On Oct. 8, Ethical Collaboration (EC), a student-run campaign at the University of Waterloo (UW), submitted a petition of around 4,000 signatures to their student federation (Feds). The petition called for Feds to hold a referendum asking students if they would support an academic boycott, severing ties with Israeli institutions they believe are complicit in the violation of Palestinian’s human rights.
The Israeli institutions named by the petition include Tel Aviv University, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, University of Jerusalem, Weizmann Institute of Science, and Haifa University.
“Waterloo proactively engages with international research-intensive universities that share our values of academic freedom, freedom of expression, and equity. A very important part of our academic partnerships is that [we] seek to advance knowledge creation that will positively impact the world in which we live and are developed through processes that are open and transparent,” said Nick Manning, UW director of media relations and issues management.
EC is a student-led campaign in response to the call of Palestinians under the umbrellas of global boycott.
“These universities are part of [the] occupation based on their existence . . . We recognize that our university goes out of its way to collaborate with institutions that violate these human rights policies and feel that we as students should recognize our power and do something about it,” said Rachel Thevenard, current Palestinian Solidarity Action Group coordinator for EC.
While EC members have reported a large amount of support for the referendum, sources within the student body say a lot of students have voiced their concerns about the effects an academic boycott could have on campus as a community.
“There have been votes taken at a handful of campuses in Canada at the student union level where they have voted for BDS [boycott, divestment and sanctions]. There have also been a handful where it hasn’t come forward (like at McGill), there have been universities where it has been rejected (like in Regina) and there have been universities where it has been overturned, (like at Trent University in Peterborough),” said Judy Zelikovitz, vice president, university and local partner services with the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs. “The trends are a function of what students are thinking, which students are elected to student council and where those interests lie.”
Some campuses have created environments towards Jewish students that make them feel like they are not welcome on campus and by their own student union—something often overlooked in this discussion,” Zelikovitz said.
“Universities are independent institutions and independent of the government, especially when it comes to domestic and foreign policy. It would be like [you] saying to [your] fellow students, ‘We’re going to boycott all Canadian universities because the Canadian government policy is X, Y and Z,'” Zelikovitz said.
Maaz Yasin, the vice president (internal) at Feds, said they have received the petition and are in the process of verifying signatures. If all the signatures are found to be from registered students, the next step for Feds would be to call a referendum.
While Feds is involved in the process, Yasin added Feds will hold a “very neutral” position in the matter.
