A destroyed mosque in Khan Younis after the Israeli military pulled out troops from the southern Gaza Strip, 9 April 2024. (Photo: EPA-EFE / MOHAMMED SABER) 
We note that the University of Cape Town and the University of Western Cape have made official statements calling for a ceasefire and immediate aid to Gaza.
We, a collection of individual members of the Stellenbosch University Senate, note with deep concern the ongoing massacre and continued mass displacement of the population of Gaza by the Israeli military since 7 October.
We are appalled by the mass killing of innocent civilians and are dismayed that the Israeli military has targeted non-combatants in Gaza — men, women and children — in their retaliation against Hamas.
We note and mourn the deaths of Israeli civilians in the 7 October attacks on Israel by Hamas. However, no crimes inflicted on Israeli civilians nor any military action taken by Israel, whether in self-defence or in pursuit of its military objectives, can ever justify genocidal actions in retaliation.
This level of destruction is brutal and barbaric. The extreme trauma of the surviving population continues to worsen as they bury their dead and fear for their lives. The universities in Gaza have been destroyed, some of which were destroyed after their capture by the Israeli military. They are being used as detention centres or military bases.
Read more in Daily Maverick: Middle East crisis news hub
On 26 January 2024, in recognition of the extreme gravity of the situation in Gaza, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to “take all measures within its power” to prevent the commission of all acts within the scope of Article II of the Geneva Conventions on the basis that it was plausible that Israel was committing genocide in its attacks on Palestinians in Gaza.
A recent report on the ongoing devastation in Gaza highlights that “Israel has razed 77% of healthcare facilities in Gaza, 68% of telecommunication infrastructure, nearly all municipal and governmental buildings, commercial, industrial and agricultural centres, almost half of all roads, more than 60% of Gaza’s 439,000 homes, 68% of residential buildings — the bombing of the Al-Taj tower in Gaza City on October 25 killed 101 people, including 44 children and 37 women, and injured hundreds — and obliterated refugee camps.
“The attack on the Jabalia refugee camp on October 25 killed at least 126 civilians, including 69 children, and injured 280. Israel has damaged or destroyed Gaza’s universities, all of which are now closed, and 60% of other educational facilities, including 13 libraries. It has also destroyed at least 195 heritage sites, including 208 mosques, churches, and Gaza’s Central Archives that held 150 years of historical records and documents.”
Arguing that Israel is committing genocide has been treated by some university and state authorities as hate speech and/or anti-Semitism. We now know, from a legal perspective, confirmed by the highest court in the world, that there are plausible legal grounds to argue that genocide is, in fact, taking place.
Yet the repression of public criticism of Israel remains profound and widespread by labelling any criticism of Israeli actions as anti-Semitic.
On 25 March, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) demanded an immediate ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the release of all hostages.
As members of the Stellenbosch University Senate, we note:
- The mass killings of Palestinian civilians, teachers, educators, professors, healthcare workers, students, learners and patients;
- The absolute devastation of the education system, both basic and higher education in Gaza, since Israel’s attack in October 2023;
- The unjustified but widespread clampdown across the world on legitimate public criticism of Israeli policies in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) and on its conduct of the war in Gaza and the false conflation of such legitimate criticism with anti-Semitism;
- That the devastation of an education system may contribute to the destruction of a group’s culture, religion, and identity and therefore comprise a form of cultural genocide; and
- That criticism of the extent of destruction of civilian infrastructure and the killing of teachers and university staff in Gaza is not an act of anti-Semitism.
As a collection of individual members of the Stellenbosch University Senate, we believe that:
- It is unacceptable to suppress legitimate criticism of parties’ behaviour in the Gaza War, particularly when the ICJ has found plausible evidence of a genocide taking place in Gaza;
- The manipulation of the definition of anti-Semitism to include any criticism of Israel or Zionism is both intellectually without foundation and a violation of academic freedom;
- The academic freedom to voice opinions in scholarly and public debates on Gaza must be defended as a matter of principle;
- Colleagues who have suffered discrimination and harassment as a result of speaking out against the invasion deserve our support and protection; and
- The evidence suggesting that the destruction of Gaza’s education systems was a deliberate plan of the Israeli military must be examined by the ICJ in its determination of genocidal intent.
As members of the Stellenbosch University Senate, we:
- Call for an immediate ceasefire and the cessation of attacks on civilians, the passage of humanitarian aid and the return of all captives;
- 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 our concern and opposition to any attempts to curtail academic freedom by labelling criticism of Israel or Zionist policies as anti-Semitism;
- Express our 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 our solidarity with academic colleagues victimised for their willingness to speak out against the educide in Gaza; and
- Urge our colleagues at Stellenbosch University and all other institutions of higher learning not to knowingly enter into relations, or continue relations with, any research group and/or network that includes current members of the Israel Defense Forces, and/or any member of the broader Israeli military establishment.
Signed by members of the Stellenbosch University Senate in our individual capacity:
Professor Ashraf Kagee, Department of Psychology
Professor Desmond Painter, Department of Psychology
Professor Pieter Fourie, Department of Political Science
Professor Sally Ann Murray, Department of English
Professor Juliana Claassens, Faculty of Theology
Professor Jeremy Punt, Department of Old & New Testament
Professor Geo Quinot, Department of Public Law
Professor Reggie Nel, Faculty of Theology
Professor Mawande Dlali, Department of African Languages
Dr Leslie van Rooi, Senior Director; Social Impact and Transformation
Professor Ronelle Carolissen, Department of Psychology
Professor Lize van Robbroeck, Department of Visual Arts
Professor Anita Cloete, Department of Practical Theology and Missiology
Professor Mehita Iqani, Department of Journalism
Professor Aslam Fataar, Department of Education Policy Studies
Professor Nuraan Davids, Department of Education Policy Studies
Professor Amanda Gouws, Department of Political Science
Professor Herman Wasserman, Department of Journalism
Professor Faadiel Essop, Division of Medical Physiology
Professor Mark Tomlinson, Institute for Life Course Health Research
Professor Leslie Swartz, Department of Psychology
Dr Therese Fish, Vice Dean of Clinical Services and Social Impact, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Professor Ian Couper, Ukwanda Centre for Rural Health, Department of Global Health
Professor Steven Robins, Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology
Professor Robert Vosloo, Department of Systematic Theology & Ecclesiology
Professor Tina Steiner, Department of English
Professor Susan van Schalkwyk, Centre for Health Professions Education
Professor Louis Jonker, Department of Old and New Testament
Professor Soraya Bardien, Department of Biomedical Sciences
Professor Jonathan Carr, Department of Medicine
Professor Mias de Klerk, Stellenbosch Business School
Professor Razeen Davids, Division of Nephrology
Mr Rubeshan Nayager, Unit Manager: BMRI Biorepository, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Professor Sadulla Karjiker, Department of Mercantile Law, Faculty of Law
Professor Marlo Möller, Department of Biomedical Sciences
Professor Craig Kinnear, Department of Biomedical Sciences
Professor Karen Esler, Dept. Conservation Ecology & Entomology
Dr Mareli Pretorius, Department of Drama
Professor Mark Swilling, Centre for Sustainability Transitions
Professor Sandra Liebenberg, Chair in Human Rights Law, Department of Public Law
Professor Johann Mouton, CREST
Professor Lesley Le Grange, Department of Curriculum Studies
Professor Tania Ajam, School of Public Leadership
Ms Ellen Tise, Senior Director: Library and Information Services
Ms Miriam Hoosain, Chief Director, Human Resources
Professor Zwelinzima Ndevu, School of Public Leadership
Professor Savel R Daniels, Department of Botany and Zoology
Professor Catharine Esterhuysen, Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science
Professor Johann Rohwer, Department of Biochemistry
Ilhaam Groenewald, Chief Director, Maties Sport
Reagan Johnson, SRC Executive
Amory Smith, AAC Representative
Professor Samantha Sampson, Department of Biomedical Sciences
Professor Michael Cherry, Department of Botany and Zoology
Professor Wikus van Niekerk, Dean of Engineering (on sabbatical)
Professor Lou Marie Kruger, Department of Psychology
Professor Heather Brookes, Department of General Linguistics
Professor Lambert Engelbrecht, Department of Social Work
Professor Clive Gray, Division of Immunology, Biomedical Research Institute
Professor Nadine Bowers Du Toit, Faculty of Theology
Professor Donita Africander, Department of Biochemistry
Professor Bruce Anderson, Department of Botany and Zoology
Professor Christine Lochner, Department of Psychiatry
Professor Soraya Seedat, Department of Psychiatry
Professor Stefan Gebhardt, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Professor Louise du Toit, Philosophy Department
Professor Grant Theron, Department of Biomedical Sciences
Professor Henk Botha, Department of Public Law
Professor Bernard Wessels, Department of Private Law
Professor Lana van Niekerk, Division of Occupational Therapy
Professor Sarah Skeen, Institute for Life Course Health Research, Department of Global Health
Professor Janis van der Westhuizen, Department of Political Science
Professor Xikombiso Mbhenyane, Division of Human Nutrition
Professor Sophie von der Heyden, Department of Botany and Zoology
Professor Peter Mallon, Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science
Professor Paramespri Naidoo, Department of Chemical Engineering
Professor Vasti Roodt, Department of Philosophy
Professor Novel Chegou, Department of Biomedical Sciences
Professor Corne Schutte, Vice-Dean: Research and Industry Liaison, Engineering
Professor Marianne Strydom, Department of Social Work
Professor Anna-Maria Botha, Genetics
Professor Lynette van Zijl, Computer Science
Professor Léanne Dreyer, Department of Botany and Zoology
Professor Estelle Swart, Department of Educational Psychology
Professor Liezel Frick, Centre for Higher and Adult Education
Professor Bob Mash, Department of Family and Emergency Medicine
Professor Juanita Pienaar, Department of Private Law
Professor Thuli Madonsela, Centre for Social Justice
Professor Selwyn Mapolie, Department of Chemistry
Professor Regan Solomons, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health
Professor Gunnar Sigge, Department of Food Science
Professor Anna-Mart Engelbrecht, Department of Physiological Sciences
Dr Susan Hall, Department of Philosophy
Professor Kathryn Chu, Centre for Global Surgery
Professor Kopano Ratele, Department of Psychology
Professor Emanuel Bylund, Department of General Linguistics
Professor Andries Visagie, Department of Afrikaans and Dutch
Professor Pregala Solosh Pillay, School of Public Leadership
Bantubonke Louw, Senior Manager: Centre for Academic Administration, Bellville Park Campus
Professor Henry Mbaya, Faculty of Theology, Stellenboch
Professor Maritha Kotze, Division of Chemical Pathology
Professor Andrew Whitelaw, Division of Medical Microbiology
Professor Bernard Dubbeld, Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology. DM