Irish teachers' union backs Israel boycott

11 April 2013

 The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) has become the first educational labor union in Europe to adopt a comprehensive boycott of all Israeli academic institutions. Last week, delegates at the TUI Congress voted unanimously to endorse a motion for an academic boycott of the Jєωιѕн state, “including the exchange of scientists, students and academic personalities, as well as all cooperation in research programs.”

The resolution also calls on the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, to which TUI is affiliated, to “step up its campaign for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against the apartheid State of Israel until it lifts its illegal siege of Gaza and its illegal occupation of the West Bank, and agrees to abide by international law and all UN resolutions against it.” It also instructs the TUI Executive to conduct an awareness campaign amongst union members on the need for a full boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel.

The motion was sponsored by Jim Roche, a lecturer at the Dublin Institute of Technology and member of the fringe groups Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) and Gaza Action. “BDS is a noble non-violent method of resisting Israeli militarism, occupation and apartheid, and there is no question that Israel is implementing apartheid policies against the Palestinians. Indeed, many veterans of the antiapartheid struggle in South Africa have said that it’s worse than what was experienced there,” said Roche, who visited Gaza recently.

The adopted motion reads as follows:

TUI demand that ICTU step up its campaign for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against the apartheid state of Israel until it lifts its illegal siege of Gaza and its illegal occupation of the West Bank, and agrees to abide by International law and all UN Resolutions against it.

Congress instructs the Executive Committee to:
(a) Conduct an awareness campaign amongst TUI members on the need for BDS
(b) Request all members to cease all cultural and academic collaboration with Israel, including the exchange of scientists, students and academic personalities, as well as all cooperation in research programmes.