Documents obtained by Students Against War under Freedom of Information laws have exposed an exchange agreement between the SCA and the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Israel. This agreement must be terminated immediately.

SCA must cut ties with Israel’s brutal genocide in Gaza. Last week, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. An article published in the Lancet Medical Journal said a total death toll of 186,000 in Gaza would be a conservative estimate. Among the dead are Palestinian artists like Mahasen Al-Khateeb, Muhammed Sami Qraiqea and Heba Zagout.

Israeli universities play a tangible role in supporting Israel’s crimes. Bezalel has operated an “Emergency Sewing Centre” since October last year, tasking students with fixing Israeli Defence Force uniforms. Every fixed uniform is fitted with a tag which reads “with love from Bezalel.” Just two days before the sewing centre was opened, Bezalel suspended nine Palestinian students without notice for voicing support for Palestine on social media.

Complicity with genocide is intolerable. Renowned American photographic artist Nan Goldin recently condemned the support given to Israel by Western governments and institutions, saying “The ICC is talking about genocide. The UN is talking about genocide. Even the Pope is talking about genocide. Yet we’re not supposed to talk about this as genocide.” 

Palestinians have called for an academic boycott of all Israeli universities. 600 USyd students voted for USyd to cut ties with Israeli institutions like Bezalel in a historic Student General Meeting. The National Tertiary Education Union voted in favour of an academic boycott of Israeli universities.

Despite this, USyd shamefully continues to maintain its exchange programs with Israeli universities. A letter from the heads of Israeli universities shared by USyd Vice-Chancellor Mark Scott – revealed under Freedom of Information laws- explicitly championed the role of universities in fighting a propaganda “war” on behalf of Israel.

The agreement between SCA and Bezalel expires in September 2025, but negotiations to renew the agreement must begin before March. The negotiations should not happen. The exchange program must be cancelled immediately. As long as this program remains in place, USyd is complicit, and Vice-Chancellor Mark Scott’s hands are red with the blood of Palestinians. 

The Dutch Royal Academy of Art, the University of Bergen, the Bergen School of Architecture and the Gerrit Rietveld Academie Amsterdam have all cut ties with Bezalel. The SCA must join them. Usyd management’s “artwashing” of genocide must stop now.

Fiona Millington - Community member

Markela Panegyres -  Usyd Staff

Alex Gawronski - SCA staff

Adam Adelpour - SCA alumni 

Hannah Rose -  Usyd Student

Lilian Cao - Community member

Nikki Roberts - Community member

Jacob Starling - Usyd Student

Szymon dorabialski - SCA alumni 
Lara-Marie Wilkinson - SCA student

Nigeen Ansari - SCA student

Chelsea - SCA student

Kiara Steele - SCA student

Emma Takasugi - SCA student

Emma Harbridge - Community member

Sehej Kaur Sehmbhi - Community member

Chaluni - SCA student

Wana Omid - Community member

 Nell Trotter - Community member
Blake Bridgewater - Usyd Staff
Melanie Morrison -Usyd Staff
Runa Vasile -SCA student
Aiden Magro - Usyd Staff
Caitlin Boyce -    Community
Alia Alhafny - Community
Rory Cotsios - SCA student
Zubia -    Community
Oonagh -Community
Maeve Larkins -    Usyd Student
Wendy Thompson -SCA student
Tian Zhang -Community
Beatrice Tucker -Community
Emma P -Community
Jo Higgins -Community
Dal Ouba - Community
mercedes dunn - Community
Tatjana Seizova-Cajic - Usyd Staff
Monisha Kumar - Community
Evelyn Lan - Usyd Student
erin - SCA student
Damian Brinley - Community
Chris Dolman - SCA staff
Olive - SCA student
Alana Wesley - SCA Alumni
Hanna - Usyd Student

Tom Isaacs - Usyd Staff

Evie Kacskovics - SCA student

Ethan - Usyd Student

Tjhai Merchant-Eid - Community

Maxima Gallo - Community

Janey Li - Community

Cathy - Community

Matte Rochford - Usyd Staff

Rachel Evans - Community

Connie

Alyssa Meli- USyd Staff

Sophie Penkethman-Young- SCA Alumni

Marcus Hoskin- Community

Annie Holmes- Community

Ariel Kline- USyd Staff

Beatrice Dignan- Community

Valerie Comino- SCA Alumni

Del Lumanta-- SCA Alumni

Kelly Azizi- SCA Alumni

Tess- SCA Student

Sarah Coconis - USYD Alumni

Lauren- SCA Alumni

Paul Zola- USyd student

Harry Blake- Community

Mary Egan- Community

Grant Horwitz- Community

Astrid Twikill Hall- SCA Student

Anastasia Dale- SCA Student

Vivienne Caurie-Dickson- SCA Student

Ho Deu Bao Nguyen- SCA Student

Kim Anh Ngo Bui- SCA Student

Shu Yi Lim- SCA Student

Lanil Toke- USyd Staff

Karen Hagan- Community

Melanie Booth- SCA Alumni

Paul Kaletsis- USyd Student

Sonia Randhawa- Community

Frazer Bull-Clark- SCA Alumni

Christine Chung- SCA Alumni

Alex- Community

Nikki Wedgwood- USyd Staff

Ella- SCA Student

Laura Pham- USyd Staff

Sophie Cox- SCA Student

Benjamin Lasker- SCA Alumni

Margaret Wall- USyd Staff

Keziah Duguid- SCA Student

Madeleine Smith- Community

Linda Brainwood- Community

Jeannette Monteiro- USyd Student

Damian Brinley- Community

Zachary Gibson-Brown- Community

Jessica Scott- Community

Dana houzeife- Community

Aisha Zoavi- USyd Student

Hannah Aguilar- USyd Student

Nicole Hetherington- Community

Holly Kang- USyd Student

Mehdi Ayach- Community

Ali Ayach- Community

Ali Haidar- USyd Student

Chris Morrow 

Anna John- SCA Alumni

Yasodara- SCA Student