Over 200 Israeli Academics Declare: The Trump Administration’s Attack on Universities Does Not Protect Us

Following the extreme measures by the Trump administration against students and activists at American universities, over 200 Israeli academics have signed a statement opposing the administration’s assault on academia.  

We strongly condemn the politicized use of Jewish students’ safety to justify the silencing, harassment, suspension, punishment, or expulsion of students and faculty who support Palestinian liberation and human rights, as well as the arrests of Palestinian and pro-Palestinian activists, including Mahmoud Khalil, Rümeysa Öztürk, Mohsen Mahdawi, and others. We reject the cynical use of “combating  antisemitism” as a pretext for oppression. While antisemitism is a dangerous phenomenon that must be fought, this should be done alongside combating all forms of racial hatred—including white supremacy, Islamophobia, and anti-Palestinian racism.

The current acts of the Administration do not keep Jewish people (or anyone) more protected or safe. Quite the opposite: by singling out Jews as a homogeneous group to be protected at the expense of other marginalized groups and minorities, the Administration is in fact fostering anti-Jewish sentiments, easily lending itself to chauvinistic, exclusivist, and racist tropes. 

Activists in the movement for Palestinian rights on campuses in the U.S. and beyond are acting as human rights defenders, providing moral clarity and courageous leadership in the face of the unprecedented atrocities unfolding in Gaza. Many Jewish students and faculty are an integral part of this movement. The struggle for Palestinian rights is a struggle for human rights and for academia as a space that upholds freedom of speech, academic freedom, and protection for all marginalized communities. We stand with our colleagues in the U.S.—Muslims, Jews, Palestinians, and people of all backgrounds—who refuse to remain silent in the face of violence and oppression.

Join the call here