SPME: SPME Petitions - SPME Statement on the Expulsion of Ariel University Center of Samaria from Solar Decathlon 2010 on Political Grounds

SPME Statement on the Expulsion of Ariel University Center of Samaria from Solar Decathlon 2010 on Political Grounds

To: the Presidency of the Council of the European Union and to the organizers of the Solar Decathlon Competitions.

We, the undersigned faculty members, researchers, professionals, academics and students from around the world, denounce the decision of the Spanish government to expel the team of Ariel University Center in Israel from Solar Decathlon Europe 2010.

The Solar Decathlon challenges college teams from around the globe to design, build, and operate the most livable, energy-efficient, and completely solar-powered house. Solar Decathlon houses must meet all the home energy needs of a typical family using only the power of the sun. The winner of the competition is the team that best blends aesthetics and modern conveniences with maximum energy production and optimal efficiency. The first Solar Decathlon was held in 2002; it and those of 2005, 2007, and 2009 were held in the United States. Solar Decathlon 2010 will be the first to take place in Europe -- in Madrid next June.

Ariel University is an academic institution located in the West Bank, between Nablus and Ramallah. Ariel's student body includes both Jews and Arabs; the university provides them with a strong education and prepares them to work and live together productively and peacefully.
Last April, the Ariel team was selected as one of the 20 architecture teams to participate in the competition as finalists.

Then several anti-Israel and allegedly pro-Palestinian groups (Architects for Justice in Palestine- APJP, PACBI, BDS Movement - Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions for Palestine) pressured the Spanish Ministry of Housing into expelling the Ariel team. In September, the Ministry announced the expulsion, basing its decision not on the Ariel team's merits or lack thereof but solely and explicitly on spurious political grounds. A letter from SPME requesting that the Ministry reverse its disgraceful decision went unanswered.

Some of us are affiliated with institutions that are past solar decathlon finalists. We are therefore especially appalled by what the Spanish government has done. It is specially embarrassing, that the expulsion of an University from this international competition occurs on occasion of the first Solar Decathlon to be held in Europe.

Politically motivated government interference degrades science and scholarship. The Spanish government’s action has done more harm to Solar Decathlon Europe 2010 than to Ariel University Center, and may have set a precedent for the corruption of other academic competitions.

To read SPME’s letter of concern regarding the expulsion of Ariel University click here

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Los que firmamos esta declaración, afiliados de universidades, investigadores, profesionales, academicos y estudiantes de todo el mundo denunciamos la decisión del Gobierno Español de expulsar el equipo de Ariel University Center en Israel del Solar Decathlon Europa 2010.

El Solar Decathlon invita a equipos de Universidades de todo el mundo para diseñar y construir la mas habitable casa, que es eficiente en su balance de energía y completamente activada por energía solar. El primer Solar Decathlon se realizó en 2002. Este y las competencias de los años 2005, 2007 y 2009 fueron organizados en los Estados Unidos. Solar Decathlon 2010 es la primera competencia de ese tipo que se realizará en Europa - Madrid el proximo Junio 2010.

La Universidad Ariel es una institución localizada en Cisjordania entre Nablus y Ramallah. Los estudiantes de Ariel son Judíos y Arabes, la universidad los provee con una educación fuerte y los prepara para trabajar y vivir juntos productivamente y en paz. El Abril pasado el equipo de Ariel fue elegido como uno de los 20 equipos de arquitectura para participar en la competencia como finalistas.

En seguida varios grupos con orientación anti-Israel y supuestamente pro- Palestinos: Arquitectosy Urbanistas por la Justicia en Palestina - APJP, PACBI, el Comité Nacional Palestino de la sociedad civil Palestina para el Boycott, las Desinversiones y las Sanciones- BDS, presionaron al Ministerio Español de Vivienda para expulsar el equipo de Ariel de la competencia. En Septiembre el Ministerio anunció la expulsión basando su decisión no, en los meritos de este equipo sino exclusivamente y explícitamente en razones politicas no justificadas. Una carta de SPME solicitando que el ministerio revise su decision humiliante no ha tenido respuesta ninguna.

Algunos de nosotros estan afiliados con instituciones que fueron finalistas de anteriores competencias del Solar Decathlon. Por eso nosotros estamos especialmente despavoridos por lo que hizo el Gobierno Español. Es especialmente embarazoso que la expulsión de una universidad de esta competencia internacional ocurre en ocasión del primer Solar Decathlon que se realizará en Europa.

La interferencia por motivos politicos cometida por un Gobierno degrada la ciencia y la erudicion. La acción del Gobierno Español ha hecho mas daño a Solar Decathlon Europe 2010 que al Centro Universitario Ariel y puede haber puesto un precedente para la corrupción de otras competencias academicas.

Para leer la carta de SPME haz click aqui.

Atentamente

Adopted December 24, 2009 by the SPME Board of Directors

Nobel Laureate Endorsers
To Date:

Kenneth J. Arrow
Economic Science
Stanford University

Aaron Ciechanover
Chemistry
Technion

Claude Cohen-Tannoudji
Physics
College of France

Jerome I. Friedman
Physics
MIT

Dudley R. Herschbach
Chemistry
Harvard University

Sir Aaron Klug
Chemistry
Cambridge University

Roald Hoffmann
Chemistry
Cornell University

Sir Richard Roberts
Physiology and Medicine
New England Biolabs

Steven Weinberg
Physics
University of Texas

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

This petition is closed

As an added security measure for signers of this petition to reduce the need to void anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic remarks that have been posted, as well as reducing the number of fraudulent signature postings, the authors might consider necessary to verify the authenticity of signatures. Unfortunately there are significant numbers of individuals who would like to sabotage the credibility and impact of this important precedent-setting petition. If you have any questions, please contact, Dr. Samuel Edelman, Executive Director, Scholars for Peace in the Middle East. Thank you for your understanding, support and patience.

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