Irish Universities have been called upon to cut ties with Israeli institutions by 633 university academics in a letter to Irish newspapers. Among the 633 academic staff who signed the letter, more than 80 academics were from University College Dublin.
“We write as academics and scholars in or from Ireland,” the letter began, before labeling “Israel’s current war on the Gaza Strip” as having “exceeded all previous levels of violence in the prolonged and brutal Israeli occupation of Palestine.”
The academics called the war a “campaign of ethnic cleansing and, according to many experts, genocidal violence” and argued that “under no circumstances” does international law permit the “systematic bombardment and collective punishment of civilians in a besieged occupied territory.”
Academics for Palestine, who originally penned the letter, argued that Israeli universities are complicit in the war in the Gaza Strip citing a quote from the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel saying that Israeli Institutions are “major, willing and persistent accomplices in Israel’s regime of occupation.”
In light of the collaborations between Irish universities and those in Israel, the academic signatories called on “all universities in Ireland to immediately sever any existing institutional partnerships or affiliations with Israeli institutions.”
The letter said, “Those ties should be suspended until the occupation of Palestinian territory is ended, the Palestinian rights to equality and self-determination are vindicated, and the right of Palestinian refugees to return is facilitated. Anything less at this point amounts to tacit support for crimes against humanity.”
The letter, which was published in The Irish Times this morning, was written by members of Academics for Palestine and co-signed by Professors, academics, and PhD workers from Irish universities such as UCD, DCU, TCD, and Maynooth, as well as universities from England and Denmark.
Among the primary authors was academic and activist, Professor Emeritus Kathleen Lynch of the UCD School of Social Justice and Education and a Commissioner for the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. Another primary author from UCD was Professor Eugenia Siapera, Head of School and Professor at the UCD School of Information and Communication Studies.
Criticism:
The letter has received criticism from other Irish academics. Conor Reidy, Lecturer in DKIT, criticised the wording of the statement – quoting the letter which said ‘The incursion by Palestinian armed groups on 7th October included criminal attacks against civilians.” The Barrister and academic criticised the wording as a “feeble description of an atrocity.”
Edward Burke, Assistant Professor at the UCD School of History said, “I am against a proposed Irish boycott of Israeli universities.
“Preventing those Israeli scholars who have bravely stood up to the crimes of their gov, the erosion of the rule of law from accessing EU/other research funds [through] their institutions is completely counter-productive.”
His X-thread attracted support from Gary Murphy, DCU Professor of Politics, Michelle Norris, Professor of Social Policy and Director of the Geary Institute for Public Policy at UCD.
David Farrell, Professor at the UCD School of Politics stated on X that “These signatories of that letter do not speak for all Irish academics.”
Hugh Dooley – Co-Editor
The full list of UCD signatories is as follows:
Professor Kathleen Lynch, University College Dublin
Professor Eugenia Siapera, University College Dublin
Professor Nicholas Daly, University College Dublin
Dr Adam Kelly, University College Dublin
Dr Claudia Dellacasa, University College Dublin
Dr Conor Buggy, University College Dublin
Dr David Hughes, University College Dublin
Dr James Reynolds, University College Dublin
Dr Liam Thornton, School of Law, University College Dublin
Dr Lucy Collins, University College Dublin
Dr Mary Farrelly, University College Dublin
Dr Naomi McAreavey, University College Dublin
Dr Ricardo Segurado, University College Dublin
Dr Ríona Nic Congáil, University College Dublin
Dr Sarah Comyn, University College Dublin
Dr Sharae Deckard, University College Dublin
Dr Tim Groenland, School of English, Drama and Film, University College Dublin
Dr Treasa De Loughry, University College Dublin
Dr Tupur Chatterjee, University College Dublin
Alice Feldman, University College Dublin
Aydin Anil Mucek, University College Dublin
C. T. Power – University College Dublin
Cíara Dempsey, University College Dublin
Ciara Walsh, University College Dublin
Cristina Perea del Olmo – PhD Researcher, University College Dublin
Douglas Carson, University College Dublin
Emily Rick, University College Dublin
Fiona McDonald, Design Fellow in Architecture, University College Dublin
Ishani Atukoralalage, University College Dublin
Jacob Miller, University College Dublin
John Matthews, University College Dublin
Judy Walsh, University College Dublin
M Masson, Ph.D – University College Dublin
Marion Bartl, University College Dublin
Marty Gilroy, University College Dublin
Mary Laheen, University College Dublin
Michael Coleman, University College Dublin
Mr Taylor Follett, University College Dublin
Niamh Burke, University College Dublin
Nouran Naged, University College Dublin
Odin O’Sullivan, University College Dublin
Paola R. Peña – University College Dublin / ADAPT Centre
Pooja Sastry, University College Dublin
Rachel Bayer, University College Dublin
Rory Burke, University College Dublin
Thinley Chodon, University College Dublin
Dr. Maria Mulvany, University College Dublin
Dr Egle Gusciute, University College Dublin
Professor Jane Grogan, UCD
Dr Anne Mulhall, School of English, Drama & Film, UCD
Dr Carol Ballantine, UCD
Dr Catherine Ann Cullen, UCD
Dr Ciarán Treacy – UCD
Dr Dónal Holland, UCD
Dr Fiadh Tubridy, Department of Geography, UCD
Dr Gary Hussey, UCD
Dr John P Gilmore, UCD
Dr Karen Smith, UCD
Dr Karen Wade, UCD School of English, Drama and Film
Dr Katherine Fama, UCD
Dr Katherine Kanne, UCD
Dr Martha Shearer, UCD
Dr Mary McAuliffe, UCD
Dr Morgan Wait UCD
Dr Sean Leatherbury, UCD
Aayush Singha Roy, UCD
Ailbhe Smyth, UCD (Retired)
Ciaran Sugrue, Emeritus Full Prof, UCD
Clare Ní Cheallaigh, UCD
Dorothy Morrissey, Alumna UCD
Elizabeth O’Gorman, UCD PhD student
Garrett Greene, UCD
Gráinne Ní Nualláin, School of English, Drama and Film, UCD
Iulia Molnar, UCD
Jack McNicholl, UCD School of Maths & Stats
Lisa Foran UCD
Mathieu Bokestael, UCD
Merlo Kelly, UCD
Robin Steve, UCD
Romeo Fraccari, UCD
Samuel Scanlon, UCD
