|
|
 European academics protest involvement of Israeli arms companies in EU research programsAURDIP, BRICUP and PSABI | 15 Juillet 2012 | More than 260 academics from 20 different countries have written to the European Commission urging it to take action to prevent Israeli arms and other companies involved in abuse of Palestinian human rights from participating in EU funded research consortia. The letter to EU research commissioner Màire Geoghegan-Quinn argues that the involvement of Israeli companies that help Israel violate international law in EU funded research programs “undermines both the reputation of these programs and the stated goals of the European Union and its member states”. Signatories to the letter include Gérard Toulouse, a member of the French Academy of Science, Malcolm Levitt, a member of the UK Royal Society, and renowned philosopher Slavjoj Zizek. Israeli companies are granted access to EU research funding mechanisms such as the Seventh Framework Program (FP7) as part of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. However, the EU has come under fire for allowing companies like Ahava DSL, an Israeli cosmetics company based in an illegal settlement, to participate in EU funded projects and receive public money. Elbit Systems, an arms company that helps Israel build a wall on occupied Palestinian territory that was ruled illegal by the International Court of Justice in 2004, also receives EU funding. European Commission President José Manuel Barroso is currently in Israel to discuss its participation in EU programs. Palestinian civil society organisations have asked him to take action to ensure Israeli participation in European Union programs does not contribute to Israeli violations of international law. Jonathan Rosenhead, an Emeritus Professor at the London School of Economics and the head of the British Committee for Universities in Palestine, said, “Universities across Europe have entered into research consortia funded by the EU in good faith, only to find that their Israeli partners are involved grave breaches of international law.” “The open letter that we are publishing today is a reflection of the frustration within the academic community at "the failure of the European Union to exclude Israeli companies and institutions that violate international law from European research funding programs. The EU must stop funding Israel’s subjugation of the Palestinian people,” he added. “Members of the European parliament, academics, universities and Palestinian civil society have repeatedly stated their concerns about Israeli participation in EU funded research programs. The Commission now has to act,” said Rosenhead. In January, leading UK scientists, the film directors Mike Leigh and Ken Loach and the National Union of Students (NUS) hit the news with their criticisms of the participation of a London university and the Natural History Museum in a joint project with Ahava DSL. Both King’s College London and the Natural History Museum have since expressed their regret at their involvement in the project. There are ongoing campaigns at more than a dozen European universities against collaboration with Ahava DSL and Israeli military companies. Télécharger la version française de la lettre de l’AURDIP, BRICUP et d’autres organisations européennes de défense du droit international en Palestine au Commissaire Européen pour la Recherche Maire Geoghegan-Quin EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science Brussells Dear Maire Geoghegan-Quin, 10, July 2012 European Union research programs have become a key mechanism for the funding of research and the exchange of knowledge. However, the participation in these programs of private Israeli companies actively engaged in violating international law seriously undermines both the reputation of these programs and the stated goals of the European Union and its member states. Ahava DSL is a private Israeli cosmetics company based in and partially owned by the council of an illegal Israeli settlement in occupied Palestinian territory. Through its participation in the EU’s Seventh Framework Program (FP7), Ahava DSL has been awarded €1.08m of EU research funding since 2008 [1]. Despite the concerns raised by MEPs and civil society, and assurances to the media that it would address the issue of Ahava’s participation, the European Commission has just allowed Ahava DSL to engage in a new project consortium that it is funding to the tune of €3.49m [2]. Two other participants in FP7 projects, Elbit Systems and Israeli Aerospace Industries, play an active role in the construction and maintenance of Israel’s Wall, ruled illegal by the International Court of Justice in 2004 [3]. Article 3 of the Treaty on European Union obliges the EU to uphold human rights and to strictly observe and support the development of international law in all of its external relations. By allowing companies that actively participate in and aid and assist with serious breaches of international law and maintain that such actions are legal to participate in FP7 projects, the EU is entrusting resources to companies that cannot be relied upon to use them in a manner in accordance with the EU’s own legal obligations. Academics and institutions that participate in EU research programs depend on the good judgement of the European Commission. In lacing companies such as Ahava DSL and Elbit Systems on its list of approved research partners, the EU is recommending companies engaged in violations of international law as suitable research, exposing academics and institutions to reputational and economic risks. As advocates of a just peace between Israel and the Palestinians based on international law, we call upon the European Commission to exclude such companies and institutions from receiving EU funding and to introduce new legislation that would prevent them from doing so. Violations of international law and universal human rights will surely continue for at least as long as institutions such as the EU provide funding to those that perpetrate them. Please reply to : BRICUP, BM BRICUP, London WC1N3XX email : bricup@bricup.org.uk, www.bricup.org.uk [1] http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides... http://cordis.europa.eu/fetch?CALLE... [2] http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/rc... [3] http://ec.europa.eu/research/horizo... Signatories Nils Aarsæther, University of Tromsø, Norway Paul Aarts, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands Ahmed Abbes, CNRS, France Zohair Abu Shaban, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg Gilbert Achcar, School of Oriental and African Studies, UK Daniel Adam, Philosopher, France Nadje Al-Ali, School of Oriental and African Studies, UK Mateo Alaluf, Belgium Blake Alcott, UK Lori Allen, University of Cambridge, UK Vanja Alling, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Oslo, Norway Ann-Kristin Alseth, Norway Carlo Amirante, Università Federico II Napoli, Italy Giuseppe Antonio Di Marco, Storia della filosofia, Italy Giuseppe Aragno, Università "Federico II" di Napoli, Italy Efrén Areskurrinaga, University of the Basque Country, Basque Country Jon Arrizabalaga, IMF-CSIC, Spain Dina Bacalexi, CNRS, France Mona Baker, University of Manchester, UK Andrea Balduzzi, Università degli Studi di Genova, Italy Etienne Balibar, Université de Paris-Ouest, France Franca Balsamo, University of Turin, Italy Angelo Baracca, University of Florence, Italy Javier Barreda Sureda, Universidad de Alicante, Spain Isaías Barreñada, Faculty of Political Science and Sociology, Spain Aitor Bengoetxea, University of the Basque Country, Basque Country Rudolf Bkourche, Université Lille 1, France Sue Blackwell, Language Consultancy Desk, UK Gianfranco Borrelli, Storia delle dottrine politiche, Italy Jean-Pierre Boudine, France Glenn Bowman, University of Kent, UK Bill Bowring, Birkbeck, University of London, UK Robert Boyce, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK Marco Bozzo, Università degli Studi di Genova, Italy Vincenzo Brandi, Agency for New Technologies, Italy Bob Brecher, University of Brighton, UK Daniela Bredi, Università La Sapienza di Roma, Italy Haim Bresheeth, University of East London, UK Renato Briganti, Università Federico II Napoli, Italy Christopher Burns-Cox, Emeritus Consultant Physician, UK Ray Bush, University of Leeds, UK Irene Calis, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK Arantza Campos, University of the Basque Country, Basque Country Diana Carminati, University of Turin, Italy Marina Carter, University of Edinburgh, UK James Carr, University of Limerick, Ireland Kathleen Cavanaugh, Irish Centre for Human Rights, Ireland Iain Chambers, Università Napoli ’L’Orientale’, Italy Christiane Charretton, France Rachel Cohen, University of Surrey, UK Peter Collins, St. Mary’s University College Belfast, UK Francesco Cornacchia, Università "Aldo Moro" di Bari, Italy Amedeo Cottino, University of Turin, Italy Lidia Curti, Università di Napoli ’L’Orientale’, Italy Mike Cushman, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK Lise Dalby, Sør Trøndelag University College, Norway Simone D’Alessandro, University of Pisa, Italy Dr Marc David, Universiteit Antwerpen, Belgium Eric David, Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgium Sonia Dayan-Herzbrun, Université de Paris-7, France Marc de Broe, Universiteit Antwerpen, Belgium Lieven De Cauter, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium Herman De Ley, Universiteit Gent, Belgium Olivier De Schutter, Centre de Philosophie du Droit, Belgium Patrick Deboosere, Department of Sociology, Belgium Pascal Debruyne, Univerisiteit Gent, Belgium Adele Del Guercio, Università degli Studi di Napoli "L’Orientale", Italy Dominique Delande, CNRS, France Federico Della Valle, University of Trieste, Italy Claude Denisse, Agro Paris-Tech, France Maria d’Erme, Department of Biochemical Sciences, Italy Karel Dobbelaere, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven en Universiteit Antwerpen, Belgium Andrea Domenici, University of Pisa, Italy Lars Drake, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden Alfonso Dubois, University of the Basque Country, Basque Country John Dugard, Leiden University, Netherlands Hans Ebbing, University of Bergen, Norway Bertil Egerö, Lund University, Sweden Ivar Ekeland, former President of Université Paris-Dauphine, France Lars Ekstrand, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany Zohair EL Gharras, Université de Rouen, France Ingunn Elstad, University of Tromsø, Norway Nina Emaus, University of Tromsø, Norway Jan Engelen, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, Belgium Palle Erben Jørgensen, Sør Trøndelag University College, Norway Rafael Escudero, Carlos III University of Madrid, Spain Luc Everley, Agro Paris-Tech, France Giuseppi Ferraro, Università di Napoli Federico II, Italy Gaetano Fiore, Università "Federico II" di Napoli, Italy Peter Fletcher, Keele University, UK Dagfinn Føllesdal, University of Oslo, Norway Lars Forsberg, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden Giorgio Forti, Université de Milan, Italy Benjamin Fortna, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, UK Marie-Paule Fristot, Enseignante, France Philippe Fritsch, Enseignant, France Sancia Gaetani, Istituto Naz Ricerca Alimenti e Nutrizione , Italy Claire Gallen, Université Montpellier 3, France Philip Gilligan, University of Bradford, UK Luz Gomez García, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain Marcial Gondar Portosany, Universida de de Santiago de Compostela, Spain Luc Goossens, ImaMS, Belgium Hector Grad, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Sweden Michel Gros, Université Rennes 1, France Alain Guénoche, CNRS, France Luis Guridi, University of the Basque Country, Basque Country Jan-Erik Gustafsson, KTH, Sweden Jeff Handmaker, Human Rights and Development, Netherlands Barbara Harrell-Bond, University of Oxford, UK Michael Harris, Université Paris 7, France Laia Haurie, Université Polytechnique de Catalogne, France Odile Helier, France Kirsti Henriksen, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, Norway Aitor Hernández, Public Policies and Government Institute (IGOP), Spain Juan Hernández, University of the Basque Country, Basque Country Luisa Hirschbein, CNRS, France Dr Aggie Hirst, University of Leeds, UK Goretti Horgan, University of Ulster, UK Richard Hudson, University College London, UK Oddmar Iversen, Sør Trøndelag University College, Norway Ferran Izquierdo, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain Omar Jabary Salamanca, Ghent University, Belgium Gunnar Jacks, KTH, Sweden Nicole Kahn, France Ghada Karmi, Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, UK Mehrnaz Katouzian-Safadi, CNRS, France Adah Kay, The City University, London, UK Paul Keleman, University of Manchester, UK Dr Brian Kelly, Queen’s University Belfast, UK Laleh Khalili, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, UK David W. Kidner, Nottingham Trent University, UK Annette Klepzig, Heidelberg University, Federal Republic of Germany Hélène Korb, France Dennis Kortheuer, California State University, Long Beach, USA Thierry Labica, Université de Nanterre, France Mertxe Larrañaga, University of the Basque Country, Basque Country Eider Larrazabal, University of the Basque Country, Basque Country Delphine Lautier, Université Paris-Dauphine, France Zoë Lawlor, University of Limerick, Ireland Béatrice Le Prioux, France Les Levidow, Open University, UK Morten Levin, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway Malcolm Levitt, University of Southampton and Friend of the Royal Society, UK Jean-Marc Levy-Leblond, Université de Nice, France Matthias Lievens, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium Ramón Lopez-Suevoz Fernández, Universidad Santiago de Compostela – Galizia, Spain Yosefa Loshitzky, University of East London, UK Domenico Losurdo, Università di Urbino, Italy Fred Louckx, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium Michael Loughlin, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK Peder M. Lysestøl, Sør Trøndelag University College, Norway Moshé Machover, Kings College London, UK Mauro Maggi, Istituto Italiano di Studi Orientali, Belgium Paola Manduca, DISTAV, Italy Raphael Manlay, Agro Paris-Tech, France Zesar Martínez, University of the Basque Country, Basque Country Dina Matar, School of Oriental and African Studies, UK Chantal Meloni, Universitá degli Studi di Milano, Italy Alessandra Mezzadri, School of Oriental and African Studies, UK Tariq Modood, Briston University, UK Siri Moe, University of Tromsø, Norway José Luis Moraguès, Montpellier UM3, France Jacques Moriau, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium Sergio Morra, Università degli Studi di Genova, Italy Jean-Hugues Morneau, Université Joseph Fourier, France Javier Moya García, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain Martha Mundy, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK Stefano Nanni, Università di Bologna Alma Mater Studiorum, Italy Mica Nava, University of East London, UK Ketil Normann, University of Tromsø, Norway Dr Ouali Nouria, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium Francesca Odone, Università degli Studi di Genova, Italy Joseph Oesterlé, Université Paris 6, France Josiane Olff-Nathan, France Perrine Olff-Rastegar, France Umberto Oreste, Istituto di Biochimica delle Proteine CNR, Italy Paola Orsatti, Università La Sapienza di Roma, Italy David Pegg, University of York, UK Carmen Perez Gonzalez, Carlos III University of Madrid, Spain Guy Perrier, Université de Lorraine, France Antonello Petrillo, Università degli Studi S.O. Benincasa, Italy Elisabeth Picard, CNRS, France Eva Pisano, Università degli Studi di Genova, Italy Rossana Platone, Università degli studi di Milano, Italy Nicola Pratt, University of Warwick, UK M.A. Qavi, UK Naomi Ramírez Diaz, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain Shalini Randeria, University of Zurich, Switzerland Rupert Read, University of East Anglia, UK Matthias Reichl, Begegnungszentrum fuer active Gewaltlosigkeit, Austria Luc Reychler, International Relations and European Policy, Belgium Hermann Riess, Electro Riess Company, Austria Valentina Ripa, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Italy Frank Roels, Ghent University, Belgium Caroline Rooney, University of Kent, UK Hilary Rose, Gresham College London, UK Steven Rose, The Open University, UK Jonathan Rosenhead, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK Henri Rossi, France Giampiero Ruani, Institute of Nanostructured Materials (CNR-ISMN), Italy Marina Rui, Università degli Studi di Genova, Italy Pierre Scharpira, Université Paris 6, France Andrea Schenone, Università degli Studi di Genova, Italy Christiane Schomblond, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium Lionel Schwartz, Université Paris 13, France Richard Seaford, University of Exeter, UK Ur Shlonsky, University of Geneva, Switzerland Ludi Simpson, University of Manchester, UK Subir Sinha, School of African and Oriental Studies, UK Tore Sivertsen, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Norway Knut Skjærvold, Sør Trøndelag University College, Norway Eystein Skjerve, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Norway Hilary Smith, Bradford University, UK Elvira Souto, Universidad Santiago de Compostela – Galizia, Spain Richard Stainton, UK Eric Steegmans, Departement Computerwetenschappen, Belgium Angelo Stefanini MD, Centre for International Health, Italy Alexis Tadié, Université Paris 7, France Rabah Tahraoui, Université de Rouen, France Carlos Taibo, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain Aina Tarabini, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain James Tarlton, University of Oxford, UK Ruth Tenne, H.M. Civil Service, UK Tiziana Terranova, Università degli Studi di Napoli ’L’Orientale’, Italy Erika Torres Terrazas, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Gérard Toulouse, Académie des Sciences, France Julian Townshend, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK Vincenzo Tradardi, Università di Parma, Italy Dick Urban Vestbro, School of Architecture and the Built Environment, Sweden Arantza Urkaregi, University of the Basque Country, Basque Country Gie van den Berghe, Universiteit Gent, Belgium Bernard Vandenbunder, CNRS, France Christian Vandermotten, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium Gianni Vattimo, University of Turin, Italy Agustin Velloso, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia – UNED, Spain Dominique Ventre, Telecom-Paris Tech, France Gerd von der Lippe, Telemark University College, Norway Liliane Voyé, Université Catholoique de Louvain, Belgium Sean Wallis, University College London, UK Dror Warschawsi, CNRS, France Peter Waterman, Institute of Social Studies, Netherlands Robert Wintemute, Kings College London, UK Patrick Wolfe, La Trobe University, Australia Hathem Zaag, CNRS, France Patxi Zabalo, University of the Basque Country, Basque Country Karim Zahidi, Universiteit Antwerpen, Belgium Carl Zaisser, Austria Federico Zanetti, Università di Perugia, Italy Marco Zannetti, Università di Salerno, Italy Dubravka Zarkov, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands Liesbeth Zegveld, Netherlands Ettore Zerbino MD, Roma, Italy Slavoj Zizek, Philosopher, France Anthony Tirado Chase, Occidental College, LA, US Kamalain Sha’ath, The Islamic University - Gaza, Gaza Rosemary Sayigh, American University of Beirut, Lebanon Samuel Noumoff, McGill University, Canada Sondra Hale, University of California, Los Angeles, USA Antony Davies, Zambia School of Medicine, Zambia Charles Harb, American University of Beirut, Lebanon |
Lettre de l’AURDIP aux organisateurs de la réunion (...) (Actions locales et européennes) BRICUP : Stephen Hawking declines invitation to attend (...) (Actualités) UC Berkeley votes to divest from Israel’s occupation (Actualités) UK : Tribunal slams academic for bringing anti-Semitism (...) (Actualités) Vingt-trois eurodéputés demandent la suspension de (...) (Actualités) L’AURDIP salue la mémoire de Stéphane Hessel (Actualités) |
