Dear BRICUP supporter
Last week the London School of Economics Student Union passed a motion on Palestine/Israel by a large majority at a very well attended meeting. Having failed to pass a similar motion two weeks earlier by a slender margin in a very large vote, they rewrote that motion to exclude the rhetoric which had generated most opposition, but maintained most of the substance. I attach to this message the full text of the motion passed but I have also reproduced the action parts below.
Since the motion was passed the Students Union Executive has been the target of a furious, and often abusive, torrent of e-mails which has clearly been orchestrated. As the motion specifically mentions support for BRICUP it would be extremely helpful if BRICUP supporters would contact the students and expressed congratulations on their stand. While the whole motion has attracted hostility, vitriol has been particularly focussed on the call for support for divestment. Please send messages of support to Su.Gensec@lse.ac.uk and copy them to su.soc.palestine@lse.ac.uk .
At the same time Howard Davies the director of LSE is receiving messages asking him to condemn the students and to refuse to take any action the students are requesting. Messages of support for the students therefore also need to be sent to h.davies@lse.ac.uk .
Could you also copy any messages to supporters@bricup.org.uk
We are seeking support form both UK based supporters and those based in other countries.
Could you also try to get any sympathetic colleagues and your trade union branch or organizations to which you are affiliated to write as well.
Mike Cushman
for Bricup
Union believes:
1. Any government that gives, as Israel does, one group of people it governs rights over another based on race, religion, ethnicity, or nationality is morally wrong and anti-democratic
2. Attacks on innocent, unarmed civilians, whether carried out by Palestinians or Israelis, are to be condemned
3. Equality and human rights should be upheld
4. The worthy goal of a lasting peace in Israel and Palestine is best served by the recognition of universal human rights and an end to the policies of separation practiced by Israel
5. Israel is wrong to have institutionalized two distinct legal regimes in the 1967 Occupied Territories, and to have created separate infrastructures for the Jewish settler and indigenous Palestinian populations, in violation of international law including the Fourth Geneva Convention. The Occupation is illegal and it should end immediately
6. Israel should cease at once the systematic discrimination against its Palestinian citizens within its 1948 borders and be a state for all its citizens
7. The Palestinians have the right to return to their homeland and receive just compensation and Israel should implement all international law that it is currently violating
8. Palestinians should have free access to their holy sites including the Al-Aqsa mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
9. Student debate over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should continue, and no part of this motion should be seen as discriminating against students on the basis of their religion, nationality, or views held on Middle East relations
Union resolves:
1. Establish an LSE SU campaign to lobby the school and NUS to divest from Israel and companies that a) provide military support for or weaponry to support the occupation b) facilitate the building or maintenance of the illegal “annexation” wall or the demolition of Palestinian homes or c) operate on illegally occupied land and within Jewish-only settlements, with the goal of maintaining the divestment, in the case of said companies, until they cease such practices, and, in the case of Israel, until Israel stops its discriminatory regime and the oppression and colonization of Palestinians
2. Actively support and work with Palestine solidarity organisations such as “Jews for Justice for Palestinians” (JfJfP)[1], BRICUP[2], Zochrot[3], ICAHD[4], and PSC[5] that campaign to stop the occupation of Palestine and to end legalized racial and religious discrimination in Israel
3. Affiliate our Union to the “the international campaign to end the siege on Gaza” and engage in education campaigns to publicize the injustice of Israel’s discriminatory policies against the Palestinians and its illegal occupation [6]
[1] JfJfP - http://www.jfjfp.org/
[2] BRICUP - http://www.bricup.org.uk/
[3] http://www.zochrot.org/index.php?lang=english
[4] ICAHD- www.icahd.org
[5] PSC - http://www.palestinecampaign.org/
[6] End Gaza siege campaign - http://www.end-gaza-siege.ps/
Attached Message
From:
Mike Cushman
To:
bricup@yahoogroups.com
Subject:
Support for LSE students' call for divestment
Date:
Mon, 18 Feb 2008 15:23:31 -0000
Dear BRICUP supporter
Last week the London School of Economics Student Union passed a motion on Palestine/Israel by a large majority at a very well attended meeting. Having failed to pass a similar motion two weeks earlier by a slender margin in a very large vote, they rewrote that motion to exclude the rhetoric which had generated most opposition, but maintained most of the substance. I attach to this message the full text of the motion passed but I have also reproduced the action parts below.
Since the motion was passed the Students Union Executive has been the target of a furious, and often abusive, torrent of e-mails which has clearly been orchestrated. As the motion specifically mentions support for BRICUP it would be extremely helpful if BRICUP supporters would contact the students and expressed congratulations on their stand. While the whole motion has attracted hostility, vitriol has been particularly focussed on the call for support for divestment. Please send messages of support to Su.Gensec@lse.ac.uk and copy them to su.soc.palestine@lse.ac.uk .
At the same time Howard Davies the director of LSE is receiving messages asking him to condemn the students and to refuse to take any action the students are requesting. Messages of support for the students therefore also need to be sent to h.davies@lse.ac.uk .
Could you also copy any messages to supporters@bricup.org.uk
We are seeking support form both UK based supporters and those based oin other countries.
Could you also try to get any sympathetic colleagues and your trade union branch or organizations to which you are affiliated to write as well.
Mike Cushman
for Bricup
Union believes:
1. Any government that gives, as Israel does, one group of people it governs rights over another based on race, religion, ethnicity, or nationality is morally wrong and anti-democratic
2. Attacks on innocent, unarmed civilians, whether carried out by Palestinians or Israelis, are to be condemned
3. Equality and human rights should be upheld
4. The worthy goal of a lasting peace in Israel and Palestine is best served by the recognition of universal human rights and an end to the policies of separation practiced by Israel
5. Israel is wrong to have institutionalized two distinct legal regimes in the 1967 Occupied Territories, and to have created separate infrastructures for the Jewish settler and indigenous Palestinian populations, in violation of international law including the Fourth Geneva Convention. The Occupation is illegal and it should end immediately
6. Israel should cease at once the systematic discrimination against its Palestinian citizens within its 1948 borders and be a state for all its citizens
7. The Palestinians have the right to return to their homeland and receive just compensation and Israel should implement all international law that it is currently violating
8. Palestinians should have free access to their holy sites including the Al-Aqsa mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
9. Student debate over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should continue, and no part of this motion should be seen as discriminating against students on the basis of their religion, nationality, or views held on Middle East relations
Union resolves:
1. Establish an LSE SU campaign to lobby the school and NUS to divest from Israel and companies that a) provide military support for or weaponry to support the occupation b) facilitate the building or maintenance of the illegal “annexation” wall or the demolition of Palestinian homes or c) operate on illegally occupied land and within Jewish-only settlements, with the goal of maintaining the divestment, in the case of said companies, until they cease such practices, and, in the case of Israel, until Israel stops its discriminatory regime and the oppression and colonization of Palestinians
2. Actively support and work with Palestine solidarity organisations such as “Jews for Justice for Palestinians” (JfJfP)[1], BRICUP[2], Zochrot[3], ICAHD[4], and PSC[5] that campaign to stop the occupation of Palestine and to end legalized racial and religious discrimination in Israel
3. Affiliate our Union to the “the international campaign to end the siege on Gaza” and engage in education campaigns to publicize the injustice of Israel’s discriminatory policies against the Palestinians and its illegal occupation [6]
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