The following motion was passed at a quorate Emergency General Meeting of the branch on 10th May 2024 (this meeting was reconvened from 2nd May 2024).

Motion: Declaration of the sanctity of education and life for all and a call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire (Ceasefire now and an end to ‘Educide’)

Southampton University UCU notes:

• The continued massacre and brutal assault by the Israeli government and armed forces on Palestinians has targeted and killed over 35,000 people (mainly women and children) and injured over 78,000, meaning more than 100,000 civilians have now been killed or injured in Gaza and increasingly in the West Bank. (Sources: UN Office for the coordination of Humanitarian Affairs; Al Jazeera Live Tracker).
• The Israeli state’s collective punishment of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank in response to the attack by Hamas on 7th October, including cutting off water, food, power supplies and medicines and the creation of a massive refugee crisis and famine in Gaza is against international and humanitarian law. (Sources: Human Rights Watch; icj-cij.org; Amnesty International; Human Rights Watch; B’Tselem).
• The ongoing ‘educide’ or ‘scholasticide’ has targeting and systematically demolished and destroyed the educational infrastructure including more than 392 educational facilities including 281 government schools, 65 UNRWA-run schools and ALL universities in Gaza including its TWO medical schools. (Sources: Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor.org; United Nations | UN News; United Nations | OHCHR; United Nations – OHCHR Press Release ; Gaza Ministry of Education (WAFA) 2 April 2024)
• In response to the brutal military invasion of Ukraine, the UK higher education community has undertaken various actions to support our Ukrainian colleagues. This includes specific funding from UK research agencies and the establishment of multiple UK-Ukrainian institutional partnerships. This highlights what can be done to assist university staff and students under military assault and occupation. Palestinian higher education, including in the Occupied West Bank, deserves a similarly comprehensive and co-ordinated response by UK higher education institutions. (Sources: Russell Group universities’ response to the invasion of Ukraine;
  Ukraine Humanitarian Aid Appeal)

Southampton University UCU resolves:

1. To call on and lobby our VC and University leadership demanding:
   (a) A call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire an end to the blockade of Gaza the release of all Palestinian and Israeli hostages.
   (b) They seriously consider the recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) rulings and take responsible steps to ensure that they are not risking complicity in Israel’s collective punishment and ‘plausible genocidal acts’ in light of the ICJ ruling.
   (c) Conduct a full review and disclosure of pension funds, investments, funding and partnerships. Identify and divest from companies that are complicit in genocide, apartheid, have activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel’s militarised violence and oppression of the Palestinian people and withdraw from any Israeli holdings that are linked to breaches of international law. Divestment should include but not be limited to Barclays, BAE Systems, Boeing, Airbus, Thales, Ex Libris Group and BlackRock.
   (d) Statements are made condemning the killing of over 35,000 people, including over 5800 students, and at least 261 teachers/administrators and 95 professors, with more than 9000 other students and teachers injured during the ongoing attacks in Gaza to date.
   (e) A commitment to support the reconstruction and long-term rebuilding of the Palestinian higher education sector/institutions that have been destroyed and/or severely damaged by the Israeli military in Gaza.
   – This would include establishing links and partnerships with Palestinian universities in the form of twinning, exchange programmes and establishment/expansion of scholarships and hardship funds for Palestinian students and academic fellowships for staff who have seen their universities and educational opportunities destroyed. (Sources: Rebuilding Hope for Gaza | Education Above All Foundation; PALS Travel Fellowship – FOBZU website)
   – Lobby the UK government and research bodies for specific funding to support Palestinian higher education and Palestinian refugees.
   (f) Declare support for the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and their own viable state, an end to oppression and wars, and see Palestinians and Israelis mutually agree their future relations, free of all coercion, and able to live in peace and prosperity.
2. To support and promote students and UCU members in on-campus activities including sit-ins/vigils/webinars to promote information and education about the history and occupation of Palestine and demonstrate against apartheid, illegal occupation, settler colonialism and ethnic cleansing.
3. To call on all staff to carefully consider their links to Israeli universities and sever ties with those complicit in the oppression of Palestinians.
4. To call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire an end to the blockade of Gaza the release of all Palestinian and Israeli hostages and respect for and the immediate and unconditional release of the dead on both sides.
5. To support financial appeals for medical, educational, and humanitarian projects.
6. To support free speech and academic freedom and the defence of voices for Palestine on campus.

For: 39

Against: 17

Abstentions: 7