[The following statement was written and signed onto by New York University faculty, students, and organizations in solidarity with the people of Palestine and in response to their ongoing struggle against settler-colonialism. If you are a member of the NYU community, click here to sign onto this letter.]
We, the undersigned members of Faculty of Color for an Anti-Racist NYU (based at NYU Washington Square) and allies are committed to anti-racism and struggle against structural and systemic racism in the context of settler colonialism at NYU and beyond. These commitments guide our relationships with NYU departments and programs in NYC as well as across the world. Our collective principles, which speak to key dimensions of racial justice and NYU’s policy of non-discrimination, have led us to a policy of non-cooperation with NYU Tel Aviv.
Israel has a long-standing record of settler colonial violence and dispossession, including discriminatory policies against Palestinians, persons of Arab descent, persons of Muslim heritage, and those who support Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) and related positions of dissent. Discriminatory laws and routine limits on Palestinian mobility also prevent Palestinian students from enrolling in higher education institutions in Israel. These systematic policies have led international human rights organizations to declare Israel’s system of rule as apartheid.
In recent weeks, Israel’s brutal military action within Israel and Palestine has escalated effects of longstanding discriminatory policies. These actions have already killed hundreds, injured thousands and destroyed many civic institutions, including schools run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) and others.
In this context, we call on the NYU administration to ensure free and open discussion and debate about Israel, Palestine, the BDS campaign, and any other related matters on all NYU venues and by faculty and students. Secondly, we pledge non-cooperation with the Tel Aviv program until the Israeli state ceases its military campaign and takes action to end discriminatory policies that limit Palestinian students' access to education. We will refrain from faculty collaborations with NYU Tel Aviv, as well as engagement with the study abroad program in Tel Aviv.
We encourage our colleagues across campus to make a similar commitment in the spirit of NYU’s policies of inclusion, non-discrimination and equity.
If you are an NYU faculty, student, worker, staff, alum, or community member, or represent a campus group that wishes to endorse this letter, please join us in this pledge. Click here to add your name.
