Statement: PAFNYS Campus Organizers stand against U.S.-funded oppression and violence against Palestinians
January 4, 2024
The student organizers of the Peace Action Fund of New York State call on students across the state and country to stand as a united front against the U.S.-funded oppression and violence against Palestinians. We stand with other student groups in their efforts to hold academic institutions accountable for the silencing of student voices calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the continued US aid to Israel.
We encourage students to circulate information on the historical context of Palestinian oppression and have compiled resources to do so:
… Articles, news outlets, and statistics which counter misinformation:
… and instructions for contacting your local representative about the Ceasefire Resolution:
US Campaign on Palestinian Rights: Urgent: Call Congress: Ceasefire NOW!
MPower Change: Tell Congress we need a ceasefire, not a pause
Peace Action: Tell Congress: Co-sponsor Ceasefire NOW legislation!
While the current violence being carried out each day by the Israeli Defense Forces on innocent civilians in Gaza may seem overwhelming and hopeless, there are always actions we can continue taking to maintain hope and achieve a possible ceasefire and de-escalation in Gaza. There is no better time to act than now.
Congresswoman Cori Bush (D-MO1) of Missouri has offered us some hope by introducing H. Res. 786, otherwise known as the Ceasefire Now Resolution. Congresswoman Bush’s resolution calls for “an immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Israel and occupied Palestine.” This resolution, unfortunately, has only received the support of twelve representatives, all Democrats.
As it stands, the chances of this resolution gaining major traction are uncertain at best. But this is where we, the people, come in. As American citizens and believers that every human life is irreplaceably precious, it is our responsibility to contact our legislators and urge them to support any and all actions that promote ceasefire and de-escalation in Gaza.
How can you get involved with the pro-peace effort? Wherever you live, you can take part in actions such as protests, walkouts, and sit-ins to call attention to the issue and voice your support. Activism can take multiple forms; whether it be through physical mobilization in campus rallies or protests or showcasing the culture through wearing a keffiyeh in class.
Another way to take action is by calling your representatives and senators. It is the job of your representatives to share your voice in Congress, so they can’t continue to ignore your demands for peace. Every voice matters in a critical time like this, so it is important to keep raising yours no matter how hopeless the situation may seem.
We call for students everywhere to engage with and uplift the voices of campus organizations which have been tirelessly working towards peace and justice in Gaza. National coalitions of university chapters such as Students for Justice in Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace, Democratic Socialists of America, Muslim Students Associations, and us, Peace Action New York State, have been working together to activate our fellow students, faculty, alumni, and communities. We ask that you identify these groups and others on your campus and work to uplift their voices, especially those of Palestinian heritage who are the most affected.
Palestinian voices can and must be amplified. We encourage you to bear witness to the heartbreaking daily realities in Gaza and uplifting firsthand accounts being reported on the ground by Palestinian journalists.
We ask students to not allow the complacency of academic institutions amidst this crisis to go unnoticed. As students, it is our responsibility to hold our universities accountable for the stark and chilling lack of support directed towards the Palestinian people in Gaza. American universities that champion diversity, equity, and inclusion have made blanket statements in support of Israel and against anti-semitism, with little mention of the immeasurable loss of Palestinian lives and culture and the rise in islamophobia that is mirroring if not exceeding post-9/11 sentiments. Conflating anti-zionism and anti-semitism is a dangerous move that makes it possible to downplay the real concerns around the rise in actual anti-semitism. We affirm that supporting Palestinian liberation is not at odds with supporting Jewish security and survival, and vice versa. Such administrations have actively silenced and threatened students with unjustified academic consequences, contributing to hostile environments on campuses, especially for students of color.
We encourage students to contact university administrations through all channels—social media, phone, email—demanding an acknowledgement for the Palestinian struggle, and divestment from corporations funding the U.S. and Israel military industrial complex. Our universities must no longer benefit from complicity with this genocide.
Inspired by the South African anti-apartheid movement, the Palestinian Boycott, Divest, Sanction (BDS) movement is a campaign which recognizes that Israel oppresses Palestinians with the help of governments, corporations and even academic institutions. For example, Hewlett Packard supplies the Israeli government with a biometric identification system which is used to restrict Palestinian freedom of movement and State University of New York (SUNY) has partnerships with IBM which also supplies IDF with surveillance equipment. Thus, the BDS movement seeks to pressure corporate, academic and governing entities to end their financial and material support for Israel. The three parts of the BDS movement, Boycotts, Divestments and Sanctions, each play a role in achieving this goal. Boycotts include economic, cultural and academic boycotts. Such campaigns aim to reduce support for Israeli corporations, universities and cultural events as well as international companies which are complicit in human rights violations against Palestinians. Divestments urge local councils or universities to end their investments in Israel and any companies which support Israel's apartheid regime. Sanctions campaigns pressure governments to stop aid to Israel, stop weapons trades or free trade agreements and ban business in any illegal Israeli settlements. These campaigns will help tremendously in dismantling the Israeli government's apartheid system and ultimately ending the suffering of Palestians who currently live under that system.
Students and student organizations who seek to be in solidarity with the BDS movements should share and promote the 2005 BDS Call as well as the movement's anti-racist principles and anti-normalization guidelines. Students who want to take direct action can start a BDS campaign on their campus, lobby for a BDS resolution to be passed in student unions and governments by collecting petitions, organize boycotts of study abroad programs which partner with Israeli universities and reach out to professors to establish support from faculty. Off campus, students can contribute to protests against weapons companies and other corporations. As BDS campaigns continue to spread across the world, we encourage students to take these actions to make an impact in ending Israel’s apartheid system and empowering Palestinian resistance.
As student organizers of Peace Action New York State, we call on those reading this statement to not give up on taking action. We refuse to be silent and complicit towards the actions of the U.S. government in helping to fund genocide, and we will not stop demanding the highlighted asks until we see a ceasefire in Gaza.
Signed,
Peace Action of Adelphi University
Peace Action Canisius
Clarkson Peace Action
Peace Action of Fordham University
Peace Action Geneseo
Peace Action Le Moyne
Macaulay Peace Action
Peace Action of NYU
Peace Action Niagara
Peace Action at Pace
Peace Action at Sarah Lawrence College
Peace Action Siena College
Peace Action Stony Brook
