University of London Favors Academic Boycott of ’Israel’

Local Editor

Students and staff at the SOAS School of the University of London had approved an academic boycott of "Israel" during a week-long referendum.

The Friday vote, which was open to all students, academics, and management, ended with 73 percent voting for and 27 percent voting against the Yes campaign to boycott the Zionist government.

The voters were asked whether they agreed with the School of Oriental and African Studies, commonly abbreviated as SOAS, joining the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions [BDS] campaign to impose an academic boycott on "Israel" based on the instructions of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of "Israel" [PACBI].

The BDS is a global campaign which used economic and political pressure on the Zionist entity to comply with the goals of the movement - the end of "Israeli" occupation and colonization of Palestinian land and respect for the right of return of Palestinian refugees.

The PACBI said academic boycott of "Israel" was based on the fact that the academic institutions were massively complicit in "Israel's" persistent denial of basic Palestinian rights, including academic freedom and the right to education.

The SOAS Students' Union had also endorsed the BDS campaign since 2005. The union ratified a motion in October 2014, urging its leaders "to take the BDS campaign to the university" through a referendum.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team