Motion on Palestine, passed December 6th

The branch NOTES[1]:

1. The ongoing settler colonial occupation of Palestine and escalation of violence by the Israeli state, now culminating in the indiscriminate attack and siege on Gaza, including:

   ●      The (as of writing) 21,731 Palestinians in Gaza, including 8697 children, killed by Israel; the 36390 injured; the 1,730,000 displaced; and the 67 Palestinian journalists killed.

   ●      The 240 Palestinians killed and 3,200 people arrested by Israel in the occupied West Bank.

   ●      The collective punishment of more than two million people by cutting off water, food supplies, fuel and humanitarian aid in clear violation of international law;

   ●      The deliberate bombing of civilian homes, bakeries, universities, schools, libraries, ambulances and hospitals;

   ●      The destruction of higher education buildings including those belonging to the Islamic University of Gaza, Al-Azhar University, the North Gaza and Tubas branches of Al-Quds Open University, and An-Najah National University buildings located at Palestine Technical University Kadoorie; the complete obstruction of education provision at all 19 higher education institutions in Gaza, impacting 88,000 students; the subjection of Birzeit University in the occupied West Bank to raids and vandalism by the Israeli forces; and the continuing disruptions in access to higher education for a further 138,800 students in the West Bank.

2. The 1200 Israelis killed in the Hamas terrorist attack of October 7 and the hundreds kidnapped.

3. That Israel has attacked and undermined education in Palestine for decades. This includes the bombing and destruction of schools as well as the arrest, torture and kidnapping of students and lecturers, and the raiding of campuses.

4. That a coalition of Palestinian trade unions has called for university workers and students worldwide to “to end all forms of complicity with Israel’s crimes - most urgently halting the arms trade with Israel, as well as all funding and military research.”The narratives articulated by Israeli state officials to systematically dehumanise Palestinians, including categorising Palestinians as barbarians, animals and terrorists, are at odds with the position taken by groups such Na’Amod: British Jews Against Occupation, who have stated that “our liberation is bound up with the liberation of others, rather than in competition. We do not need to oppress others to feel safe, and [we] work to build bridges and stand in solidarity against all systems of racism and discrimination.”

5. That there has been an increase in anti-Palestinian racism, antisemitism and Islamophobia in schools and universities in the UK and internationally since the 7th October.

6. Recent attacks on academic freedom and the right to protest, with particular worrying attacks on Palestinian academics, workers, students, and their supporters, by the British state, university managements, and the media. At the University of St Andrews, Rector Stella Maris has been attacked for calling for a ceasefire, both from within and outside the university.

7. That the St Andrews BAME students network sponsored motion calling for “an immediate ceasefire in the Israel Gaza conflict”, including “the cessation of military activity by Israel and the release of hostages by Hamas” was passed by the St Andrews Student Representative Council on November 21st.

8. That our branch passed a motion on 31st May 2023 which condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine and resolves to “support providing Ukraine with all kinds of aid that it needs including military aid, humanitarian aid, and tougher political and economic sanctions against Russia, [and] to consider possible cooperation and affiliation with the Ukrainian Solidarity Campaign.”  

BELIEVES

1. In supporting any colleague and student who is grieving as a consequence of the current situation, especially the loss of life, as we grapple with the combined commitments of solidarity with Palestine and of care for all our colleagues and students;

2. In maintaining an uncompromising position against all forms of racism, including antisemitism and Islamophobia;

3. That the ongoing violence in Palestine, which is being waged with the support of the UK government, obliges us to reaffirm an unambiguous position of solidarity with Palestinians;

4. In the right of academics, students, commentators, workers, and activists to voice solidarity with Palestinians and contextualise the unfolding violence – a right which the Department of Education has attempted to suppress, and which the Senior Leadership Team at the University of St Andrews has also challenged;

5. That trade unions in the UK should respond to the Palestinian trade unions’ call for solidarity, and pressurise the UK government to end its support for the on-going occupation of Palestine and violence against Palestinians;

6. That UK universities, including the University of St Andrews, must not be complicit with war crimes and crimes against humanity and must immediately end all ties with entities involved in the perpetration of grave violations of human rights, including developing weaponry, military doctrines, and legal justifications for the mass targeting of Palestinians. According to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the University of St Andrews has nearly £1.8 million invested in companies complicit in Israel’s violations of international law. 

The branch RESOLVES to:

1. Support the right to dissent and protest; provide assistance as needed to members who are censored, harassed, intimidated and/or disciplined for expressions of solidarity with Palestine, in line with the UCU policy on academic freedom;

2. Work as a branch and with staff, student and other organisations that share the aims of UCU to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and for the suspension of the UK government’s political and military support to Israel. This call for a ceasefire may be promoted through, for example, teach-outs, petitions, protests, promotion of these events, allowing the use of the St Andrews branch banner at events, and the sending of solidarity messages and delegates from the branch.;

3. Affiliate with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (application fee £50) and continue to support Palestine solidarity campaigns in the UK;

4. Encourage members to articulate solidarity with Palestine in terms called for by Palestinian trade unions and academics, including the statement from the Union of Teachers and Employees of Birzeit University, Palestine, and the statement from Palestinian Trade Union Coalition Workers in Palestine

5. Demand that the University of St Andrews:

●      Investigates links between companies with which it has partnerships and Israel’s oppression of the Palestinian people;

●      Where links are found, divest from those companies in line with the aims of BDS;

●      Publicly commit to protecting academic freedom and freedom of speech with regards to expressions of solidarity with Palestinians, and urge Universities UK, of which Dame Professor Sally Mapstone is the president, and the UK government to do the same.

●      ‘Commit to supporting Palestinian academics and knowledge workers during this time of crisis and also in the aftermath through promoting and extending existing scholarship arrangements for Palestinian students and arguing for financial support to rebuild Palestinian educational infrastructure

●      Circulate information to members on how to uphold the academic and cultural boycott of Israel as individual scholars, and support them if they choose to uphold these boycotts;

6. Coordinate as needed with other unions and student organisations for the implementation of these resolutions.

[1] Numbers and links correct at time of motion being passed (December 6th). Links are provided for information only.

Fossil Free Careers Motion, passed at 2023 AGM

This branch notes:

1. Impartial, evidence-based advice offered by HEI careers services is valuable for students and wider society. 

2. HEI careers services promoting roles in oil, gas and COAL industries is likely contributing to the global climate crisis, and leading students into careers which will decline as we rapidly decarbonise our economies.

3. Congress 2017 passed a motion resolving to “work with members affected by a move to a low carbon economy, other trade unions, and environmentalists” to campaign for a Just Transition.

This branch resolves:

1. To actively work with People & Planet to publicly support the student-led Fossil Free Careers campaign, calling on university careers services to align their operations with sustainability considerations, particularly by declining to promote oil, gas and COAL companies, and professional services with heavy involvement in the fossil fuel industry.

2. To produce a website statement about this motion and UCU support for this campaign, and amplify the calls to action of it.