OU Palestine Solidarity Group

OU Palestine Solidarity Group || A group of staff at The Open University standing in solidarity with Palestine

[OU Palestine Solidarity Group @OUPalestine]

We are today launching an Open Letter to the Vice-Chancellor of @OpenUniversity requesting the full retraction of commitments to limit and caveat the use of the term ‘Ancient Palestine’ in our learning materials.
Please sign and share 🇵🇸

https://t.co/Vhhj8y9nA6

[The New Arab @The_NewArab]

The Open University's correspondence, seen by The New Arab, reveals that while the OU insisted the term 'Ancient Palestine' was academically appropriate and used "in existing peer-reviewed scholarship", it nevertheless promised to revise its materials in future https://t.co/IJceSBzBab

[Harriet Williamson @harriepw]

BREAKING: 200 cultural figures are urging British Museum trustees to take action on the “erasure” of Palestine following the review and removal of references to Palestine in the museum’s galleries.

[OU Palestine Solidarity Group @OUPalestine]

Welcome to our world!

[Owen Jones @owenjonesjourno]

@rivkahbrown I have never been more gaslit by an institution, to be honest! Absolutely astonishing behaviour by Open University.

[OU Palestine Solidarity Group @OUPalestine]

🧵

[Open University UCU @oubucu]

🚨The @OpenUniversity is in the press over academic freedom again today

Is it a U-Turn? 🤔

1/6

https://t.co/s28EHdm1uo

[Open University UCU @oubucu]

Powerful piece about this situation @OpenUniversity and the threat to academic institutions by @owenjonesjourno
👏👏

6/6

https://t.co/U0FfaRngXq

[Open University UCU @oubucu]

And our @UCU branch encourages academic and academic-related colleagues to sign this open letter

The @OpenUniversity must defend academic freedom

5/6

https://t.co/HdCFn7a12y

[Open University UCU @oubucu]

📢This branch calls on the @OpenUniversity VC to

- retract all commitments made to UKLFI
- defend the historical accuracy and importance of the term 'ancient Palestine'
- reaffirm the University’s commitment to statutory free speech duties
- commission independent inquiry

4/6

[Open University UCU @oubucu]

✉️FOI request exposed commitments to UK Lawyers for Israel to caveat & limit use of the term 'ancient Palestine' in learning materials

Makes OU complicit in a politically motivated attempt to erase Palestine from history

+ sets precedent for further attacks on ac freedom

3/6

[Open University UCU @oubucu]

This branch unanimously passed a motion regarding @OpenUniversity Compliance Action under the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 regarding the term 'Ancient Palestine' (see Branch Motion 4) 👇

2/6

https://t.co/xbowFNqbnY

[Open University UCU @oubucu]

🚨The @OpenUniversity is in the press over academic freedom again today

Is it a U-Turn? 🤔

1/6

https://t.co/s28EHdm1uo

[Harriet Williamson @harriepw]

The Open University told UK Lawyers For Israel back in December that it would stop using the term 'ancient Palestine' in "any future course materials" but after backlash from academics and staff, the uni is rowing back.

[OU Palestine Solidarity Group @OUPalestine]

Important, detailed coverage from @harriepw for @novaramedia, including full details of the commitments made to UKLFI. Notable that staff feel 'a “clear contradiction” exists between the OU administration’s statements and the commitments made to the UKLFI'
https://t.co/AK4CDsFDMD

[OU Palestine Solidarity Group @OUPalestine]

'@OpenUniversity lecturer @LuxMea said the idea this is “a late-coming or illegitimate term” is a “Zionist lie, aimed at the erasure of Palestinians”
@jeremycorbyn told @novaramedia an agreement to stop using the term amounted to “anti-Palestinian racism”'
https://t.co/AK4CDsFDMD

[Owen Jones @owenjonesjourno]

Here's the latest attempt to erase Palestine from history.

The free speech warriors are silent.

https://t.co/fM018NWamS

[OU Palestine Solidarity Group @OUPalestine]

'This is the real crisis of free speech in the west. The target is not just protest, but a people. Israel seeks to erase Palestinians as a society. First they are destroyed in the present. Then they are deleted from the past’

Important by @owenjonesjourno
https://t.co/BRgsbZ3zSw

[OU Palestine Solidarity Group @OUPalestine]

‘Worried about freedom of speech? Then what’s happening at the Open University should terrify you’
Up today from @owenjonesjourno

As Rashid Khalidi puts it,
“This is a despicable attempt by political hacks to dictate academic terminology”

https://t.co/BRgsbZ3zSw

[OU Palestine Solidarity Group @OUPalestine]

Sign the open letter here:

https://t.co/Vhhj8y8PKy

[OU Palestine Solidarity Group @OUPalestine]

‘Worried about freedom of speech? Then what’s happening at the Open University should terrify you’
Up today from @owenjonesjourno

As Rashid Khalidi puts it,
“This is a despicable attempt by political hacks to dictate academic terminology”

https://t.co/BRgsbZ3zSw

[OU Palestine Solidarity Group @OUPalestine]

Academics slam Open University for caving to pro-Israel lobby on 'Ancient Palestine' term

https://t.co/lWVI9JcUhh

[BRISMES @OfficialBrismes]

We call on the university to publicly confirm that staff at the Open University will be free to use the terminology that they deem academically appropriate, including the term ‘ancient #Palestine’. 3/3