Executive Summary
This submission to the Task Force on Academic and Institutional International Links and Related Matters is made on behalf of Trinity College Dublin Academia for Palestine (AfP TCD), a staff collective who contribute our expertise to support the liberation of Palestine. Rather than seeing our roles within AfP as separate from our work for Trinity, we see the two as deeply connected. It is through our work and expertise gained at Trinity that we recognise the urgency attached to advocating for Palestinians at a time when their very existence is under threat.
In the following five sections we outline Trinity’s obligations and responsibilities under international law and existing institutional policies (Section 1); the practice of scholasticide by the Israeli government and the unique role of Israeli academic institutions in perpetuating genocide and the occupation of Palestine (Section 2); the context and rationale for the call to sever ties with Israeli organisations as outlined by the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement (Section 3); the alignment of academic freedom with the academic boycott of Israeli universities (Section 4) and the precedent set for Trinity’s future actions by Trinity’s past academic boycott of Apartheid South African institutions and more recent actions taken by other universities to review ties with Israel (Section 5). A detailed summary of the 5 sections is included below, followed by our recommendations ensuing from the arguments and evidence presented.
The full text is accessible in this pdf.
academicsforpalestine.org 