Written by Raquel Blankvoort
At 1pm today, the USyd (University of Sydney) branch of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) will vote on a motion to adopt an academic boycott of Israeli universities.
The vote followed pressure from ongoing student camps and protests calling for the University of Sydney to sever ties with Israel.
Students at the camp can support the vote.
NTEU President Nick Riemer of the USyd Chapter said: ABCMadeline Hunger, “We are not calling for a boycott of academics who happen to work at Israeli institutions or universities. We are calling for USyd to systematically sever ties with Israeli universities.'' ”
“That means we are against institutional-level cooperation between our universities and Israeli universities.”
This includes exchanges, fellowships, joint funding schemes and other bilateral cooperation.
“We also ask the university not to cooperate in any way with Israeli university leaders, such as deans and presidents, because they are not responsible for the university’s support of the perpetual war against Palestine. Because we are inflicting it,” he continued.
He stressed that it would be an organizational boycott, not an individual boycott.
NTEU has more than 27,000 members and has offices on most university campuses. According to its website, it aims to provide a collective of representatives who support a safe and secure employment environment for staff and students.
The Students Against War (SAW) campaign posted on its Instagram page calling on all protesters to join us on campus grounds and encouraging all staff to vote for and support the academic boycott. calling out.
SAW said in a statement: “If passed, this motion would strengthen staff support for the demands established by students for the university to sever ties with Israel through the encampment, and would be passed in other parts of the university. “This could potentially stimulate a motion to move forward.” NTEU. ”
“If we want to force this university to sever ties with Israel, the united struggle of students and workers is the fight we need.”
Students set up camp on the Quadrangle Lawn on April 23, gathering and protesting in solidarity and support for Palestinians affected by the war in Gaza. Since then, students across the country have set up similar camps, demanding that universities sever ties with Israeli industry and universities.
