Five trade unions representing staff at Trinity College Dublin (Ireland) demand their institution sever ALL institutional and corporate ties with apartheid Israel.
Five trade unions representing staff at Trinity College Dublin (Ireland) demand their institution sever ALL institutional and corporate ties with apartheid Israel.
“A University of Trinity’s international reputation can and should lead the way in isolating Israel in the international community until it ends its genocidal activities and dismantles the apartheid system it is implementing.”
In their submission to the Trinity Taskforce on International Academic Links, SIPTU, Unite, IFUT, and the Craft Unions have demanded:
❌ No partnerships with complicit Israeli universities and research institutions
❌ No complicit Israeli companies in investment portfolios or supply chains
❌ No research collaborations with complicit entities
✅ Strengthening academic ties with Palestinian universities
✅ Scholarships and support for Palestinian students and researchers
This is what meaningful academic solidarity looks like!
We thank these unions for answering the Palestinian call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) and for the boycott of complicit Israeli universities, companies and suppliers.
Trinity College needs to act now!
University workers have power—use it!
Join the global movement for freedom, justice and equality. Demand your union take action NOW!
Trinity College Trade Unions submission to the Trinity Task Force on Academic and Institutional International Links and Related Matters
The Trinity Task Force on Academic and Institutional International Links and Related Matters met on November 22nd, 2024, and agreed to invite submissions from the College community based on the Task Force’s terms of reference. At the meeting, there was unanimous agreement that the Task Force should first concentrate on the issue of Israel/Palestine and specifically on the question of Trinity’s ties to Israel. We believe that Trinity should as a matter of urgency sever institutional ties with Israeli authorities and institutions and seek updates to colleges ethics and procurement policies to ensure no further contracts are awarded to apartheid Israeli companies and suppliers.
We are collectively issuing the following 8 recommendations to the taskforce.
These recommendations should be implemented in line with the principles of academic freedom.
1) To ensure Trinity College strengthens relations with Palestinian Universities and offer support to the rebuilding of these Universities in Gaza.
2) To ensure Trinity College offers scholarships to Palestinian students and funds the hosting of Palestinian researchers and teaching staff.
3) To ensure that Trinity College does not hold any Israeli companies in its investment portfolio, or companies or institutions implicated in human rights violations in Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
4) To ensure that Trinity College does not use Israeli companies and suppliers. This should be done by updating the Colleges ethics and procurement policies.
To safeguard the right of staff under the Statutes to raise ethical concerns over working with companies, suppliers and institutions violating international law, committing human rights abuses and/or other crimes, Trinity should work to update its current ethics and procurement policies to uphold the findings, provisional measures and verdicts made by the ICJ on Israel in 2024 and uphold international law.
5) To ensure that Trinity College does not have any institutional partnerships, Erasmus, international mobility, or exchange agreements with Israeli HEIs.
6) To ensure that Trinity College does not accept funding for research services from Israeli and other complicit companies and institutions.
7) To ensure Trinity College does not sign new agreements or participate in new international academic cooperation and R&D projects with Israeli universities, research institutions, companies and government ministries.
8) To ensure that Trinity College takes steps to discontinue collaboration with Israeli institutions within existing research consortia when possible. When not possible, Trinity College should take the necessary steps to withdraw from projects involving Israeli institutional partners, with due regard for contractual obligations and the welfare of TCD researchers and other staff.
All Trade Unions on the Taskforce support the goals and guidelines of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, representing Palestinian Civil Society (BDS movement).
Regards, SIPTU, UNITE, IFUT and Craft Union representatives.