Letter of support from docP to the American Studies Association

Subject: support for  ASA’s decision to join the academic boycott of Israel                                                                      January 14, 2014

Dear ASA Council members,

This is to express our support for ASA’s decision to endorse the academic boycott of Israel. We support your statement that endorsement of a boycott is ‘warranted given U.S. military and other support for Israel; Israel’s violation of international law and UN resolutions; the documented impact of the Israeli occupation on Palestinian scholars and students; the extent to which Israeli institutions of higher education are a party to state policies that violate human rights’ .

We are aware of the contested nature of your decision in the US. You face much opposition from Zionist supporters of Israel who are also present in university administrations. Similar opposition is present in Europe and the Netherlands.  However, we have international law and human rights on our side in our joint struggle for the rights of  Palestinians and a just future for all living in that region, regardless of race, faith and other discriminatory criteria.

The Services and Research Centre on Palestine in the Netherlands fully supports you in this endeavor and applauds the use of your democratic right and academic freedom to reach a conclusion based on facts and to voice this conclusion without restriction.

Yours sincerely,

Benji de Levie

Chairperson docP