Willem Otterspeer. Leids Hoogleraar 4

Professor Otterspeer,

Op dit moment houdt u een Cleveringa-lezing in Israel, een land dat weigert het internationaal recht te respecteren zoals dat recht nog eens in 2004 is vastgelegd door het Internationaal Gerechtshof in Den Haag toen het bepaalde dat de afscheiding op Palestijns land illegaal was evenals de Joodse nederzettingen in bezet gebied. Ik kan niet aan de indruk ontkomen dat u in Jeruzalem nu pronkt met de veren van een ander. De rechtsgeleerde Rudolp Cleveringa sprak zich immers uit tegen de willekeur van de toenmalige machtigen, de nazi's, terwijl uw publiek nu niet de machtelozen zijn, maar juist de machtigen die weigeren zich aan het recht te houden en beschikken over nucleaire wapens. Op deze manier legitimeert u of u het nu wilt of niet de terreur tegen de Palestijnse bevolking en dat terwijl de Verenigde Naties, de wereldgemeenschap dus, naar aanleiding van de 'advisory opinion' van het Internationaal Gerechtshof een beroep heeft gedaan op allen om het recht juist te respecteren en niet op een of andere manier mee te werken aan de schending ervan zoals blijkt uit punt

159. Given the character and the importance of the rights and obligations involved, the Court is of the view that all States are under an obli-
gation not to recognize the illegal situation resulting from the construc-
tion of the wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and
around East Jerusalem. They are also under an obligation not to render
aid or assistance in imaintaining the situation created by such construc-
tion. It is also for all States, while respecting the United Nations Charter
and international law, to see to it that any impediment, resulting from the
construction of the wall, to the exercise by the Palestinian people of its
right to self-determination is brought to an end. In addition, all the States
parties to the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian
Persons in Time of PJar of 12 August 1949 are under an obligation, while
respecting the United Nations Charter and international law, to ensure
compliance by lsrael with international humanitarian law as embodied in
that Convention.

Desondanks spreekt u in Jeruzalem, waarvan het oostelijk deel door Israel is bezet, en in strijd met het internationaal recht geconfisqueerd. Bovendien hebben ook de volgende mensen een beroep op u gedaan:

#BDS: Israeli Citizens to Leiden University: Please Do not Hold the 2010 Cleveringa Lecture at the Hebrew University!

Dear Officials of Leiden University,

We are a group of Israeli citizens. It has recently been brought to our attention that Leiden University had decided to host a special lecture at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University on Thursday 25/11,

commemorating a speech by Professor Rudolph Pabus Cleveringa during the Second World War, in which he protested the removal of Jewish faculty members.

The statement issued by Leiden University reads as follows:

"Cleveringa raised his voice right at the onset of the war, notably in regard of the freedom of expression. This is highly appreciated in Israel, all the more as there are still universities abroad trying to boycott Israeli professors and students."

We would like to pay our highest respect to Prof. Cleveringa, for his bold action, taken in the defense of universal principles of human rights.

However, as Israeli citizens who care for these principles’ the choice to hold the Cleveringa lecture at the Hebrew University seems completely erroneous to us.

The Hebrew University is not a politically neutral institution. In addition to the incidents mentioned above, the Hebrew University is a constant and willing collaborator with the Israeli Defense Force - a military force over which hover well founded allegations of war crimes, including the bombing and destruction of Palestinian Universities and severe disruption of their academic life, or the bombing of media centers and radio stations. The Hebrew University has been involved in the development of weaponry for use by the Israeli military and in the training of the top military weapons’ researchers. The university even hosts a military base within its Givat Ram campus. All of this does not bode well with the principles of human rights.

http://youthanormalization.blogspot.com/2010/11/bds-israeli-citizens-to-leiden.html

Wenu, meneer Otterspeer, u bent van mening dat u zowel het Internationaal Gerechtshof, de Verenigde Naties, Israelische burgers en elk fatsoenlijke mens die terreur niet gelegitimeerd wil zien, kunt negeren. Op grond waarvan?