University of Connecticut, UConn, has established a program to promote “peace” in the Middle East using religion and culture as a shared value between Israel and Arab states. The program “Abrahamic Programs for Academic Collaboration in the MENA Region”, is however a thinly disguised effort to integrate Israel in the Arab World at the expense of and to the determent of the Palestinian people. At its core, it is a program that whitewashes the brutal Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and Jerusalem. Arab states have long agreed on the formula of “Land for Peace” in which Israel would end its occupation in exchange of normal and diplomatic ties with the entire Arab World. Israel has never agreed to it.
UConn should insist, instead, on Israel to end its illegal occupation and obey international laws and UN resolutions that called for peace between Israel and the Palestinians through ending its illegal occupation not encouraging illegal Israeli occupation.
