From an Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign press release:
At its Annual Congress on Thursday 4th April 2013, the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) became the first academic union in Europe to endorse the Palestinian call for an academic boycott of Israel. The motion, which refers to Israel as an “apartheid state”, calls for “all 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” was passed by a unanimous vote during today’s morning session.
The motion further calls on the Irish Congress of Trade Unions to “step up its campaign for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against the apartheid state of Israel until it lifts its illegal siege of Gaza and its illegal occupation of the West Bank, and agrees to abide by International law and all UN Resolutions against it”, and on the TUI to conduct an awareness campaign amongst members on the need for BDS. The motion was a composite motion proposed by the TUI Executive Committee and TUI Dublin Colleges Branch. It was presented by Jim Roche, a lecturer in the DIT School of Architecture and member of the TUI Dublin Colleges Union branch, and seconded by Gerry Quinn, Vice President of the TUI.
Speaking after the successful passage of the motion, Jim Roche said: “I am very pleased that this motion was passed with such support by TUI members, especially coming the day after Israeli occupation forces shot and killed two Palestinian teenagers in the West Bank yesterday. BDS is a noble non-violent method of resisting Israeli militarism, occupation and apartheid, and there is no question that Israel is implementing apartheid policies against the Palestinians. Indeed, many veterans of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa have said that it’s worse than what was experienced there.”
The full motion reads:
241. Executive Committee/Dublin Colleges(x4)
TUI demand that ICTU step up its campaign for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against the apartheid state of Israel until it lifts its illegal siege of Gaza and its illegal occupation of the West Bank, and agrees to abide by International law and all UN Resolutions against it.
Congress instructs the Executive Committee to:
(a) Conduct an awareness campaign amongst TUI members on the need for BDS
(b) Request all 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. (ENDS)
You can read the entire Palestinian call for the academic and cultural boycott of Israel here.
Interview with Mizrahi Jews in Israel:
What do you think of the statement “I don’t hate Jews, I hate Zionists”?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMaYGh6pb-E
Yeah, I mentioned this earlier on MW–first EU academic boycott of Israel by the Irish Teachers Union….gotta love how the Irish are on this, in Ireland, if not so much in America.
After all the cover ups and collusions with the Catholic Church it’s nice to be able to feel proud of Ireland again.
Ireland’s experience of colonial occupation is similar to Palestine’s: the lack of civil rights, the right to self determination, anti-Catholic discrimination, etc. The memory of British occupation is raw in much of Ireland. When I was in Balinamore–close to the Northern Ireland’s border–I was told by Irish people I knew that “there are killers around here.” They were referring to Irish terrorists–IRA men. My landlord was one of them! A statue in Ballinamore celebrates Castro and a local Irish patriot (some would say terrorist) whose son ran a local bar. I’d play golf at the public course ($60 for a year’s membership). One day playing in a foursome with a judge I was told: “everybody around here knows who blew up Lord Mountbatten’s yacht; he lives here.”
Now so called Irish politicians like Peter King shill for Israel. I guess assimilation can kill the soul.
See also Iain Banks statement on BDS:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/apr/05/iain-banks-cultural-boycott-israel