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More than 150 European researchers and academics have written to the European Commission demanding the exclusion of Israel and its military companies from new EU research program Horizon Europe.

Since years, the EU has approved hundreds of research projects with Israeli companies, such as Elbit Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries, that are accused of deep complicity in Israel’s war crimes and possible crimes against humanity.

Israel uses military force and technology to maintain its system of military occupation and apartheid. Israel’s violations of international law and war crimes during its frequent attacks on Palestinians are well documented. United Nations independent Commission of Inquiry stated in March that Israeli forces may have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity by using lethal military force against unarmed protesters in Gaza.

The list of letter signatories includes John Dugard, Former UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Christiane Hessel – wife of former Ambassador of France Stephane Hessel, among others.

The call states that “in spite of continual and serious breaches of international law and violation of human rights (…) Israel enjoys an exceptionally privileged status in dealing with Europe also through the Association Agreement and has been receiving grants from the European Commission in the area of research and innovation.”

The signatories stress that “knowledge and innovation should serve progress in humanity and society, not to develop dual use or military research of a country that has a record history of grave human rights violations. This is not compatible with the values Europe upholds.”

The signatories call on the EU to “suspend the Association Agreement with Israel and exclude Israel as an eligible partner for Horizon Europe (…), as long as it refuses to comply with the rules of international law.”

Researcher’s letter comes in a support to the letter sent to the EU by wounded young people in Gaza, who were demanding that no EU taxpayers money will be given to Israeli military companies deliberately attacking Palestinian civilians.

Since years Members of the European parliament, academics, universities, European trade unions, political parties and human rights organisations as well as Palestinian civil society have repeatedly stated their concerns about Israeli participation in EU funded research programs.

Read the full letter here

By European Coordination of Committees and Associations for Palestine (ECCP) 

More than 30 MEPs have called on the EU High Representative, Federica Mogherini, to take measures assuring freedom of expression regarding the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement for justice and equality and recognising Omar Barghouti, a co-founder of the BDS movement, as a human rights defender.

The prestigious Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium has announced its withdrawal from a controversial EU-funded research cooperation project with the Israeli police and the Israeli Ministry of Public Security.

In Belgium, 482 professors and researchers, and more than 190 artists, have written an open letter calling on their authorities to withdraw from participating in a European Union funded research project called LAW TRAIN, in which Belgium and Spain cooperate with the Israeli National Police. The project, aimed at developing joint interrogation methods, is coordinated by an Israeli university with particularly deep ties to Israel’s army and notorious security services. The signatories of this open letter highlight that Israeli methods are tested on Palestinians. Israel’s illegal detention of Palestinian political prisoners, and the systematic abuse and torture perpetrated by Israeli security forces during interrogations, is well documented. And in 2016 alone, Israelis interrogated at least 7,000 Palestinians, including over 400 children.

This open letter is part of broader efforts by the Belgian Coalition To Stop Law Train, and broader European-wide efforts against the participation of the Israeli military, homeland security and police sector in research and development funded by the European Union. Other forms of mobilizing have included direct actions, conferences, and lobbying. Portuguese civil society successfully pressured their authorities to withdraw from LAW TRAIN in July 2016 –  marking the first time a government withdrew from an EU funded project following civil society pressure in support of Palestinian rights. Belgium civil society aims to achieve the same.

We welcome the efforts of the organizers of this letter, the Belgian Campaign for an Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (BACBI), and every person who signed the letter in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for freedom, justice and equality. Thank you for telling the Belgian government that a Belgian partnership with the Israeli police is wrong, and that it should follow the example of the Portuguese authorities and withdraw from this project that “is neither ethically nor legally defensible.”

* BACBI’s letter:  http://bit.ly/BACBI  
* BACBI’s accompanying dossier:  http://www.bacbi.be/pdf/lawtraindossier_EN.pdf 
* For a summary of campaigning against LAW TRAIN, supported by the EU funding program called Horizon 2020:  http://bit.ly/2kTeIM6 

BDS Movement- 30/01/2017

The European Union's program “Israeli and Palestinian Young Leaders at the European Parliament” cynically aims at reducing 70 years of Palestinian suffering under Israel’s regime of settler-colonialism, military occupation and apartheid to a “conflict” that can be resolved through dialogue.

Ali Abunimah