Extraordinary general meeting 
1pm – 2pm, Thursday 17 June 2021 
Video meeting on Zoom 

Minutes 

Agreed to omnibus debate on Israel/Palestine motions. 

Agreed to limit movers of motions to 3 minutes and other contributions to 2 minutes. 

Motion 1 

Leeds University UCU branch offers its solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle to defend their homes and lives. The branch supports events and initiatives in solidarity with the people of Palestine. 

Proposed by Megan Povey. Moved by Megan Povey. Seconded by Robina Mir. The motion was carried. 

Motion 2 

The branch notes: 

1. That as national policy, ‘UCU supports the Friends of Bir Zeit University and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign’ (https://ucu.org.uk/internationalsolidarity#ispal). 

2. That violence in Israel-Palestine has complex origins, prominently including European genocide of Jewish people and European colonial policies of the twentieth century. 

3. That support for Palestinian rights has, regrettably, at times overlapped with anti-Semitism. 

4. That we have not had an extensive local discussion of this policy, or of how the local branch might best implement it, at a general meeting in some time, and that careful and open discussion of our policies is useful to advancing UCU’s causes. 

The branch believes: 

1. That UCU’s national policy is appropriate in view of
   1. the deprivation of people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories of their human rights
   2. the fact that the Israeli state currently exerts far greater power over these polities than the Palestinian Territories do over the Israeli state 
   3. the need for the implementation of Palestinian human rights to make peace, justice, and reconciliation achievable in the region
2. That we must communicate our solidarity with Palestine in ways that neither court anti-Semitism in intent nor in how it our statements are likely to be interpreted by good-faith readers, as part of our general commitment to anti-racism.
3. That one strategy of people who oppose Palestinian human rights has been to portray solidarity for Palestine and/or criticism of the Israeli state as generally anti-Semitic; that this strategy has proved effective in dampening explicit solidarity with Palestine; and that to be politically effective, our expressions of support for Palestine must avert this strategy. 

The branch moves: 

To reiterate its solidarity with Palestinian people at the present time with the following statement, which stands as an example of appropriately subtle expression of our views. 

We stand in solidarity with Palestinian people facing oppression both within and outside Palestine. 
We express our distress at the recent violence in both Gaza and Israel, and especially express our sympathies to all those of our colleagues and students who have been affected by it. We recognise the complex origins of this violence and that these prominently include European genocide of Jewish people and European colonial policies of the twentieth century. 
We also recognise the disparities of power in the present situation, however, and stand in solidarity with Palestinians facing both slow and imminent violence by the Israeli state, which is both curtailing the rights of its Palestinian citizens and systematically depriving people in Palestine of their human rights through illegal actions. Without implementation of Palestinian human rights, the tragic and shameful cycle of violence, loss of life and limb, and impact to livelihoods now and in the future will continue, making peace, justice and reconciliation unachievable in the region. 

Proposed by Alaric Hall. Moved by Alaric Hall, seconded by Helen Finch. 

Proposed amendments to motion 2 

The following nine amendments proposed by James Dickins. 

Amendment 1 

“1. That as national policy, ‘UCU supports the Friends of Bir Zeit University and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign’ (https://ucu.org.uk/internationalsolidarity#ispal).” 

Proposed amendment. Add: “and also supports Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS): https://bdsmovement.net/news/ucu-passes-important-bds-resolution”. 

Amendment 2 

“2. That violence in Israel-Palestine has complex origins, prominently including European genocide of Jewish people and European colonial policies of the twentieth century.” 

Proposed amendment. Remove: “prominently including European genocide of Jewish people [and]”, and replace with: “It is partly to be seen against the backdrop of European genocide of Jewish people”. 

Amendment 3 

“3. That support for Palestinian rights has, regrettably, at times overlapped with anti-Semitism.” 

Proposed amendment: remove all, and replace with: “That support for Palestinian rights is not to be confused with antisemitism, and that Palestine Solidarity Campaign and other pro-Palestine groups are explicit that they oppose antisemitism alongside all other forms of racism”. 

Amendment 4 

“4. That we have not had an extensive local discussion of this policy, or of how the local branch might best implement it, at a general meeting in some time, and that careful and open discussion of our policies is useful to advancing UCU’s causes.” 

Proposed amendment. Remove all. 

Amendment 5 

“b) the fact that the Israeli state currently exerts far greater power over these polities than the Palestinian Territories do over the Israeli state” 

Remove all and replace with: 

“The fact that the Israeli state has almost total control over the Palestinians of the Occupied Territories, imposing what both Human Rights Watch and Israel’s largest human rights organisation, B’Tselem have described as an ‘apartheid regime’.” 

Amendment 6 

“3. That one strategy of people who oppose Palestinian human rights has been to portray solidarity for Palestine and/or criticism of the Israeli state as generally anti-Semitic; that this strategy has proved effective in dampening explicit solidarity with Palestine; and that to be politically effective, our expressions of support for Palestine must avert this strategy.” 

Proposed amendment. Remove “avert” and replace with “expose and explicitly challenge”. 

Amendment 7 

“To reiterate its solidarity with Palestinian people at the present time with the following statement, which stands as an example of appropriately subtle expression of our views.” 

Proposed amendment number as “1” and remove “appropriately subtle”. 

Amendment 8 

“We recognise the complex origins of this violence and that these prominently include European genocide of Jewish people and European colonial policies of the twentieth century.” 

Proposed amendment. Remove “that these prominently include European genocide of Jewish people”, and replace with: “and that it is partly to be seen against the backdrop of European genocide of Jewish people”. 

Amendment 9 

“making peace, justice and reconciliation unachievable in the region.” 

Add additional point at the end of the motion: “2. To implement at the University of Leeds UCU national policy in support of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, and in line with other universities such as Sheffield University and Sheffield Hallam University, to seek to establish a joint University-UCU anti-apartheid committee to work together to progress the disinvestment talks with management.” 

All nine amendments were moved by James Dickins, seconded by Robina Mir. All nine amendments were carried, so the substantive motion is now: 

Motion 2 (as amended) 

The branch notes: 

1. That as national policy, ‘UCU supports the Friends of Bir Zeit University and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign’ (https://ucu.org.uk/internationalsolidarity#ispal) and also supports Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS): https://bdsmovement.net/news/ucu-passes-important-bds-resolution 

2. That violence in Israel-Palestine has complex origins. It is partly to be seen against the backdrop of European genocide of Jewish people and European colonial policies of the twentieth century. 

3. That support for Palestinian rights is not to be confused with antisemitism, and that Palestine Solidarity Campaign and other pro-Palestine groups are explicit that they oppose antisemitism alongside all other forms of racism. 

The branch believes: 

1. That UCU’s national policy is appropriate in view of 
   1. the deprivation of people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories of their human rights 
   2. The fact that the Israeli state has almost total control over the Palestinians of the Occupied Territories, imposing what both Human Rights Watch and Israel’s largest human rights organisation, B’Tselem have described as an ‘apartheid regime’ 
   3. the need for the implementation of Palestinian human rights to make peace, justice, and reconciliation achievable in the region 
2. That we must communicate our solidarity with Palestine in ways that neither court anti-Semitism in intent nor in how it our statements are likely to be interpreted by good-faith readers, as part of our general commitment to anti-racism. 
3. That one strategy of people who oppose Palestinian human rights has been to portray solidarity for Palestine and/or criticism of the Israeli state as generally anti-Semitic; that this strategy has proved effective in dampening explicit solidarity with Palestine; and that to be politically effective, our expressions of support for Palestine must expose and explicitly challenge this strategy. 

The branch moves: 

1. To reiterate its solidarity with Palestinian people at the present time with the following statement, which stands as an example of expression of our views. 

We stand in solidarity with Palestinian people facing oppression both within and outside Palestine. 

We express our distress at the recent violence in both Gaza and Israel, and especially express our sympathies to all those of our colleagues and students who have been affected by it. We recognise the complex origins of this violence and that it is partly to be seen against the backdrop of European genocide of Jewish people and European colonial policies of the twentieth century. 

We also recognise the disparities of power in the present situation, however, and stand in solidarity with Palestinians facing both slow and imminent violence by the Israeli state, which is both curtailing the rights of its Palestinian citizens and systematically depriving people in Palestine of their human rights through illegal actions. Without implementation of Palestinian human rights, the tragic and shameful cycle of violence, loss of life and limb, and impact to livelihoods now and in the future will continue, making peace, justice and reconciliation unachievable in the region. 

2. To implement at the University of Leeds UCU national policy in support of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, and in line with other universities such as Sheffield University and Sheffield Hallam University, to seek to establish a joint University-UCU anti-apartheid committee to work together to progress the disinvestment talks with management. 

The motion was carried. 

Motion 3 

Leeds UCU notes: 

1. Israel’s largest and most influential Human Rights group B’Tselem and Human Rights Watch have both recently published reports defining Israel as an apartheid regime. 

2. University of Leeds has investments in HSBC, Booking.com and Barclay’s in addition to institutional links with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and IDC Herzliya. 

3. UCU policy opposes such investments and links with Israel. 

4. The Leeds University Palestine Solidarity Group has authored an open letter to the VC calling for divestment (http://newaoc.com/leedsu). The letter has got so far more than 180 signatures from staff members, students, alumni and 10 LUU student societies. 

5. The Leeds UCU Committee has signed the above Open Letter. 

Leeds UCU believes: 

1. The University of Leeds is complicit in the oppression of the Palestinian people and the continuation of Israeli apartheid by investing in HSBC, Booking.com and Barclay’s in addition to maintaining institutional links with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and IDC Herzliya. 

2. The University should release a statement in support of its Palestinian students and staff members. 

3. Whilst the University must protect all staff and students against racism including Islamophobia and antisemitism, it should also protect staff and students from unfounded accusations of antisemitism for speaking up for Palestinian human rights. 

Leeds UCU resolves to: 

1. Sign the Open Letter to the VC. 

2. Release a public statement in solidarity with the Palestinians and in support of the Open Letter and its demands. 

Proposed by Rasha Soliman, moved by Rasha Soliman, seconded by Lesley McGorrigan. The motion was carried. 

Motion 4 – Donation to branches striking over redundancies 

This branch agrees to: 

• donate £400 to the Liverpool UCU strike fund 

• donate £400 to the Leicester UCU strike fund 

Proposed by the committee, moved by Vicky Blake, seconded by Kara Hazelgrave. The motion was carried. 

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