The International Union of Architects (UIA) has called for a boycott of Israel and expel it from the global organization. The UIA Council also recently passed a unilateral political resolution concerning Israel and the situation in Gaza.
The latest decision is part of a series of moves over recent months to promote a professional boycott and Israel’s removal from the organization.
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The International Union of Architects (UIA) website
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The resolution included a condemnation of what it termed acts of “genocide committed by Israel in Gaza”; a demand to end “starvation” by allowing food and medicine into the enclave; a call for an immediate cease-fire and an end to hostilities; condemnation of the “destruction of Palestine’s built heritage”; a call on architects worldwide to avoid taking part in events held in “illegal settlements”; a demand for an international assessment of the scale of destruction; and a commitment by the organization to provide “moral and professional support” for rebuilding Gaza.
Orna Angel, chair of the Association of Architects and Urban Planners in Israel, urged that the decision be revoked. “The UIA was founded to maintain unlimited ties between architects from all countries, without discrimination based on nationality, race, religion or political belief,” she said.
“But when it chooses to adopt unilateral political resolutions and call for boycotts against architects solely because of their nationality, it violates the very principles on which it was established. Such measures harm the profession, undermine trust among its members and divert the UIA from its central mission: advancing architecture, planning and human life through the built environment.”
Angel added that the UIA has not voiced a clear condemnation of the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre in Israel that killed civilians — women, men and children — some of whom remain in captivity. “Silence at such a moment undermines the organization’s moral legitimacy to take political stances, which are inherently the responsibility of governments and international legal bodies,” she said.
Orna Angel, chair of the Association of Architects and Urban Planners in IsraelPhoto: Varda Libman
She stressed that the Association of Architects and Urban Planners in Israel is not a government arm but an independent professional body. “Many architects in the association, as private citizens, choose to express opposition to the war. The UIA’s latest decision ignores them and erases the complexity and professional independence of architects in Israel,” she said, warning against using architecture as a political weapon.
“When the UIA boycotts Israeli architects, it makes professionals a target solely because of their nationality. When Russia invaded Ukraine, bombed cities and caused millions of refugees, the UIA did not call for a boycott of Russian architects. Even then, it was clear that architects are not their government,” Angel said.