also an extensive exchange of views on the feasibility of sanctions and other means as credible measures not involving force, which the world community can employ to exert diplomatic, economic and other pressures against the racist regime of South Africa. Such measures could avert the grave danger to international peace and security arising from the policy and action of the racist regime of South Africa. The International Conference, then adopted the following declaration which it commends for the earnest and urgent attention of all Governments, organizations and peoples for appropriate action to secure the expeditious eradication of apartheid and liberation of Namibia from illegal occupation by South Africa's racist regime....

... 260. It draws particular attention to the constructive value of consumer boycott, sports boycott, cultural and academic boycott, divestment from transnational corporations and financial institutions operating in South Africa. It encourages assistance to the victims of apartheid and their national liberation movements, as appropriate actions by the public, in support of international sanctions against South Africa....

Many entertainers rejected South African offers, some at considerable sacrifice, because of their opposition to racism. They appreciated the position of the black people of South Africa and of anti-apartheid movements that the so-called "reforms" were only a cover to divert attention from the entrenchment of apartheid, particularly through the bantustan policy designed to deprive the African majority even of its citizenship, from forced removals of millions of African people from their homes and from brutal repression of opponents of apartheid, including the indiscriminate killing of schoolchildren protesting against racial discrimination.

Some entertainers, however, were enticed by the propaganda and the tempting financial offers of apartheid to defy the boycott and perform in South Africa.

In view of this, and on the recommendation of the Special Committee, the General Assembly adopted a separate resolution of 16 December 1980, calling for "cultural, academic and other boycotts of South Africa" (resolution 35/206 E). The Assembly adopted another separate resolution on the matter on 17 December 1981, as resolution 36/172 I.

The Special Committee intensified its efforts for a cultural boycott by appeals to artists and cultural groups which were reported to be planning tours of South Africa, and by publicity to the General Assembly resolutions on the matter. It encouraged and assisted anti-apartheid groups active in promoting the cultural boycott.

On 18 March 1982, it co-sponsored a forum on the cultural boycott at the United Nations with the participation of several South African artists and writers in exile. In August 1982, it publicized the declaration of O'Jays, the American singing group, supporting the boycott of South Africa and urged all others to follow the example. On 24 October 1982, it supported the establishment of the "Unity of Action" network in New York for a cultural boycott of South Africa. In September 1983, it encouraged and assisted Transafrica and associated groups to establish the "Artists and Athletes against apartheid", under the leadership of Harry Belafonte and Arthur Ashe, to promote the cultural and sports boycott of South Africa.

It also initiated active efforts to mobilize cultural personalities in the international campaign against apartheid. It held hearings with several cultural personalities, and assisted in the organization of an international art exhibit against apartheid and in other projects.

It appealed to Governments to take appropriate measures such as the denial of visa-free entry to South Africans.

The efforts of the Special Committee found an encouraging response among Governments, cultural organizations and personalities.

The Government of Japan announced in June 1974 that no visas would be issued to South African nationals for the purpose of interchanges in the field of sports, culture and education. The Government of the Netherlands suspended its cultural agreement with South Africa after the Soweto massacre in 1976 and abrogated it in 1981. Several countries which had formerly provided visa-free entry to South Africans instituted visas.

Many cultural organizations and artists boycotted South Africa in response to appeals by the Special Committee in co-operation with Anti-apartheid groups. To give but two recent examples: Sir Richard Attenborough, director of the film "Gandhi", canceled plans to attend the showing of the film in South Africa in April 1983, and the South African delegation was forced to leave the film festival in Capri in September 1983.

The Special Committee also encouraged support for the cultural activities of the South African liberation movements recognized by the Organization of African Unity - the African National Congress of South Africa and the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania - and welcomed events which express solidarity with the cultural workers in the struggle for liberation in South Africa.

One important event was the "Culture and Resistance" festival and symposium which took place in Gaborone, Botswana, from 5 to 9 July 1982, with the participation of many South African musicians, writers, artists and other cultural workers. The Conference supported a cultural boycott of South Africa.

The Special Committee against apartheid also encouraged the conference on "The Cultural Voice of Resistance - South African and Dutch Artists against apartheid", organized by the Netherlands Anti-apartheid Movement in Amsterdam from 13 to 18 December 1982....

G. Cultural, educational, sporting and other collaboration with South Africa

(7) With regard to educational, cultural, sporting and other collaboration:

(a) Suspend cultural, educational, sporting and other exchanges with the racist regime and with organization or institutions in South Africa which practise apartheid;

(b) Implement United Nations resolutions on apartheid in sports and, in particular:

(i) Refrain from all contact with sports bodies established on the basis of apartheid and with racially selected sports teams from South Africa;

(ii) Withhold any support from sporting events organized with the participation of teams from South Africa;

(iii) Encourage sports organizations to refrain form any exchanges with teams from South Africa;

(c) Abrogate and cancel all cultural agreements and similar arrangements with the racist regime or South Africa;

(d) Cease any cultural and academic collaboration with Souht Africa, including the exchange of scientists, students and academic personalities, as well as cooperation in research programmes;

(e) Prevent any promotion of tourism to South Africa;

(f) Terminate visa-free entry privileges to South African nationals;

(g) Take appropriate action with respect to persons whose names appear in lists published by the Special Committee against apartheid of sportsmen, entertainers and others visiting South Africa....

[The full text is available at <http://www.undp.org.za/docs/apartheid/undocs2b.html>.] *****

A far severer program than the one advocated by Steven Rose, et al. -- Yoshie

* Calendar of Events in Columbus: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/calendar.html> * Anti-War Activist Resources: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/activist.html> * Student International Forum: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/> * Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osu.edu/students/CJP/>



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