The University of Melbourne Palestine Action Group (UniMelb PAG) held a speak-out against Israel鈥檚 war crimes on November 15 at the Raymond Priestly building.
Students, staff and National Tertiary Education Union members condemned Vice Chancellor Duncan Maskell for keeping the ties with Lockheed Martin, including its $13 million investment in its new STELaRLab (Science, Technology, Engineering Leadership and Research Laboratory).
Lockheed Martin sells fighter jets, rocket systems, rockets and radars to the Israeli Defense Force.
UniMelb PAG also criticised the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance鈥檚 (IHRA) definition of antisemitism which is a tool to silence anyone who criticises Israel. It also criticised the VC鈥檚 鈥淢essage concerning the Israel-Gaza war鈥 for failing to acknowledge Israel鈥檚 brutality against Gazans.
The student group supports the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) movement and invites people to calling on the university to condemn Israel鈥檚 attack on Gaza, to end its partnership with Lockheed Martin and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (which has expressed support for the IDF) and to rescind the IHRA definition of antisemitism.
[The UniMelb for Palestine Action Group鈥檚 statement and open letter can be read on Overland . The University of Melbourne Palestine Action Group can be followed on Insta .]