Cut ties with Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design

ENG Version - DK Version below

Students from The Royal Academy of Fine Arts are responding to the Palestinian call for Academic Boycott. The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts currently has an exchange programme with the Israeli Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. Bezalel is a university in Jerusalem that is complicit in the human rights violations committed by the IDF and is actively prohibiting the freedom of expression and education of their Palestinian students. We demand our institution to immediately cut ties with this Israeli institution. Several universities and art academies around the globe have already terminated their collaborations with Bezalel and other Israeli universities, acknowledging the need and importance of academically boycotting the Israeli state institutions in response to war crimes, human rights violations and breaches of international law committed by the Israeli state in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

We encourage all art students, employees at the academy, alumni, and artists/cultural workers to support us with your signature to show the leadership that we do not wish to be associated with and endorse Bezalel’s activities.

Bezalel Academy is complicit in the illegal occupation of Palestinian territory, war crimes in Gaza and attacks on Palestinian scholars and universities. For decades, Israel has been illegally occupying and colonizing Palestinian land and discriminating against Palestinian citizens of Israel, denying them their fundamental rights through an apartheid system of institutionalized segregation, refusing to comply with international law. The need for sanctions towards Israel and a boycott of Israeli institutions has been intensified in the latest year, where the Israeli military has killed at least 41 957 people in Gaza since October 7th 2023. Thousands of civilians are buried under the rubble and threatened by illness and starvation. More than half of Gaza’s buildings have been destroyed and all of Gaza’s universities have been bombed. 90.000 students enrolled in higher education can no longer pursue their studies. UN experts have expressed “grave concern over the pattern of attacks on schools, universities, teachers, and students in the Gaza Strip, raising serious alarm over the systematic destruction of the Palestinian education system”.

• In October 2023, the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design set up a sewing center to produce and repair uniforms for the Israeli military. The workshops were run by volunteering students, alumni and the general public, including ex special forces and combat gear developers in coordination with the Israeli army’s own team of tailors. Together with similar workshops in Israel they took part in fundraising for the production of military uniforms, claiming to have sewed more than 10.000 units of tactical gear that is being used in the unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory and in the killing of Gaza’s civilian population.                                                                                  

• The Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design has furthermore been reported to discriminate against their Palestinian and Arab students, illegally expelling 14 Arab students without summoning to a hearing committee. Students in Bezalel have come forth with their experiences of Islamophobia, anti-palestinian and anti-arab racism at the school, such as being threatened and harassed by fellow students and having their personal social media monitored by Bezalel’s head of department. 

For decades, Israeli universities have played a key role in planning, implementing and justifying Israel’s occupation and apartheid policies, while maintaining a uniquely close relationship with the Israeli military. The Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design is both materially and ideologically complicit in Israel’s attacks on Gaza’s civilian population and vital infrastructure, and in the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Our partnership with Bezalel undermines our values of artistic and academic freedom. The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts has an important role as the biggest arts education institution in Denmark to insist on and represent academic and artistic freedom. Our collaborations with other institutions around the world should serve to promote and strengthen these freedoms for everyone, and who we choose to collaborate with should reflect those values. By ending the co-operation with Bezalel, The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts would secure its ethical integrity and commitment to ensuring academic and artistic freedom for all. We urge everyone affiliated with The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts to support the upholding and integrity of these values by signing the petition before it is delivered to the leadership of the school.

As of September 18th 2024, the UN general assembly has called upon its member states to comply with their obligations under international law and take concrete steps to address Israel’s ongoing presence in the occupied Palestinian territory. The resolution urges states to implement sanctions against entities involved in maintaining Israel’s unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory, in response to the Israeli authorities' choice to ignore the statements of the International Court of Justice. A continued collaboration with the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design would directly oppose this call from the UN’s resolution, as Bezalel has been actively involved in maintaining the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory by providing the Israel Defense Forces with military equipment.

Furthermore, the partnerships between Israeli academic institutions, such as Bezalel, and other art academies and universities around the globe contributes to normalizing and legitimizing Israel’s regime of occupation, settler-colonialism and apartheid. These institutions serve as outward symbols of academic and artistic freedom for a state power which simultaneously undermines and works against the exercising of these freedoms for Palestinians. Academic freedom is a right existing in the context of other rights. It is only applicable in situations where everyone has the right to health, education, freedom of opinion and expression - and the right to live. 

We demand the leadership of The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts to act in accordance with international law by imposing sanctions on Israel and terminating the collaboration with Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design.

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Art academies that have cut ties with Bezalel:

Royal Academy of Art The Hauge. Academy Interim Directorate: Maaike Roozenburg, Lizzy Kok, Lotte Sprengers. Suspension of exchange programme. 15 May 2024. https://www.kabk.nl/en/news/suspension-of-exchange-partnership

The Bergen School of Architecture https://www.bdsmovement.net/news/five-norwegian-universities-cut-ties-with-israel-over-gaza-genocide

Global Accountability Map: Who took measures for Palestinian rights?https://www.thepipd.com/resources/accountability-map/

Sources:

Instagram account of Palestinian students at Bezalel. https://www.instagram.com/arabstudentsofbezalelacademy?igsh=b20wMjVpZnJpbjMzUN

News. UN General Assembly demands Israel end ‘unlawful presence’ in Occupied Palestinian Territory. Published 18/09/2024. https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/09/1154496

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. UN experts deeply concerned over ‘scholasticide’ in Gaza. Published 18/04/2024. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/04/un-experts-deeply-concerned-over-scholasticide-gaza

Adalah. Israeli Academic Institutions Persecute Palestinian Students for Social Media Posts Amid Offensive on Gaza. Published 22/10/2023. https://www.adalah.org/en/content/view/10922

Middle east eye, Zahra Saeed. Israel-Palestine war: Palestinian students targeted by campaign in Israeli universities. Published date: 14 October 2023 16:23 BST. Last update: 6 months 3 weeks ago. https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-war-students-universities-incitement-campaign-targeted

Times Of Israel, Jessica Steinberg. Designers sew for combat soldiers pivoting from fashion to function. 22 October 2023, 12:00 pm. https://www.timesofisrael.com/designers-sew-for-combat-soldiers-pivoting-from-fashion-to-function/amp/ Containing link to: https://my.israelgives.org/en/fundme/sewing

The Bezalel Emergency Sewing Center | Repairing uniforms and military equipment for soldiers and reservists. Published 16/10/23. https://www.bezalel.ac.il/en/news/655093

Al Jazeera, AJLabs. Israel-Gaza war in maps and charts live tracker. Latest update 17 September 2024 02:35 PM (GMT) https://www.aljazeera.com/news/longform/2023/10/9/israel-hamas-war-in-maps-and-charts-live-tracker

https://www.bdsmovement.net/pacbi/cultural-boycott-guidelines 

Academics for Palestine website. https://academicsforpalestine.dk/academic-boycott/

The Danish Prime Minister met with the students from Students vs. the Occupation and clarified that Universities and HEIs in DK have the possibility to go ahead and boycott Israeli HEIs without waiting for the position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in DK to change in this direction: https://www.instagram.com/p/C_1RuqPN1lI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D&img_index=1

SAIH. Derfor er akademisk boikott riktig, Selma Bratberg. 8 March 2024 https://www.saih.no/no/nyheter/derfor-er-akademisk-boikott-riktig

Qantara. Michelle Pace, The EU must regain its moral responsibility. 12 September 2024. https://qantara.de/en/article/europe-and-gaza-eu-must-regain-its-moral-responsibility 

Studerende fra Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademis Billedkunstskoler istemmer sig den palæstinensiske appel til akademisk boykot

Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademis Billedkunstskoler har på nuværende tidspunkt en udvekslingsaftale med det israelske universitet Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design er et universitet i Jerusalem, som gennem sin materielle støtte til det israelske militær, IDF, er direkte involveret i de brud på menneskerettigheder, som bliver begået af den israelske stat. Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design er desuden blevet kritiseret for aktivt at indskrænke sine palæstinensiske studerendes ytringsfrihed og adgang til deres studier. Vi insisterer på, at Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademis Billedkunstskoler øjeblikkeligt skal afbryde sit samarbejde med Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. Adskillige universiteter og kunstakademier rundt omkring i verden har allerede indstillet deres partnerskaber med israelske universiteter, heriblandt Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design.

Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademis Billedkunstskolers ledelse bør også anerkende og efterleve behovet for og vigtigheden af et akademisk boykot af de israelske statsinstitutioner som svar på de krigsforbrydelser, overskridelser af menneskeretten og brud på international lovgivning, som den israelske stat begår i Gaza, Vestbanken og Østjerusalem.

Vi opfordrer alle studerende og ansatte på akademiet, alumner og kunstnere/kulturarbejdere, der er eller har været tilknyttet institutionen, til at bidrage med deres underskrift og dermed vise kunstakademiets ledelse, at vi ikke bør støtte Bezalel Academy of Arts and Designs og den israelske stats aktiviteter.

Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design medvirker i den ulovlige besættelse af palæstinensiske områder, krigsforbrydelser i Gaza og angreb på palæstinensiske akademikere og universiteter

I flere årtier har Israel ulovligt besat og koloniseret palæstinensisk land og diskrimineret den palæstinensiske befolkning i Israel ved at nægte dem grundlæggende rettigheder gennem et apartheidsystem, der betjener sig af institutionel segregation. Den israelske stat har gennemgående nægtet at overholde international lovgivning og at efterkomme krav fra FN, ICC og ICJ. Behovet for at sanktionere den israelske stat og at boykotte israelske institutioner er blevet intensiveret i det seneste år, hvor det israelske militær har dræbt mindst 41.957 mennesker i Gaza siden d. 7. oktober 2023. Tusindvis af civile er begravet under murbrokkerne efter Israels bombardementer og endnu flere er truet af sygdom og hungersnød. Mere end halvdelen af Gazas bygninger er blevet jævnet med jorden og alle Gazas universiteter er blevet bombarderet. 90.000 studerende fra videregående uddannelser kan ikke længere fortsætte deres studier. FN-eksperter har udvist ”stor bekymring over det mønster af angreb på skoler, universiteter, lærere og studerende i Gaza-striben, der for alvor vækker alarm over den systematiske tilintetgørelse af det palæstinensiske uddannelsessystem”

• I oktober 2023 oprettede Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design en systue til at producere og reparere det israelske militærs uniformer. Deres workshops blev afholdt af frivillige studerende, alumner og den generelle befolkning, heriblandt tidligere specialstyrker og udviklere af kampudstyr i et samarbejde med det israelske militærs egne skræddere. Sammen med lignende workshops i Israel tog institutionen del i at samle ind til at producere militæruniformer, og de hævder at have syet mere end 10.000 stykker militærudstyr, som bliver benyttet i den ulovlige besættelse af palæstinensisk land og i drabet på den palæstinensiske civilbefolkning.

• Det er desuden blevet indberettet, at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Designs arabiske og palæstinensiske studerende bliver udsat for diskrimination, hvor 14 arabiske studerende blandt andet er blevet ulovligt bortvist uden nogen form for høring. Akademiets studerende er stået frem med beretninger om deres erfaringer med islamofobi og anti-palæstinensisk og anti-arabisk racisme på skolen, blandt andet med at blive truet og chikaneret af medstuderende og at få overvåget og blive draget til regnskab for deres aktiviteter på deres private sociale medier af institutionens ledelse.

De israelske universiteter har i lang tid spillet en væsentlig rolle i at planlægge, implementere og retfærdiggøre Israels besættelses- og apartheidpolitikker og har løbende haft et unikt tæt samarbejde med det israelske militær. Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design er på samme vis både materielt og ideologisk medskyldig i Israels angreb på Gazas civilbefolkning og vitale infrastruktur, der har resulteret i den katastrofale humanitære situation i Gaza.

Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademis Billedkunstskolers samarbejde med Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design underminerer grundlæggende værdier om kunstnerisk og akademisk frihed

Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademis Billedkunstskoler er som landets største kunstuddannelse en vigtig aktør, når det kommer til at insistere på og repræsentere akademisk og kunstnerisk frihed. Vores samarbejder med andre institutioner rundt omkring i verden burde medvirke til at fremme og styrke disse grundlæggende friheder for alle. Hvem vi vælger at samarbejde med burde afspejle værdierne om kunstnerisk og akademisk frihed, og ved at afslutte samarbejdet med Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, ville Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademis Billedkunstskoler stå fast på disse værdiers integritet og understrege sin dedikation til at sikre akademisk og kunstnerisk frihed for alle. Vi opfordrer alle med tilknytning til Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademis Billedkunstskoler til at støtte opretholdelsen og integriteten af disse værdier ved at underskrive underskriftsindsamlingen, inden den afleveres til skolens ledelse.

Pr 18. september 2024 har FN’s generalforsamling opfordret sine medlemsstater til at overholde deres forpligtelser i henhold til folkeretten og tage konkrete skridt til at adressere Israels fortsatte tilstedeværelse i de besatte palæstinensiske områder som reaktion på de israelske myndigheders valg om at ignorere Den Internationale Domstols udtalelser. Resolutionen opfordrer staterne til at gennemføre sanktioner mod aktører, der er involveret i at opretholde Israels ulovlige tilstedeværelse i de besatte palæstinensiske områder. Et fortsat samarbejde med Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design ville være i direkte modstrid med denne opfordring fra FN's resolution, idet institutionen har været aktivt involveret i at opretholde den israelske besættelse af palæstinensisk territorium ved at forsyne de israelske forsvarsstyrker med militært udstyr.

De internationale partnerskaber mellem de israelske akademiske institutioner såsom Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design og forskellige kunstakademier og universiteter rundt omkring i verden benyttes til at normalisere og legitimere Israels besættelsesregime, bosætterkolonialisme og apartheidsystem. Institutionerne fungerer som ydre symboler på akademisk og kunstnerisk frihed til tjeneste for en statsmagt, som i samme omgang undertrykker og systematisk ødelægger palæstinenseres ret til at udøve disse friheder. Akademisk frihed er en rettighed, der eksisterer i sammenhæng med andre rettigheder. Den eksisterer kun i situationer, hvor alle har ret til sundhed, uddannelse, menings- og ytringsfrihed – og ikke mindst, ret til at leve.

Students from The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in solidarity with Palestine    Contact the author of the petition