Israeli Sociological Society’s membership suspended over silence on Gaza genocide

The International Sociological Association (ISA) has suspended the collective membership of the Israeli Sociological Society (ISS) due to its failure to denounce the ongoing crisis in Gaza.

In its statement, the ISA reaffirmed its stance against what it described as the genocide of Palestinians, declaring that it does not maintain institutional ties with Israeli public bodies.

The Executive Committee expressed disappointment over the ISS’s lack of a clear condemnation of the severe situation in Gaza.

Citing the "extraordinary gravity" of the current events, the ISA announced that its Executive Committee had officially decided to suspend the ISS's collective membership, Maktoob Media reported.

The suspension comes amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the planned participation of Israeli academics in the upcoming Fifth World Forum of Sociology, set to be held from July 6 to 11 at Mohammed V University in Rabat.

The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), a founding member of the BDS National Committee, has called on scholars around the world to urge the International Sociological Association (ISA) to exclude Israeli participants from the event.

PACBI contends that Israeli academics are affiliated with institutions complicit in what it describes as Israel’s settler-colonial and apartheid system. The group believes that including them in the forum would breach both the BDS movement’s academic boycott standards and broader regional norms against normalization with Israeli institutions.

The campaign has also indicated that if the ISA proceeds with allowing the participation of these scholars, it would advocate for a broader boycott of the ISA 5th Forum.

At a time when Israel faces serious accusations of committing genocide in Gaza, described by some as being live-streamed before the world, critics argue that allowing Israeli institutional participation in regional events undermines efforts for Palestinian justice. According to the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), such inclusion breaks the symbolic line of resistance upheld by Palestinian civil society and weakens the broader global movement supporting Palestinian rights.

PACBI contends that when Israeli academics take part in conferences held in Arab countries, they are inevitably seen as representatives of their state and institutions, not merely as individuals. This, they argue, helps normalize Israel's presence in the region and perpetuates a false sense of normalcy, contributing to both mental and political forms of colonization.

The organization also draws attention to what it describes as the direct involvement of Israeli universities in supporting the country's military operations and apartheid policies, further justifying the call to exclude them from such platforms.

PACBI pointed to examples such as Hebrew University, which is said to be partly constructed on expropriated Palestinian land and hosts a military academic training base. Tel Aviv University is also cited for its collaboration with Israel’s arms industry and housing the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), which is credited with formulating the “Dahiya Doctrine”—a strategy of disproportionate force allegedly applied in Gaza and Lebanon. Similarly, Ben-Gurion University is noted for its Homeland Security Institute, which reportedly maintains close ties with both the military and weapons manufacturers.

In light of these affiliations, PACBI questions the ethical consistency of scholars discussing justice while overlooking the complicity of academic institutions in systemic oppression. The organization challenges the credibility of hosting a conference on justice that includes representatives from institutions they deem actively involved in maintaining apartheid structures.

PACBI also references a 2024 legal opinion issued by international law experts at the University of Antwerp, which calls on global academic institutions to cut ties with Israeli universities implicated in breaches of international law. According to the statement, such actions are not only ethically justified but are framed as obligations under international legal standards.

PACBI has strongly criticized the Moroccan government, accusing it of facilitating Israeli military actions and helping to legitimize them through academic partnerships. The organization points to state-led normalization efforts that include the use of Moroccan ports for U.S. military shipments to Israel, arms purchases from Elbit Systems—Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer—and joint military drills with Israeli forces.

According to PACBI, Moroccan universities, which operate under regime control, have established ties with Israeli academic institutions despite widespread opposition from students and the broader public. The group argues that by allowing Israeli institutional participation, the International Sociological Association (ISA) becomes complicit in both the normalization of Israel’s settler-colonial policies and in supporting what they describe as a despotic regime’s betrayal of the Palestinian cause.

The Global Sociologists for Palestine (GS4P), the Palestinian Sociological and Anthropological Association (PSAA), a member of the International Sociological Association, and the Moroccan Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (MACBI) have also joined the call to boycott the ISA 5th Forum.

PACBI has urged the cancellation of Israeli academic participation in the ISA 5th Forum unless specific conditions are fulfilled. These conditions include a public acknowledgement of Palestinian rights—such as the right of return and an end to what PACBI identifies as apartheid—along with ensuring that any presentations are framed in the context of joint resistance rather than coexistence. They also call for a formal land acknowledgement that recognizes the role of Israeli institutions in ongoing oppression.

Organizers have been asked to vet participants to ensure they are not complicit in war crimes or involved in incitement. PACBI has called on the International Sociological Association to adhere to its stated principles of justice and solidarity, urging it to withdraw invitations extended to Israeli institutions accused of supporting apartheid policies and war crimes.

The call for a boycott has been echoed by Global Sociologists for Palestine (GS4P), the Palestinian Sociological and Anthropological Association (PSAA)—a member of the ISA—and the Moroccan Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (MACBI).

These demands come against the backdrop of a mounting death toll in Gaza, where, since October 7, 2023, over 56,500 people have reportedly been killed and more than 133,000 wounded, underscoring the devastating impact of the ongoing genocide.