Against political repression at Haifa University!
A statement from UK Friends of Standing Together
On Monday 9 September, at the University of Haifa, the Students’ Union blocked Palestinian students from registering their candidates for the union’s elections.
The student union administration quietly brought forward the deadline for election candidacy submissions. When students came to the in-person registration after hastily putting together their lists, only a handful were permitted to register. Lists aligned with Standing Together and with the left-wing party Hadash and the Palestinian party Balad were excluded, as were several independent candidates.
All this takes place in a wider context of Palestinian and Jewish-Israeli students and academics being victimised at Israeli universities for political views deemed overly critical of the Israeli government or state. It also takes place in a context where Palestinian citizens of Israel have been increasingly victimised for the expression of their Palestinian identity.
The activity of groups in Israel like Standing Together’s student chapters has been vital in the movement calling for a ceasefire, hostage-deal, and peace in the region. Standing Together has 20 student chapters, which provide support for those affected by the war and political victimisation, calling for a ceasefire and hostage deal, and Jewish-Palestinian solidarity on campuses.
We stand in solidarity with the students. We condemn the student union administration’s bureaucratic manoeuvring to suppress Palestinians’ political organising on campus – something that is especially troubling at an institution where Palestinians make up around half of the student body.
Since the attempt at electoral manipulation, 131 lecturers signed a letter to demand the university ensure there are free and fair elections in the Students´ Union. The District Court in Haifa has ordered for the elections, which were originally to be held on 18 September, to be postponed to a later date.
We encourage students and education workers in higher education to pass the motion below in support of Palestinian and Jewish-Israeli students who are victims of political repression by Students Union at Haifa University.
This branch notes:
1. The attempt by the Students Union administration at the University of Haifa to block students from registering their candidacy for union election.
2. Students, and in particular Palestinian students, face political persecution by universities in Israel for speaking out against the ongoing war or being perceived to be overly critical of the Israeli government and state.
This branch believes:
1. That free and representative elections in students union are vital to students and the rest of society.
2. That the suppression of student activity, and in particular Palestinian student activity, serves as yet another barrier to achieving equal rights for Palestinians.
This branch resolves to:
1. Send a letter to Haifa University Students´ Union supporting free and representative elections for all students, and demanding a formal apology for their attempts to manipulate recent student union elections.
2. Publish a statement of solidarity with students and student groups affected by the political suppression at the Haifa University Students´ Union.