UCT Council adopts two Senate resolutions on Gaza conflict

Dear colleagues and students

The University of Cape Town (UCT) Council held an ordinary plenary meeting on Saturday, 22 June 2024.

Among the items on the agenda were two resolutions regarding the Gaza conflict, which were passed by Senate at a meeting held on Friday, 19 April 2024 and then tabled for consideration by Council.

Council debated the two resolutions and following this debate, adopted each by majority decision.

In terms of the first resolution, on the destruction of scholarship and education in Gaza, Senate resolved to:

• call, again, for an immediate ceasefire, the passage of humanitarian aid and the return of all captives as contained in the Senate's resolution of 17 November 2023
• condemn the destruction of the education sector in Gaza and the massive scale of killing of teachers and university staff in the current war
• urge the international community to ensure that the provision of humanitarian aid includes the restoration of the education sector in Gaza
• express concern and opposition to any attempts to curtail academic freedom by labelling criticism of Israel or Zionist policies as antisemitism
• reject the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s conflation of critique of Zionism and Israel’s policies as antisemitism in favour of the Jerusalem Declaration’s dynamic understanding of what constitutes antisemitism
• express support for academic colleagues in Gaza who are surviving under appalling conditions and our intention to assist in the rebuilding of the academic sector after the war
• express solidarity with academic colleagues victimised for their willingness to speak out against the educaracide in Gaza.

The second resolution was in regard to research collaborations with members of the Israeli Defence Force and the wider Israeli military establishment. In terms of this resolution, no UCT academic may enter into relations, or continue relations with, any research group and/or network whose author affiliations are with the Israeli Defence Force, and/or the broader Israeli military establishment.

Council will in due course provide further updates through the usual communication channels on some of the other key items discussed at the June 2024 meeting.

Communication and Marketing Department

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• From the UCT Executive
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