SETU to condemn war in Gaza, but no comment on partnerships with industry

South East Technological University (SETU) will release a statement calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. 

In May, 183 members of staff signed a letter condemning the ongoing war in Gaza and calling on SETU to review their links with Red Hat media, due to their involvement with the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF). 

The letter had five directives: 1) For SETU to express “abhorrence at the events of October 7″ when Hamas militants murdered over 1,100 Israeli civilians and took hundreds more hostage; 2) To condemn the ongoing Israeli-led war in Gaza that has claimed the lives of over 36,000 Palestinians; 3) A call for an immediate ceasefire; unhindered aid; the release of all hostages in Gaza, and of Palestinians unlawfully detained in Israeli jails; 4) A commitment to sever ties with Red Hat; 5) To review and boycott any links with companies that are complicit with, or profit from, the war in Gaza or the Israeli occupation more generally.

A representative of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanction Campaign (BDS) stated that Red Hat was a "complicit company".

On Thursday, May 30, staff members met with President Veronica Campbell, the Chair of SETU's Governing Body, and the Vice-President for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion to discuss the letter and the possibility of  severing ties with Red Hat. A review of SETU's relationship with Red Hat will be subject to "further discussion and consideration".

SETU lecturer Mark Graham said: "No firm time was given for the release of a statement or for a conclusion of discussions and considerations around points 4 and 5, but the urgency of the situation was underlined to the parties present."

A SETU spokesperson stated: "SETU had a collegiate meeting with staff on the matters raised in their recent letter concerning the conflict in Gaza. There is consensus on certain aspects of the first three points of the letter with a statement to be issued by the University in due course. The University has no comment to make in relation to specific partnerships with industry."