Short Abstract

Co-convened by Les Levidow, Eliza Salamon and Luigi Pellizzoni. This meeting will discuss the ‘Palestine Exception’ in universities

Description

For many years, 'the Palestine Exception' has denoted pressures excluding critique of Israel's settler-colonial, apartheid regime from academic activities. Israel-Palestine often has been detached even from decolonial research. Institutional repression and complicity have largely confined such discussion to private back-room conversations, if anywhere. This restriction has been neglected (or even silenced) among STS academics, within a larger system of epistemic violence. As a key aspect for STS, the global military-industrial-security complex has a central role for Israel and universities, as a driver silencing critique.

This session will provide a knowledge-exchange on academics' experiences of the Palestine Exception. Likewise an opportunity to share initiatives researching, teaching, and organizing in solidarity with Palestine. It will extend discussion from the 9am Wednesday session PO49, https://easst.net/conference/easst2026/easst2026-programme/#18199.100752

The session aims to establish an ongoing STS network. The contact will be generative.boycott@proton.me, likewise the contact for Germany's STS initiative on Palestine, as reported here, https://easst.net/easst-review/45-1/case-report-archives-of-inaction-german-academic-complicity-from-south-africa-to-palestine/

For other relevant articles, see https://www.4sonline.org/palestine_forum.php