Congress motions

Motion

Motion title

Composite: In defence of Palestinian rights, free speech and academic freedom

Session

2023-2024

Meeting link

Annual Congress

Meeting date

29 May 2024

Status

Passed

Motion

33

Motion text

Congress notes
1. in the UK, academic freedom and free speech are being threatened for Palestinians and their supporters. Islamophobia and antisemitism have increased.
2. the growth of the Palestine solidarity movement against Israel's genocidal assault on Gaza, settler-colonialism, and apartheid.
3. the attempt to suppress Palestine advocacy in colleges and universities and critical scholarly work on the Middle East and North Africa in UK HE.
4. the call by Scholars for Palestine, www.scholarsforpalestine.org
5. genocidal assault on Gaza, the destruction of all its universities, and the targeted killing of its scholars;
6. ongoing disruption of West Bank Palestinian universities, administrative detention of students and staff, and the Israeli military quota on visiting scholars;
7. established role of Israeli universities in the maintenance of the apartheid system; and
8. attacks on Palestinian advocacy and teaching and research critical of Israel on UK campuses.
9. intervention by Oxford University to deny debate to a branch motion calling for a “Socialist Intifada” in the Middle East. The censorship by UCL of the UCL UCU branch website for passing a similar motion; and Breaking into UCU offices at Queen Mary University of London to remove a UCU “Ceasefire Now” poster and one calling for an end to “Israeli apartheid”, both protected free speech.
10. the launch meeting of Campus Voices for Palestine on 25 January at UCL and the BRICUP-organised tour of campuses with follow-up events.
Congress believes
a. Industrial action was important in supporting the struggle against apartheid in South Africa.
b. We need to mobilise working class power to end the genocide in Gaza and cut ties with the settler-colonial, apartheid state of Israel.
c. This is crucial to defending our own working conditions and academic freedom.
d. Attacks such as those at the branches above parallel those made on individual union members for free speech on Palestine. But they also concern the independent democratic functioning of union branches.
Congress resolves to
i. defend staff/student rights to demonstrate in solidarity with Palestinians by mobilizing members against any attempt by employers or the government to silence us. We must campaign publicly to defend free speech and academic freedom, particularly in support of Palestinian rights
ii. ensure UCU robustly defends branches from attack by employers, including with legal support
iii. launch a campaign to remove all restrictions on our right to strike, including over issues of social justice, against war and imperialism – and in the fight for a free Palestine
iv. step up the pressure to end the war on Gaza and join the international movement calling for an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire by establishing a grassroots solidarity committee, working with existing initiatives, to undertake work towards:
• Ending British universities’ involvement in the arms trade and complicit institutions – Organise to end university investments, contracts or cooperation agreements with weapons companies supplying Israel and complicit institutions. To campaign vigorously and publicly to support the call for the USS and other pension funds to divest from companies complicit in Israel’s crimes against the Palestinian people.
• Building academic links with Palestinian universities and academics – Explore collaborative initiatives such as twinnings, exchanges, joint projects, scholarship programmes, academic fellowships and partnerships that contribute positively to the Palestinian educational sector.
v. Publish and circulate to all members the statement on Palestine written by the UCU Black Members Standing Committee in autumn 2023, which provides important political background and guidance on Palestine for UCU members. (https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/13517/BMSC-statement-on-Palestine-and-freedom-of-speech).

Note: UCU's existing policy is one of support for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) and its implementation within the constraints of the existing law (Congress motion 31, 2010). The union has previously followed, and continues to follow, advice from King's Counsel that it would be unlawful and beyond the powers of the union to call for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions. Support for BDS can only be understood and operated within that legal limitation.

Proposing body

Composite (University of Warwick, UCU Cymru, University of Liverpool, London regional committee, Kings College London (KCL))

Amended

Yes

Allocated to

Strategy and finance committee (SFC)

Notes