UK university's Israel contacts censured

The UK's National Union of Students (NUS) unanimously adopted a motion recently demanding KCL to swiftly end its research project with the Israeli company Ahava.

The NUS' National Executive Council (NEC) referred to an overwhelmingly-endorsed international position on the illegality of the Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

“By collaborating with Ahava, King's itself has become complicit with violations of international law”, said the NEC.

The NEC condemned the collaboration between King's College London and Ahava in the research project, and demanded the immediate end of the university's involvement in the project.

It also demanded that the KCL reject the financial grant it was going to receive for its participation.

The NEC strongly urged King's College London to re-evaluate its commitments to ethical research, and establish a formal ethical research policy, to prevent a similar situation from arising in the future that compromises the university's integrity and respect for international law.

A petition endorsed by at least 1,000 signatories has also been prepared to reiterate opposition to Israeli regime's racist policies and its apartheid settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.