Nelly Ali This is something you wont read anywhere but here. So a couple of days ago there was a message on the Critical Geographers forum asking what Israeli academics stand was on what was happening in Gaza.... This academic wrote back requesting his email be copied and pasted and not forwarded in fear of repercussions should his email be traced back to him..... ------ Dear all, Im following this important discussion with great interest, and would like to contribute some thoughts as an Israeli scholar. I do it with some hesitations. The first is personal, as those of you who follow the recent Israeli discourse might have noticed the radicalization towards right-wing (not to say proto-fascist) ideas. Thugs are beating Palestinians and leftist protesters in the streets of Tel Aviv, Haifa and Jerusalem; people are blamed for treason and being fired from work for saying the obvious (that Israel commits war crimes in Gaza); and the universities are making their share by sending us - teachers and students alike - reminders to avoid extreme expressions on the media and in the social networks. That means that supporting the boycott at these times might have a high cost. Moreover, one cant avoid the problematics of my own position as an Israeli. First, it seems that I shouldnt even be a side in the discussion, as the Israeli academy is the object of the discussion and not a subject in it. Second, as an Israeli, I am the one whos going to be effected by a boycott decision. These, however, are not sufficient reasons to avoid the discussion altogether - and now, that Hillary asked explicitly for an Israeli voice, let me share some of my own thoughts and dilemmas. I see myself as totally devoted to the Palestinian call for ending the occupation and for justice in Israel/Palestine. Although studying the issue for many years, Im still surprised and angry nearly on a daily basis by the combination of creative minds and pure brutality of the occupation apparatuses, as well as by the general indifference of the Israeli public opinion. The current catastrophe in Gaza is nothing but a new peak in this machinery of evils, and we will see higher peaks in the future if nothing is to be done. On the one hand, I am totally pro boycott. I think that external pressure might be very effective, regarding Israels economic and social structure. I can say from within that it seems that nothing frightens Netanyahus government more than an overall boycott. Sure, there are worse countries and governments around the world, but this is a weak excuse. The Israeli/Palestinian case is bad enough, and we should remember that in the end boycott is a tool in the arsenal, and the main question is whether it will be effective or not. For Israel, which is based on export and import, and imagines itself as part of the West, I do think it can be a powerful tool. On the other hand, boycotting the radical voices from Israel might prove, in the long run, as a mistake. Let me make it clear: it is not about myself being published or not; Id love to pay the price of Israels deeds by having my papers rejected (and it is highly important to avoid the trap of oh, they have critical voices, which means that they are nice and they have an open democracy and freedom of speech, so we shouldnt boycott them. This is a mistake: yes, the Israeli Jews enjoy western-like democracy, but the Palestinians are not). The point is that in the end, the two nations - Israelis and Palestinians - will have to learn how to share the territory, and this will have to come from within Israel/Palestine. It means that I see great importance in nurturing and supporting the critical voices, on both sides, so our political imagination wont be stuck and that both populations know that there is somoene to talk with on the other side. To sum up, as an Israeli scholar I ask you to put an external pressure by supporting Israeli institutional boycott, while keeping ears open to other voices that are coming from Israel - not for the sake of myself and my colleagues but for the sake of the regions future. I must admit that I dont know how exactly this should be done. As been said in the beginning, Im just sharing my own thoughts and dilemmas
Posted on: Fri, 01 Aug 2014 11:30:24 +0000
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