Download AISA's Letter Pdf file
AISA has issued a letter of solidarity to the thousands of students, staff and faculty across the United States in their struggle and rallying cry for divestment from Israel and an end to the Gaza war. These students, staff and faculty have been organising the ‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment’ (sit-in protests) at Yale University, New York University, Harvard University, Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Michigan University, Boston University, American University, Columbia University, among others, where, from coast to coast, they are braving unprecedented police crackdown, demanding an end to the complicity of the US government and the US universities in Israel's genocidal war in Gaza and Palestine.
Today, the world witnesses one of the worst genocides in recent history, with more than 34,000 Palestinians massacred in besieged Gaza and another hundred killed in the occupied West Bank by Israeli forces. In Gaza, Universities, schools, and libraries — all avenues of education have been destroyed and burned down to ashes by the Israeli forces. As mass graves, famines, and humanitarian catastrophe have become an everyday reality in Gaza, the US government continues to provide more military aid to Israel and the US universities reap blood money from companies that profiteer from the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
As the US supported Israel's genocidal war in Gaza and the settler-colonial occupation of Palestine continues unabated, the rising tide of Gaza solidarity encampments in the US and the global Palestine solidarity movements is an inspiration in smashing the global web of complicity that drives and benefit from the Israel's war on Palestinians.
The ongoing students' encampments in the universities and the growing chorus of movements against apartheid Israel in the US, we are reminded of the history of student struggle and the anti-war movements of 1960-70s against Vietnam War that challenged US imperialism and ensured withdrawal of US forces from Saigon.
In India, the fascist Modi regime has also unleashed a wave of repression against any voices that stand with Palestine. In fact, USA Ambassador to India HE Eric Garcetti was invited to JNU’s School of International Studies for a talk, to which the JNU Students’ Union held a protest demonstration on April 29th, vehemently condemning the invitation to the Ambassador, stating the US’s complicity in the on-going atrocities against the Palestinian People. A statement by AISA JNU unit read – “We refuse to host HE Eric Garcetti and call upon the administration to retract the invitation. Our (JNU) campus stands as a beacon for justice, equality, and solidarity with oppressed peoples around the world, including the Palestinians. Our university has a long tradition of standing with the oppressed, and hosting a representative of a nation actively contributing to the suffering of the Palestinian people directly contradicts this legacy.” The organising committee cancelled the programme.
We join them in their call for the liberation of Palestine and echo the slogan: From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free!
