EDINBURGH University academics have called on the institution to make a public apology after the principal met with Israel’s deputy ambassador to the UK earlier this month.
Earlier this month, Daniela Grudsky posted numerous photos on social media of her on the university campus, including one smiling next to principal and vice-chancellor Peter Mathieson.
It occurred after more than 500 staff at the University of Edinburgh signed an open letter in May calling on senior management to immediately divest from “any company directly involved and complicit with the dispossession of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation".
The letter came in the wake of a student encampment in the Old College quad, where students accused the university of investing millions in companies such as Alphabet and Amazon, which supply the Israeli government.
Nicola Perugini, a senior lecturer in international relations, said as well as an apology, there should also be moves made to suspend all university investment in firms connected to Israeli violence in Palestine.
External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson was forced to apologise earlier this week after he met with Grudsky – a meeting that also became public knowledge via Grudsky posting pictures on social media.
The Scottish Government also announced it would not now meet with Israel until “progress is made on peace”.
Perugini and Samer Abdelnour, a senior lecturer in strategic management, are now both calling on the university to take similar action by issuing an apology and overhauling its approach to relations with Israel.
Perugini said the meeting was the “tip of the iceberg” when it comes to the university’s links to Israel as he detailed how the institution has a “legacy” in preventing Palestinian self-determination.
He told The National: “Our former chancellor Arthur James Balfour signed the Balfour Declaration which prevented Palestinians from achieving self-determination.
“There is a legacy there. I’m part of the team that is investigating this legacy for the university. The university triggered a very important project a few years ago which is called Decolonised Transformations and we are being asked to investigate our connection to colonialism.
“On the one hand the university is trying to repair that historical connection saying we can’t repeat the mistakes of the past when it comes to imperialism and slavery and colonialism, and on the other hand, that very situation is still ongoing and the university is connected not just symbolically with this meeting but also materially.”
The Balfour Declaration was issued on November 2, 1917 and resulted in the significant upheaval of the lives of Palestinians.
The declaration turned the Zionist aim of establishing a Jewish state in Palestine into a reality when Britain publicly pledged to establish “a national home for the Jewish people” there.
Activists have previously also called for the university to stop using BlackRock as a manager for £50.2 million of its portfolio, claiming that around £783,000 is invested in companies “complicit in genocide”.
Perugini added: “We should issue an apology [for the meeting] in line with our current review into our historic links to colonialism in Palestine. If I were leader of the university, I would announce that we would look for forms of reparation for that historical link.
Spent the last few days in Scotland, surrounded by friends and the vibrant culture at @edfringe. This important visit was filled with productive discussions on the shared global challenges and opportunities that connect our two nations. pic.twitter.com/L2FyuPwzeB
— Daniela Grudsky (@DanielaGrudsky) August 13, 2024
“Most importantly I would announce that until there is clarity on those two investigations at the ICC [International Criminal Court] and ICJ [International Court of Justice], we would suspend all investments connected to Israel, to potential complicity with crimes which are under investigation.”
In May, the ICC announced it was seeking an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu and his defence minister Yoav Gallant as well as two other key Hamas figures.
The ICJ has said Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is “illegal” and it should end its occupation of those areas and the Gaza Strip as soon as possible.
Abdelnour, who is Palestinian by heritage, said it was “incredibly disappointing” the university had been silent since the meeting with Grudsky took place, especially as the Scottish Government had acted in hindsight.
He said: “It’s reflective of an unwillingness for the university to proactively address the more material links with firms or research partnerships that profit from Israeli violence.
“I work at the business school and I teach a course on corporate responsibility. In that course I teach students and explore what responsible organisations and leaders do in the context of our world which is facing multiple crises. We speak in the course about what it means to be a proactive and responsible organisation.
“I think there are some parallels here in terms of how we think about what it means to be working for an employer that, on the one hand, has a very clear sustainability policy that has a clear clause about human rights, but at the same time is invested in firms that are profiting from Israeli violence against Palestinians.”
Asked about what action he would like to see taken, he added: “I think a first step would be an apology and a recognition that this was a mistake. But also a recognition that it’s not only about the meeting, but a broader way in which the university has approached Israel and Palestine.
“They need to take more seriously calls by hundreds of staff and thousands of students on the question of divestment. We want to work for a university that practices its very clear sustainability in human rights statements. Our students want to attend a university that isn’t complicit in the harm of their loved ones overseas.”
A university spokesperson said: “The Israeli deputy ambassador requested a meeting as part of a wider visit to Edinburgh, to discuss the university’s approach to tackling antisemitism on campus.
“We will always be open to listen to any concerns that focus on the welfare of our staff and students, and endeavour to represent all members of our community through engagement with a range of views and voices, while recognising that some will have strong and differing opinions to this approach.
“The ongoing violence and loss of life in Israel and Palestine is deeply distressing, particularly for members of our community with connections to the area. We hope for an immediate end to the violence, the release of remaining hostages, and a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
“The principal recently represented the university in discussion with other institutions to address what more can be done across the higher education sector to support Palestinian academics and students, and how we can contribute to rebuilding the university infrastructure in Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
