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| The Apartheid
Claim |
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| November 19, 2002 |
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Palestinian groups claim a justification for the
divest-from-Israel campaign is Israel being an apartheid state. Campus Watch
researched the legitimacy of the claim and released the following press
release:
Press release from
Campus Watch - Posted
at:
http://www.campus-watch.org/article/id/348
Campus Watch Research
Statement on Anti-Israel Divestment Movements
and Counter-Movements
Campus Watch
November 19, 2002
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Campus Watch has issued the following statement
regarding Anti-Israel Divestment Movements and Counter-Movements
Several campus campaigns have recently emerged intending to pressure
university administrations to divest from Israeli companies or companies that
do business with Israel. A counter-movement of anti-divestment activism has
followed suit.
Those in favor of divestment argue that the political
situation in the State of Israel is equitable to South Africa's historical
Apartheid, which provoked a partially successful divestment movement among
universities during the late 1970's and early 1980's.
According to the
United
Nation's International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the
Crime of Apartheid:
"Apartheid consists of a set of state policies
that meet the following criteria: (a) "Denial to a member or members of a
racial group or groups the right to liberty of person." (b) "Deliberate
imposition on a racial group or groups of living conditions calculated to cause
its or their physical destruction in whole or part." (c) "Any legislative
measures and other measures calculated to prevent a racial group or groups from
participation in the political, social, economic and cultural life of the
country -- in particular denying of members of a racial group basic human
rights and freedoms." (d) "Any measures -- designed to divide the population
along racial lines by the creation of separate reserves and ghettos --
[including] the expropriation of landed property belonging to a racial group."
Says Campus Watch managing editor, Jonathan Calt Harris, "It is clear
that Israel, which offers its Arab citizens participation in the government,
freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and other rights only afforded by
democracy, cannot be placed under this rubric."
Though we see the
importance of dealing with the divestment movement, as its mission statement
explains, Campus Watch focuses on Middle East studies. Accordingly, Campus
Watch will monitor and engage Middle East specialists who join in this brand of
activism. However, direct involvement in divestment campaigns and other
Israel-related campus activism fall outside of our scope. |
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