The Alternative Information Center

The Economy of the Occupation 23-24: Academic Boycott of Israel

Tuesday, 20 October 2009 20:52 Uri Yacobi Keller

The idea of an academic boycott of Israel first emerged in 2002 as part of the growing boycott and divestment campaign against Israel, itself a part of the struggle against the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and the violation of Palestinian human and national rights. Compared to other types of boycott, the academic boycott has gathered a relative amount of widespread support amongst academic unions and organizations, primarily in Great Britain. Not surprisingly, this relative success has stirred a public debate and opposition to the boycott, mostly by pro-Israeli organizations and academics. The campaign for academic boycott has wavered under these pressures and various degrees and measures of boycott have since been approved and then often canceled by academic organizations. The arguments in favor of this kind of boycott have relied largely on the facts of the Israeli occupation and the idea of pressuring Israel through its academic world; often, they have not utilised details relating to the specific academic institutions that they call to boycott.

Comments on the Egalitarian Character of the “Hebrew Workers Union in Eretz Israel”

Monday, 28 December 2009 18:37 Akiva Orr

The General Union of the Hebrew Workers in Eretz Israel (Histradut) was established in 1920 and its first leader was David Ben Gurion. In the membership card of each member was written that the Histradut is an organization, the goal of which is the establishment of the Hebrew working class. What is the meaning of “the establishment of Hebrew working class”?

There were numerous paid laborers in the area, but a majority of them were Arabs. The goal of the Histradut was to change this fact. Accordingly, its founders added the word “Hebrew” to the name of the Histradut and refused to accept Arabs as members. This refusal continued from 1920 to 1966, such that it was an organization founded on national discrimination against Arab workers. This is how the Histradut acted, together with the kibbutzs; in political language, this is called discrimination.

Making Bricks Without Straw: The Jerusalem Municipality’s New Planning Policy for East Jerusalem Summary

Wednesday, 20 January 2010 01:07 Ir Amin

Summary

Against the backdrop of an expedited debate initiated by four right-wing members of the Knesset on December 13, 2009, aimed at preventing enforcement of a court order to seal and vacate Beit Yehonatan in Silwan, East Jerusalem, Mayor Nir Barkat presented the city’s “new planning policy” for East Jerusalem. According to Barkat, this policy should provide “significant expansion of the number of floors and of the building ratio with regard to the approved plan, many solutions for adding residential units in the area, and a response to the existing hardship, while in practice some 90 percent of building infractions could theoretically become moot.” The two areas selected to serve as “test cases” for the implementation of this new policy are al-Bustan in Silwan and the western slopes of Silwan, where Beit Yonatan is located. Beit Yehonatan, which houses several settler families, was erected without a building permit and has an outstanding order against it for its evacuation and sealing. In scrutinizing the reality of the planning situation in East Jerusalem, the “significant expansion” presented by Barkat will be nearly impossible to implement by Palestinian residents for several reasons, including:

Palestinian Citizens of Israel Protest Outside of Erez Crossing: End Israeli Blockade of Gaza

Thursday, 31 December 2009 22:56 The Alternative Information Center (AIC)

Over 1,000 Palestinian citizens of Israel and several dozen Jewish Israelis demonstrated this morning outside of the Erez Crossing, demanding an end to the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. Organised by the Arab High Monitoring Committee, the demonstration coincided with the one year anniversary of Israel’s military attacks on the Gaza Strip, which resulted in 1,400 deaths and thousands wounded.

Entering Jerusalem

Thursday, 21 January 2010 20:21 Mazin Qumsiyeh

I entered Jerusalem through the apartheid wall yesterday without using the temporary "Israeli permit" that was issued to me (and that expired yesterday). My family had applied for me and many others through our church for the Eastern Christian Holidays. Yet, those who could enter like I did (with or without permits) are a tiny fraction of the Palestinian population. I have not been in Jerusalem in nearly four years due to Israeli restrictions.

On the drive along the Hebron road, we first pass by side roads leading to the colonies built since 1967 on Palestinian lands (illegal per International law): things now called Ramat Rachel, Gilo, and Har Homa.