Palestinian teachers welcome Irish boycott on Israel

TUI motion to academically boycott Israel calls the country an ‘apartheid state’ London – Tom Rollins Palestinian educational unions have welcomed an announcement by the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) to endorse an academic boycott of Israel. The TUI voted unanimously to support an academic boycott during the organisation’s annual conference last Thursday.
The union called on members to “cease all cultural and academic collaboration with Israel, including the exchange of scientists, students and academic personalities, as well as all cooperation in research programmes.”
The motion also refers to Israel as an “apartheid state.”
Palestinian unions have called the language of the motion “unprecedented” in a letter welcoming the TUI announcement.
Jim Roche, TUI member and boycott endorser, said: “Such a ringing endorsement from Palestine should motivate all involved to do their utmost to ensure the TUI decision is just the beginning.”
“As Palestinian education is under constant attack by Israel, people who care about human rights must act in its defence,” he added. “This boycott is not an attack on academic freedom – it’s an attempt to protect it.”