Hopes High for a Dean Who Supports the Boycott

While activists at the campus are happy for the Gaza ceasefire, hopes are high for UiO to do more. 

— We are glad that the population in Gaza is getting a break from the bomb showers, says Helena Natvig Safi, spokesperson for Palestinacampen, the group of student activists that last year spent five and a half months camping at Blindern. Last autumn, Universitas wrote of the camp that was set to pack up 14 October, after which the students would continue their work outside of the camp.

Now, after nearly 500 days of war, the two conflicting sides have agreed on a ceasefire in Gaza. Meanwhile, activists around the world continue to campaign for a more lasting peace in Palestine. 

Safi and the other students who have long fought for a ceasefire are hopeful for the future of Gaza.

— It is crucial that a humanitarian corridor is opened, and that it is secured by independent international reviewers, she says. The work isn't over yet, she reminds us — a ceasefire doesn't mean the end to genocide or occupation. 

The students have many plans for future arrangements, one of them the recently-opened Palestinakafeen at UiO, conceived as a meeting place for people engaged in the topic. Many are also active in the student association Students for Palestine.

Still Uncertain

— A ceasefire doesn't equal freedom and justice. Palestine remains occupied, and that is unlikely to change soon, says Hege Hermansen, professor at OsloMet. 

She has previously advocated for phasing out of institutional cooperation agreements with Israeli universities and supporting their boycott. While she and Safi are relieved that there now is a ceasefire, they agree that the situation is still uncertain and the genocide not over. The Israeli president Benjamin Netanyahu, claiming support from US president Donald Trump, has said that the ceasefire will be revoked should Hamas break the rules set in the agreement.

According to Hermansen, two key questions will play a crucial role in the near future.

— Firstly, it's about whether the ceasefire will last or not. Israel loses a lot in the war, both in a humanitarian and economic sense, so they’re equally in need of a break. Secondly, there's the question of the form of regime the Palestinian people will get, Hermansen explains.

Hermansen points out that the oppression of Palestinians has gone on for decades, while the Gaza regime has lived under a strong press from the blockades. What kind of regime the Palestinians will see after the ceasefire, that is the question.

Tied to The Rector Election

One of the key topics engaging students right now is the rector election, held between 24 March and 4 April. Safi and Hermansen agree that the universities in Oslo, and especially their leadership, should take larger responsibility for Palestinian students and incentivise cooperation with Palestine. The goal is to elect a rector who stands in solidarity with Palestine.

Hermansen emphasises the importance of a university head who advocates implementing a boycott. 

— I haven't heard any of the teams discuss the ethical side of cooperating with Israeli universities, she says, calling for a wider debate around the issue. 

Safi and the Students for Palestine are working to map out what the rectors think of an academic boycott. As of yet, none of the teams have taken a stand. 

— It is very important that they make plans for supporting the rebuilding of Palestinian educational institutions through stronger cooperation. It isn’t enough to let in 10 medical students, like last autumn, soon to be sent out again. We as an institution have to do more, Safi says.