The Academics for Peace, who massively faced threats, investigations, and expulsion from their universities in Turkey after signing a peace declaration/petition in 2016 issued a statement calling on the world and authorities in Turkey as the 100th day since Israel's attack on Gaza passed.
In their statement, they invited the global academic community to do the following until Israel completely withdraws from Gaza and the West Bank, and all obstacles in front of the establishment of the State of Palestine are removed:
- To cease all forms of collaboration with Israeli higher education institutions and Israeli academics who support the ongoing ethnic genocide, war policies, and economy of Israel, and to contribute to the isolation of Israel in higher education;
- To support the application made by South Africa to the International Court of Justice through professional organizations, solidarity networks, and civil society channels in their respective countries;
- To exert pressure on their respective countries to become parties to the relevant application; and
- Supporting any initiative to investigate Israel's alleged war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and genocide accusations.
The call from the Academics for Peace to the Turkish state is as follows:
· To support South Africa's application and becoming a party to the relevant application to the International Court of Justice,
· To examine commercial activities with Israel and immediately stop those that directly assist Israel in committing the crime of genocide (this should be done considering the genocide allegations and taking into account the moral and legal sanctions that may arise in the future),,
· To cease military, commercial, and diplomatic relations with Israel.
“War crimes, etnic cleansing and genocide”
The Peace Academicians, in the two months following their call on November 7, 2023, stated that the Israeli state continued its massacres in Gaza, even increasing them.
Academics for Peace: 'Tell Israel to stop'
“Just as it was done to the apartheid regime in South Africa, a similar international pressure mechanism should be applied to Israel.
Ironically, on December 29, 2023, the Republic of South Africa submitted an application to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) stating that the State of Israel committed genocide and requesting immediate measures to prevent this crime. The 84-page document forming the application provides a detailed overview of the committed war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and genocide dimensions.
“The silence of the Western academia is unacceptable”
Israel's bombing of Gaza, targeting not only schools, hospitals, mosques, churches, justice buildings, municipal councils, transportation, and other infrastructure but also higher education institutions, is unacceptable for the global academic community. Many academics have been specifically targeted and killed. Additionally, it is evident that individuals who form the backbone of society, such as doctors, journalists, writers, and poets trained by higher education institutions, are being targeted, subjected to torture, detention, abduction, and murder. Universities cannot turn their backs on their own graduates. While all this is happening, the silence of the Western academia, in particular, is also unacceptable.
On the other hand, genocide, known as the "crime of crimes," is the most despicable and devastating crime that targets all common values of humanity.
Therefore, it is not a choice but a necessity to consider and investigate the alleged war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and genocide claims committed by the state of Israel.
It is also emphasized by many genocide researchers and historians that Israel has committed a genocide crime.
Reminding of the moral and legal burden arising from collaboration with a state committing genocide is our duty, without waiting for the decision that the International Court of Justice will eventually make.
(AS/PE)
