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May 14, 2002

Professor Yehuda Hayuth, President  yhayuth@uvm.haifa.ac.il
Professor Aaron Ben-Ze'ev, Rector   benzeev@research.haifa.ac.il
Professor Aharon Kellerman, Vice Pres.   akeller@research.haifa.ac.il
Ms Yael Metser, VP for PR & Resource Mgmt  myael@univ.haifa.ac.il
Professor Yossi Ben-Artzi, Dean of Humanities yossib@univ.haifa.ac.il
Professor Arye Rattner, Dean of Social Sciences  arattner@soc.haifa.ac.il
Professor Moshe Zeidner, Dean of Research zeidner@research.haifa.ac.il
Professor Gideon Fishman, Dean Graduate School fgidi@soc.haifa.ac.il
 

Dear Professors,
Fishman, Zeidner, Rattner, Ben-Artzi, Metser, Kellerman, Ben-Ze-ev, and Hayuth:
 

Responsible academics are committed to the principles of free speech and scientific inquiry. Yet I am given to understand that your dean of humanities (you, Professor Ben-Artzi?) is demanding the firing of Professor Ilan Pappe because of "positions he has taken." Let's consider the sins, shall we?

Pappe is one of the well known historians who have challenged Israel's version of its establishment, and expressed full support for the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and lands from which they were expelled in 1948 and thereafter. Pappe's works have provided evidence of the systematic massacres of Palestinians by Zionist militants in the months prior to establishment of Israel.

Pappe has also criticized the University's academic disqualification of a grad  student (Katz) whose thesis research reported findings concerning the massacre  of Palestinians committed by Israeli forces at Tantura, a suburb of Haifa. Were the findings, however, true? And if people who discover and write about the truth are systematically expelled from the University, what will you be left with?

The details reported by the grad student were, in fact, true. The witnesses included Palestinians and others.  Mr. Jawdat Al-Hindi was among those who witnessed the atrocity, and is now living here in North Carolina. He says he personally saw the "execution of men in rows of 8-10 who were then buried in mass graves."

As you may know, there are growing movements in the US and around the world for boycotting Israeli goods, encouraging university divestiture from Israel, and (recently), academic boycotts of Israeli institutions. This is all aimed at encouraging Israel to end the occupation and comply with international law. Israel will do these things, at the end of the day, and that end will come sooner with less suffering on all sides if these actions are made meaningful. The Palestinians have every motivation to want peace, and it is important for Israeli's to be equally motivated. that will not happen without some suffering and hurt feelings among your countrymen and women.

As academics, though, I urge you to separate your politics from your university administration, for the sake of professionalism. Your careers, your university's reputation, and the state of Israel will be better served, in the long run, for your having done so.

If you the opinions of this American citizen do not concern you, I urge you to look instead to the principles and values that have been taught by the world's greatest philosophers and spiritual leaders. Look also at the letter and statements of the IDF reservists who refuse to fight beyond the 1967 borders (http://www.seruv.org.il/ or in English at http://www.seruv.org.il/defaulteng.asp). Ask yourself what you would do if the Palestinian and Israeli roles were reversed. Ask yourself if this
situation is acceptable. And support those voices that are raising the issues and questions that need to be faced, including Professor Pappe.
 

Respectfully,

Claiborne M. Clark
Durham, NC, USA
 

PS- If you have not seen it: The Letter of Academic Boycott

There is widespread international condemnation for Israel's policy of violent repression against the Palestinian people in the Occupied Territories and its denial of basic human rights such as the right of refugees to return to their homes and lands. The Israeli government appears impervious to moral appeals from world leaders or to United Nations resolutions. The major potential source of effective criticism, the United States government, seems reluctant to act and continues to fund Israel to the tune of billions of dollars per year.

However, there are ways of exerting pressure from within the US. Support for Israel comes from many US cultural and research institutions, including those funded from the US government with our tax dollars (through NSF, NIH, the Binational Science Foundation, and others).  This is done through conferences, collaborations, grants, and contracts and involve both Israeli academic institutions and individuals. This active collaboration allows "business as usual" while Israel engages in  violations condemned by all human rights organizations.

Israeli academicians have been rather reluctant to exert pressure on their own government and many actually contribute actively to prolonging the suffering of the Palestinian people (a recent Israeli academic conference even addressed the issue of "transfer" or expulsion of the Palestinians).

Therefore, we declare a moratorium upon any further such support and ask our colleagues to join us in suspension of such contacts and support unless and until Israel:

a) Abides by all relevant UN resolutions (UNGA 194, UNSC 242, 383, 1432 etc), and

b) Complies with human rights as stated in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the Fourth Geneva Convention to which Israel is signatory.

c) Opens serious peace negotiations with the Palestinians, along the lines proposed in many peace plans including most recently that sponsored by the
Saudis and the Arab League
 

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