A call for an “academic boycott of Israel”, recently launched on the X account of University of Toulouse 2 agent Jean Jaurès, condemned by the Union of Jewish Students of France.
“All high school students from Toulouse of the Jewish faith who wish to get a higher education at Parcousup systematically avoid the University of Jean Jaurès. » This disarming observation comes from Léo Bilfeld, president of the Union of Jewish Students of France, who says he is “shocked” by this recent tweet about calls for an academic boycott of Israel, the letterhead is signed by the collective Palestine Vaincra, but the official appears anonymous.
“Study freely…”
For Léo Bilfeld, there is “legal vagueness” around the interpretation of “academic boycott”, but he says he is mainly concerned about “the silence of the university presidency, which has never responded to our letters since October 2023”.
An administrative agent at a French university calls for a boycott of Israeli students at UT2J. The same university where Israeli students were attacked.
This university, which the Jewish students had to leave with complete indifference.
The context at Mirail University, which welcomes nearly 32,000 students each year, remains tense since the October 7 attack by Hamas and the constant bombardment of Gaza by the Israeli military. However, a meeting was arranged with UT2J president Emmanuelle Garnier on Tuesday, March 19.
“These are not the first facts of this kind”
“These are not the first facts at this university,” continues the president of the Union of Jewish Students of France. You should still know that Palestine Vaincra has a booth at the university itself. The Union does not note the same anti-Semitic undertones at Toulouse’s two other universities, Capitole and Paul Sabatier. Although in the latter the Jewish students were already offended.
“Our goal is to allow Jewish students to study freely in Toulouse at all universities,” assures Léo Bilfeld. That is the role of university presidents. And to be clear: we do not prevent people from demonstrating for the Palestinian cause either. » The Presidency of the University of Jean Jaurès yesterday responded in writing and without details to any sanction against the agent of the X account.
“Strict framework of the law”
“Given the dramatic situation that the Middle East is going through and the debates it is causing in our territory, the university management intends to continue to operate within the strict framework of the law, which guarantees freedom of opinion and expression. as well as condemning speech and actions related to anti-Semitism, racism or incitement to hatred. The university specifies that it does not support “individual positions taken on social media through non-institutional accounts.”