Spanish universities did not condemn the Hamas attack and now demand that Israeli universities express a 'commitment to peace'

@ElentirENG ES 5·09·2024 · 19:00 0

The Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE) has today exhibited a scandalous double standard when talking about wars.

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CRUE condemned Russian aggression against Ukraine ...

Let's review some facts. On February 25, 2022, one day after Russia invaded Ukraine, the CRUE expressly condemned the Russian invasion showing "its support and solidarity to the academic institutions of Ukraine, its university communities and the population of this country in these difficult times." A few days later, on March 2 the CRUE recommended freezing "Spanish scientific cooperation with Russian state institutions", without expressly citing the universities of that country.

... but it did not condemn the Hamas terrorist attack against Israel

Things change when the country attacked is Israel. On October 7, 2023, the terrorist organization Hamas, which had the government of the Gaza Strip in its hands, launched an attack against Israel, murdering more than 1,200 people (including children and babies), raping women and kidnapping more than 250 people of various nationalities, many of them civilians. The Hamas attack forced the evacuation of 200,000 civilians. It was the largest massacre suffered by the Jewish people since the Holocaust.

Unlike its response against the invasion of Ukraine, CRUE did not comment on the Hamas attack until 10 days later, on October 17, when it published a statement in which he rejected "the escalation of war in the Middle East". The CRUE statement did not condemn the Hamas attack or even mention it, nor did it mention that terrorist organization or call for the release of the hostages kidnapped by Hamas. It was a completely equidistant statement in which he expressed "his solidarity with the civilian population and the university and scientific communities of Israel and Palestine".

The CRUE took two months to request the release of those kidnapped by Hamas

On December 18, when more than two months had passed since the Hamas attack, the CRUE issued a second statement in which it finally cited Hamas, its October 7 attack, stating that "the assassination, the torture and kidnapping of Israeli civilians and other nationalities were extremely serious." However, this new statement still did not condemn that attack, but did affirm that "the subsequent Israeli response to the aforementioned attacks is being disproportionate and indiscriminate". Furthermore, the CRUE demanded "an immediate ceasefire and an end to this harassment that is leading the Palestinian people to an absolutely unsustainable situation". It also called for the "immediate and unconditional release of the hostages". It took two months to order it.

Now the CRUE threatens to break with Israeli universities

Today the CRUE has issued a third statement on the War in the Middle East, referring to "the very serious events that are currently taking place in the Gaza Strip." This statement calls for "the immediate and definitive cessation of military operations by the Israeli army, as well as any action of a terrorist nature, and the release of people kidnapped by Hamas". Additionally, the statement states the following:

"Review and, where appropriate, suspend collaboration agreements with Israeli universities and research centers that have not expressed a firm commitment to peace and compliance with international humanitarian law."

That is to say, CRUE, which has never condemned Hamas's attack on Israel, asks for "a firm commitment to peace" from Israel's universities, which have been subjected to attacks of the terrorists of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah for years, like the rest of the population of Israel. And to complete this infamy, CRUE threatens to break its agreements with these universities if they do not do what is asked of them.

CRUE will intensify its cooperation with Palestinian universities

But in addition, the CRUE announces that it intends to "intensify cooperation with the Palestinian scientific and higher education system and expand our cooperation, volunteering and care programs for the refugee population". That is to say, Israel is attacked from Palestinian territory, and what the CRUE does is break with Israel's universities and strengthen ties with Palestine. This is a position that exhibits a blatant and intolerable bias in public universities (the CRUE groups together 77 Spanish universities, 50 public and 27 private).

That entity has not said anything about the invasion of Ukraine for more than two years

The CRUE has not issued any statement regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine for more than two years, despite the fact that it continues with indiscriminate Russian attacks against the Ukrainian civilian population. Apparently, the Ukrainian people, who are victims of an unprovoked invasion, do not deserve the same attention as the Gazans, who are suffering the consequences of a war provoked by Hamas, the terrorist organization behind that they chose to govern their territory.

Anti-Semitism and the double standards of universities

Finally, in its statement today the CRUE says that it will ensure that "conducts, equally reprehensible, of anti-Semitism or Islamophobia do not occur.". What occurred on October 7, 2023 was a terrorist attack fueled by the same anti-Semitism that is pervading many Western universities today, an anti-Semitism actively promoted by Islam and the far left. This anti-Semitism is the only thing that can explain why there are universities that do not condemn a massacre of Jews but then still have the audacity to demand a "commitment to peace" from the universities of Israel. As a Spaniard I feel ashamed of our universities and I dedicate my deepest rejection to them.

Am Israel Jai!
The People of Israel live!

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Photo: Reuters. Hamas terrorists with their heads covered with balaclavas.