NTEU ACT Division held a General Meeting of members on Monday
15 July 2024 to consider whether to support an Academic Boycott of Israel in
line with the guidelines of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and
Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), and to make that a policy recommendation to NTEU National Council.
More than 80 per cent of members supported the following motion:
Motion: NTEU support for the Academic Boycott of Israel
Preamble: On 7 October 2023, Hamas’ terror attacks on Israel resulted in the killing and abduction of Israeli civilians. The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) has condemned these attacks, called for a ceasefire, and called for the release of hostages.
The Israeli response to the 7 October 2023 attacks has also drawn widespread condemnation. The International Court of Justice found on 26 January 2024 that South Africa had established a plausible case that Israel has engaged in genocide in Gaza. On 20 May 2024, prosecutors from the International Criminal Court announced they were seeking arrest warrants for Hamas leaders and Israeli leaders, alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity. Israel has also failed to comply with international law in relation to an International Court of Justice ruling on 24 May 2024 that Israel must immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah.
Since the beginning of the conflict, tens of thousands of civilians have been killed.
At the same time, education has been systematically destroyed in Gaza. Every university in Gaza has been destroyed, and many educators and students are among the casualties. The destruction of Palestinian education has been referred to as a ‘scholasticide’.
Palestinian civil society has called on the international community to respond to ongoing oppression and occupation by engaging in the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI).
NTEU policy positions on international issues are determined at the national level – by National Council as the NTEU’s highest decision-making body, and by National Executive in between meetings of National Council. A Division General Meeting can recommend policy positions for consideration by National Council or National Executive in accordance with Rule 21.1 and Rule 22.3 of the NTEU Rules.
NTEU ACT Division notes:
- NTEU position on Israel and Palestine (NTEU Policy Manual, see ‘Israel and Palestine’ under ‘International’);
- NTEU Position on Palestine (NTEU National Council motion, October 2022) ;
- NTEU statement on Israel and Palestine (NTEU national statement, 20 October 2023);
- Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) statement on Gaza, noting that NTEU is affiliated with ACTU (ACTU statement, 22 April 2024);
- Education International (EI) statement ‘Global Student Forum and Education International joint statement on Palestine protests on university campuses’, noting that NTEU is affiliated with EI (EI statement, 3 May 2024);
- NTEU statement ‘University action and solidarity with Gaza: Supporting human rights and academic freedom’ (NTEU national statement, 10 May 2024); and
- NTEU’s current national campaign to encourage UniSuper divestment from Elbit Systems.
NTEU ACT Division moves:
This meeting of NTEU ACT Division members, in accordance with Rule 21.1 and Rule 22.3 of the NTEU Rules, makes the following policy recommendation to 2024 NTEU National Council:
NTEU supports the Academic Boycott of Israel in line with the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) guidelines.