Protests and Partnerships: Examining the University’s Role in Global Political Conflicts
Across the US, protests in response to the October 7 attacks and the ongoing conflict have been cropping up at various Universities. Starting at Columbia University with a peaceful protest that was broken up by the police force on 17 April, a quickly spreading movement began. Students from universities all over the US are organising protests in support of Palestine, with some taking over campuses and organising encampments. At present, over 1,000 people have been arrested after demonstrations that ended in police intervention.
Several pro-Israel counterprotests were organised, demanding the release of hostages. Columbia professor Shai Davidai has accused Palestine supporters of being “pro-terror” and advocated for the clearing of the university’s encampment.
The movement has now reached the UK, where several universities are starting to see an increase in protests on campus. Students in Leeds, Newcastle, Bristol and Warwick, among others, have organised encampments outside university buildings. As of 2 May, UCL started the first London-based encampment and are demanding that the university divest from companies that uphold the system of apartheid, that they condemn Israeli war crimes and they pledge to assist the rebuilding of Gaza’s destroyed universities. A Newcastle student spoke to the BBC about their demands and was quoted saying that “What’s happened at Columbia has obviously inspired us to a degree but we have been thinking about this for a while” and that they have similar goals to US students, but will be “less heavy-handed generally than the US”.
In March, a group of students occupied the Parkinson building for 2 weeks. The occupation was led by the Leeds Socialist Worker Student Society (SWSS), Student Rebellion Leeds and the University of Leeds Palestine Solidarity Group (PSG). Following multiple requests to the University to end their partnerships with BAE systems and Israeli Universities, to stand with Palestine, and to suspend rabbi Zecharia Deutsch, who served in the Israeli army; the groups decided to occupy the main building on campus in order to protest against the lack of communication from the university. The occupation ended on 21 March after university management agreed to negotiate with their demands.
On 2 May, The Union of Jewish Students, representing over 9,000 Jewish students in the UK and Ireland according to their website, issued a statement claiming Jewish students are angry and tired of the antisemtic hatred on campuses since October 7th. They claim that “While students have a right to protest, these encampments create a hostile and toxic atmosphere on campus for Jewish students.”
The 75 year old conflict between Palestine and Israel sits on the cusp between politics and human rights. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) have engaged in separate legal proceedings involving Israel. The ICC, which prosecutes individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, has started an investigation into alleged war crimes in the Palestinian territories in 2021. There is now growing suspicion that the UN’s ICC might seek arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and other political leaders on suspicion of war crimes. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has been involved in a significant case brought by South Africa against Israel concerning allegations of genocide in the Gaza Strip. In January, the ICJ issued provisional measures instructing Israel to refrain from committing acts that could fall under the Genocide Convention.
University of Leeds currently has several industrial partners that provide training, placements, hardware and software for Fluid Dynamic research. One of these partnering companies is BAE Systems, a British multinational defence, security, and aerospace company. A report by Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) claims that the company has supplied F-35 fighter jets to Israel, which have been used in their attack on the Gaza Strip, which has, as of March 2024, killed over 31,000 Palestinians and injured over 70,000. BAE’s client list is very secretive, thus accurate information on how their arms are being used is uncertain. The university also currently partners with two Israeli universities, Reichman University and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The president of Reichman University, Boaz Ganor, has written several highly political articles following October 7, some of them quoting: “Their lives [Palestinians] in Gaza, which were difficult already, will now become unbearable for many years to come,” “The prevailing issue on US campuses today revolves around the ignorance of useful idiots who align themselves with both modern and classic antisemites,” the latter in response to student organisations announcing their support for Palestine.
Universities have long stood as pillars of knowledge and debate, where the exchange of ideas is not only encouraged but essential for the academic and ethical development of students. As global conflicts like the Israeli-Palestinian issue persist, an important question arises: do universities hold a moral or ethical responsibility to address these international political issues? Universities are faced with the dilemma of remaining impartial platforms for open debate or taking active stances on political issues such as war, with opinions divided on whether neutrality preserves academic freedom or if engagement is necessary for advocating human rights. The ongoing campus protests and partnerships with corporations and foreign universities are central to this debate, highlighting deep divisions within the academic community on the appropriate role for educational institutions in global politics.
The ongoing conflict challenges universities to define their roles in an interconnected world: should they remain detached observers, or active participants in advocating for global justice and human rights?
