A group of mathematicians welcome the decision of the European Mathematical Society (EMS) to freeze academic cooperation with state institutions and business enterprises in Russia, in the wake of Russia’s attack on Ukraine. They call on the EMS to apply the same universal principles it has so justifiably implemented with regard to Russia and to suspend academic cooperation with the Israeli corporate members until such time as their Palestinian colleagues will be able to enjoy the full academic and political rights to which they are entitled.
Dear members of the European Mathematical Society (EMS) Executive Committee, Dear Colleagues,
The undersigned mathematicians welcome the decision of the EMS Executive Committee to freeze academic cooperation with state institutions and business enterprises in Russia, in the wake of Russia’s attack on Ukraine. We agree that an invasion is ‘an attack on the fundamental values of freedom, democracy and self-determination, which in turn provide the basis for academic freedom and opportunities for academic cooperation.’
We note that three Israeli institutions are ‘corporate members‘ of the EMS:
– Department of Mathematics, Technion
– Emmy Noether Research Institute for Mathematics, Bar-Ilan University
– Israel Mathematical Union
The people of Palestine have for decades been subject to repeated military attacks, to periodic extremely destructive invasions, and to a sustained military occupation, in violation of international law, a situation that both international and Israeli NGOs have qualified as apartheid. The United Nations Security Council has adopted over 200 resolutions calling on Israel to desist, and the International Court of Justice has ruled that the apartheid wall is illegal and Israel is under obligation to dismantle it. In spite of these condemnations Israel continues its gross violations of international law.
We call on the EMS to apply the same universal principles it has so justifiably implemented with regard to Russia and to suspend academic cooperation with the Israeli corporate members until such time as our Palestinian colleagues will be able to enjoy the full academic and political rights to which they are entitled.
We kindly ask you to distribute this message to EMS members via your newsletter.
Signatories
Ahmed Abbes, CNRS & IHES, France
Tuna Altınel, Institut Camille Jordan, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, France
Joseph Ayoub, University of Zurich, Switzerland
Viviane Baladi, CNRS & Sorbonne Université, France
Arnaud Beauville, Université Côte d’Azur, France
Bruno Chiarellotto, Università degli studi di Padova, Italy
Ivar Ekeland, Université Paris-Dauphine, France
Catherine Goldstein, CNRS, IMJ-PRG, Sorbonne Université et Université de Paris, France
Julien Grivaux, Institut de Mathématiques de Jussieu, France
Michel Gros, CNRS & Université de Rennes I, France
Michael Harris, Institut de Mathématique de Jussieu-PRG, France
Clément Mouhot, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Joseph Oesterlé, Sorbonne Université, France
Fabrice Orgogozo, CNRS et université Sorbonne Université, France
Sylvain Sorin, Sorbonne Université, France