VUB and Hannah Arendt Institute call for immediate ceasefire in Gaza
In a joint statement, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and the Hannah Arendt Institute have called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. They "unequivocally side with international law" and call on Belgium and the EU to take action.
“The unprecedented escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas is taking a devastating toll on civilians,” the statement issued on Monday said. “We are calling for an immediate ceasefire to put an end to the rising number of civilian deaths and to enable humanitarian aid."
War crimes and crimes against humanity committed by all parties should be investigated and tried by the International Criminal Court, they say, and call on European leaders to take action against the root causes of recurring violence between Palestine and Israel.
Their joint statement says it is essential that people inform themselves about the history of the conflict and use social media cautiously.
"Not everyone sees the same content online. Social media platforms are programmed to offer individuals siloed and increasingly extreme content," they say. "There are many fake messages and fake videos circulating, depicting old footage, wrong locations or a combination. Remain critical and cautious of what you see."
They also warn against increasing polarisation. "Different population groups are facing heightened distrust and reinforced prejudice because of the conflict," they say. "There is real fear of growing antisemitism and Muslim hatred. Continue to fight against lumping entire groups of people together."
The Hannah Arendt Institute is an initiative of the VUB and Antwerp University, with support from the city of Mechelen. KU Leuven, Ghent University and Hasselt University are also involved.
At the end of October, more than 700 academics, researchers and students published an open letter calling on the five Flemish universities to take a clear position and condemn the violence in the Middle East.
© BELGA PHOTO BENOIT DOPPAGNE
Related news
