In a historic move, the National Union of Students (NUS) in the UK has thrown its weight behind campaigns targeting companies complicit in Israel\u2019s occupation and breaches of international\u00a0law.<\/p>\n
A new page<\/a> on the NUS website that went online today calls on students to campaign against the campus presence of Eden Springs and Veolia. In the preamble, NUS\u00a0notes:<\/p>\n In a similar move to the South African Anti-Apartheid movement, activists in Palestine – from Students\u2019 Unions to LGBTQ organisations – have asked international supporters to refrain from supporting companies and institutions that profit from or maintain the\u00a0occupation.<\/p>\n For both Eden Springs and Veolia, NUS acknowledges the work already done on a number of campuses, and offers \u201cresources and support\u201d to any students wishing to organise their own\u00a0campaign.<\/p>\n This comes soon after the NUS\u2019 National Executive Committee voted<\/a> to condemn a collaboration between King\u2019s College London (KCL) and Ahava, an Israeli company located in an illegal West Bank settlement. In fact, NUS President\u2019s subsequent letter to KCL\u2019s Principal is also featured<\/a> in the \u2018Global Justice\u2019 section of the\u00a0website.<\/p>\n James Haywood, member of NUS\u2019 NEC,\u00a0 commented: \u201cNUS has historically been good on global issues – with the exception of Palestine. This is an encouraging step that Palestinians are being treated as equals in their demand for basic rights and protection from breaches of international\u00a0law.\u201d<\/p>\n __________________<\/p>\n Ben White is a freelance journalist, writer and activist, specialising in Palestine\/Israel. His articles have been widely published in the likes of <\/em>The Guardian<\/em>\u2018s Comment is free, <\/em>Al Jazeera<\/em>, <\/em>Electronic Intifada<\/em>, <\/em>New Statesman<\/em>, and many others. He is the author of \u2018Israeli Apartheid: A Beginner\u2019s Guide\u2019 (2009, Pluto Press), and his second book, \u2018Palestinians in Israel: Segregation, Discrimination & Democracy\u2019, will be published this\u00a0December.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n