We, the undersigned, are a group of Clark University alumni catalyzed by the genocide being perpetrated against the people of Palestine. We join the call for a CEASEFIRE.
At Clark University, we are encouraged to “challenge convention and change the word”. Clark also prides itself on “aimi[ing] to be a relentless force for positive change in the world”. We take this seriously as a mandate to speak truth to power and break the silence imposed on us during our time as students at Clark University. We stand with Palestinians facing settler violence and land theft in the West Bank, racism and ignorance in the global diaspora, and bombardment and air strikes in Gaza — which is the world's largest open-air prison. We condemn every aspect of the ongoing genocide against Palestinians wrought by Israel: complete siege of vital resources and aid, racist violence, home demolitions, land grabs, cultural erasure (1, 2) , and the ongoing displacement of Palestinian families— which has generated one of the largest refugee crises in modern history.
In the past month, we have observed a troubling rise in instances of discrimination, hatred, and violence targeting both Muslim and Jewish communities across the country. We believe that is a direct result from our country’s sponsorship of genocide in Palestine. We imagine a world where our ALL communities can be safe. We commit to standing up and disrupt this behavior to support both our Jewish and Muslim brothers and sisters.
We support the work being done by current Clarkies, included but not limited to university affiliated groups like the Muslim Student Association and J Street as well as Clark student led groups like Jews Givin’ a F*ck which is not officially affiliated. We thank the Clark University administration for continuing to support their free speech on campus, ensure their safety, and lead our university in a positive direction.
We applaud the November 8th statement from Clark University President David Fithian, Provost Sebastian Royo, and Vice President and Chief Officer of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Margo R. Foreman regarding the current atmosphere at Clark. However, we directly reject the notion that the slogan “from the river to the sea” is inappropriate to use during this time.
As put so well by in an open letter by Jewish Brown University students “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” is not a call for the forced removal of Jews from Palestine or, as it is commonly misconstrued, a call to "throw Jews into the sea;” instead, it is a call for the end to the oppression of all Palestinians — in Gaza, the West Bank and within the Green Line. Liberating all of Palestine requires revolutionary change: not an eradication of Jews from the land, but a total dismantlement of the apartheid regime occupying it. The assumption that this phrase is inherently genocidal falsely conflates liberation with the annihilation of each citizen of the oppressive state and ignores its liberatory intent. Within this conflation, we hear a racist assumption that Palestinians are ruthless "animals” and an intentional obscuring of the violent intent of a neo-fascist government — a characterization shared even by writers in Israel’s newspaper of record. It is not only blatantly false but obscene to frame a call for liberation and justice as genocidal while Israel is carrying out genocide in Gaza funded by billions of American tax dollars. If calling for a future in which Palestinians can live in their homeland unshackled implies an existential threat to the Zionist ideology, it is that ideology that must be called into question — not the call for liberation.”
Clark strives to “advance diversity, equity, and inclusion to achieve an environment and campus culture that is more fully accepting and that well supports our entire community, allowing everyone to be themselves and do their best work.” By using this false framework, this makes your campus actually physically unsafe for many students--something your administration highlighted as a concern in your recent letter to the Clark community.
These are our demands:
We urge the administration to protect its students by providing them with a safe place to learn and grow without the presence of armed police and any form of censure or administrative intimidation. We know Clark to be an educational environment that empowers students to form their own opinions and express dissent without fear of repercussion from fellow students, faculty, administrators, donors, or alumni. We demand that this continues at Clark.
We encourage Clark to review their recent statement and understand the focus it had on protecting distinct populations while villainizing others based on their cultural experience. We encourage Clark to issue a new statement that acknowledges this.
We encourage Clark to use its vast resources to protect our student leaders from doxxing.
We demand that Clark University provides the same resources, support, and safety as well as speech protections to all students no matter their background.
We demand that Clark continue to allow peaceful protest on campus by students without fear of arrest or academic censure. These are the values Clark prides itself as standing for--we expect to see this in the school’s response going forward.
When students organize and speak out against antisemitism, anti-Blackness, misogyny, queerphobia, xenophobia, and other forms of violent discrimination, they must also recognize that Palestinian liberation is part of the equation. Historically, no liberation movement has ever stood against Palestinian self-determination.
We encourage all to learn about Palestinian justice from movement leaders.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
Please join us by adding your signature here:
https://bit.ly/clarkalumforpalestinesignature
