UK students urged for university defunding over Gaza genocide support
4 Min Read
The Defund Genocide movement has urged university students to demand that their institutions cut ties with companies supporting what it describes as the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza.
-
Rally at the encampment of Bristol University for Palestine, on May 3, 2024 (X)
The Defund Genocide movement has called on university students to pressure their institutions to divest from companies that support the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza.
“We are deeply concerned by the consistent reports of grave human rights violations and war crimes in Gaza by Israel over the past 12 months. A number of prominent international bodies have described Israeli actions as constituting a genocide,” said Defund Genocide in a statement.
They also condemned universities for being "deeply complicit in Israeli war crimes," including illegal settlements linked to violent actions by extremist Israeli settlers.
The group pointed out that the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Security Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity, while the UK government continues to sell arms to "Israel".
“Our initiative is grounded in the principles of supporting ethical resistance. By demanding that our universities divest from companies that are complicit in Israeli war crimes, we are exercising our moral and legal duty to dissent against policies that contribute to the war crimes and ‘plausible’ genocide being committed in Gaza,” the statement continued.
They urged students to demand a refund of their tuition fees until their universities divest from investments tied to Israeli war crimes and genocide.
Pro-Palestine encampments have recently emerged on approximately 15 university campuses across the UK. Student activists are urging their universities to divest from "Israel" in protest against its ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip. It is worth noting that divestment involves selling off stocks in Israeli companies or cutting financial ties in other ways. Additionally, they are demanding an immediate ceasefire in the besieged region.
18 aid groups call on UK gov. to end all arms exports to 'Israel'
Last month, eighteen aid and human rights organizations collectively rejected the UK government's decision to suspend 30 out of 350 arms licenses for "Israel", arguing that the significant loopholes in the ban mean the UK "will remain complicit in the death and destruction that Israel’s assault has wrought on Palestinians in Gaza."
The statement called for a comprehensive ban on all arms sales, including spare parts for the F-35 fighter jet program, which it identifies as crucial to the attacks on Palestinian civilians.
While acknowledging the government's announcement of a partial ban as a step forward, the groups assert that only a total ban on all arms sales would be adequate.
The statement further criticized "Israel’s denial of access to UN mechanisms human rights experts and journalists and its rampant disinformation against UN agencies," which it says has severely hampered efforts to document the Israeli violations.
The group of charities and organizations also expressed "deep concern" that ministers have not engaged with UK-based humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza at a ministerial level, nor sought their input on these issues.
Signatories include Medical Aid for Palestinians, Oxfam, Save the Children, Islamic Relief UK, and Amnesty International UK.
The UK government has faced legal challenges from rights groups regarding its arms exports to "Israel", with accusations that it is disregarding its own strategic licensing criteria, which prohibit the export of weapons when there is a clear risk of their use in violations of international humanitarian law.
Read more: UK use of 'anti-terror laws' against pro-Palestinians draws backlash
