Date: December 5, 2023
“My heart died with my children that evening. All my children were killed: Majid, 11, Julie, 12, and Suhail, 14. I have nothing left. I should have died with [them].” These are the words of Ramez al-Sury, a Palestinian mother in Gaza, speaking about the Israeli air strike that destroyed part of the Saint Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza’s Old City, tragically killing her children. Ramez’s story is all too common for those in Gaza.
On October 7th, 2023, the world’s attention was drawn to Gaza. Hamas fighters broke through the wall surrounding the Gaza strip. They took hostages, and an estimated 1,200 Israeli lives were lost. In response, Israeli forces have since killed 15,889 Palestinians through military actions in the region. These actions encompass airstrikes and the utilization of white phosphorus, the use of which is prohibited under international law. The attacks carried out against Gaza have far exceeded retaliatory efforts and have expanded to include wrongful arrests, kidnapping, forced displacement, and torture.
The demographic suffering in Palestine includes women, children, the elderly, caregivers, care-receivers: all innocent civilians who possess limited agency and knowledge about the uncertain trajectory of their lives. Essential humanitarian aid, such as food, water, fuel, and medical supplies, have been withheld from those residing in Gaza. The blockade of the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt has hindered the majority of humanitarian efforts from providing crucial support to civilians in dire need of medical provisions. Hospitals in Gaza have struggled to maintain life-support systems while being inundated with an overwhelming number of patients where 36,000 people in Gaza alone have been reported injured. Apprehensions regarding the treatment of Palestinian detainees in Israeli custody, involving allegations of torture, insufficient legal representation, and the detention of minors, have garnered significant international scrutiny.
The events unfolding in Gaza represent a systematic effort to displace Palestinians from their homeland. 1.82 million Palestinians throughout all of the Palestinian territories are currently displaced, leading to profound and far-reaching consequences for their communities. The Palestinian people are experiencing a humanitarian crisis, characterized by widespread suffering and loss of life, resembling a situation of grave concern, demanding urgent international attention and assistance. The Israeli government’s violence against Palestinian people began long before October 7th.
In 1948, a similar significant event, known as the Nakba, resulted in the forceful and violent displacement of Palestinians from their homes. An apartheid state has persisted since the founding of the region, impacting every aspect of Palestinian life, including an inability to travel, a lack of economic independence, illegal detentions and arrests without trial, wrongful searches and seizures of private property, etc. This oppression receives substantial support from foreign aid, notably from the United States, which includes both the deployment of troops to the region and the provision of military resources. In 2022, the US provided Israel with $3.184 billion in foreign aid. The Biden administration has professed unwavering support for the Israeli government and military, and, despite his public calls for humanitarian pauses, Biden continues to send military aid to Israel where arms are arriving on a “near-daily basis.”
The genocide of the Palestinian population necessitates (1) an immediate international intervention to defend and protect civilian lives, (2) a complete and permanent ceasefire, and (3) an end to the genocide and the apartheid state that has persisted for decades within the West Bank, Gaza, and the state of Israel.
Therefore, we, the signees, firmly and unequivocally condemn the numerous violations of human rights and international humanitarian laws that have transpired, including, but not limited to:
- Targeting Civilians: the deliberate attacks on civilians, including women, children, and the elderly, are a clear violation of IHL. This includes indiscriminate bombings or shelling of populated areas.
- Attacks on Medical Facilities and Personnel: targeting hospitals, ambulances, and medical personnel is a grave violation. These attacks hinder the delivery of healthcare to the wounded.
- Use of Chemical or Biological Weapons: the use of chemical or biological weapons, which causes indiscriminate harm and long-term damage, is prohibited under IHL, notably the Chemical Weapons Convention.
- Attacks on Cultural Heritage: the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage, such as historic sites, religious buildings, and artworks, is a violation of IHL, as established by the 1954 Hague Convention.
- Forced Displacement: Forcibly displacing civilian populations, either internally or across borders, is a violation of IHL. This includes practices like ethnic cleansing.
- Denial of Humanitarian Access and Forced Starvation: Blocking humanitarian aid, food, and essential supplies from reaching civilians is considered a violation of IHL, as it leads to starvation and suffering.
- Torture and Inhumane Treatment: Torture, cruel, or inhumane treatment of detainees, prisoners of war, or civilians in custody is prohibited under IHL and international human rights law.
- Attacks on Journalists and Media Workers: Deliberate attacks on journalists and media personnel, who play a crucial role in reporting on conflicts, are violations of IHL.
- Environmental Damage: Widespread, long-term, and severe environmental damage caused by military operations can also be considered a violation of IHL.
We stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people in Palestine, here on St. Olaf’s campus, and the countless Palestinians that have been displaced from their homes since the Nakba. We remember and mourn the lives of the thousands of innocent Palestinian and Israeli civilians that have died since the beginning of these attacks.
We pledge to actively fight against Islamophobia and Antisemitism. The upsurge of Islamophobia and Antisemitism, especially in America. has exacerbated this conflict, leading to a polarized global discourse that has ignited unrest in communities worldwide: both Muslim and Jewish Americans have lost their lives due to vile hate crimes carried out against them.
We want to underscore the urgency of respecting and upholding international humanitarian law and human rights. We therefore call for the immediate cessation of such actions that inflict harm and suffering on vulnerable populations. We advocate for the protection and well-being of all civilians and those working to provide essential aid and information during times of conflict. We condemn all forms of violence and express a strong desire for a peaceful resolution to this conflict through a permanent ceasefire and an end to the oppressive regime that the Israeli government has established in the region.
We condemn the genocide of the Palestinian people. We stand in strong opposition to the attacks that have taken place in Gaza as well as the withholding of humanitarian aid, food, and water from civilians. We stand in strong opposition to the apartheid state that Palestinians have been subjected to since 1948.
At St. Olaf College, we assert a Land Acknowledgement Statement that reads
We stand on the homelands of the Wahpekute Band of the Dakota Nation. We honor with gratitude the people who have stewarded the land throughout the generations and their ongoing contributions to this region. We acknowledge the ongoing injustices that we have committed against the Dakota Nation, and we wish to interrupt this legacy, beginning with acts of healing and honest storytelling about this place.
As a continuation of this college’s land acknowledgment, we also express our unwavering commitment to speak against the displacement of the Palestinian population from their homes. We stand against this oppression and pledge to highlight honest narratives about the ongoing injustices that have taken place. We are committed to uplifting Palestinian voices during this time by listening to Palestinian students, facilitating difficult conversations about the long and bloodied history of the occupation of Palestine, and summating humanitarian efforts to help those in Palestine.
This letter should only be a first step. It should serve as a promise that we are committed to taking action in the face of oppression, that we do not side with the oppressor, that we are committed to elevating Palestinian people, voices, and narratives, but, most of all, that we are committed to doing what is right.
Signed:
Palestinian Relief Ad Hoc Subcommittee
Students’ for Reproductive Rights
Women’s Club Hockey
Public Health Equity and Wellness Club
College Leftists
Celebrate South Asia! (CSA!)
¡Presente!
Makoce Ikikcupi Senate Initiative
Muslim Student Association
Feminists in Politics and Law
Asian American Student Union
Chronic Illness and Disability Support Club
South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA)
Students for Justice in Palestine—St. Olaf College
KARIBU Student
Organization
UPRISING
Climate Justice Collective
International Student Organization (ISO)
Fiona Mundy
Ella Stremlan
Asher Schreiber (JSO President)
Julia Boissonneault
Emily Klein
Cora Harpel
Katie Bergquist
Karra Howles
Tiffany Putri
Zoe Fallgatter
Lena DiGiulio
Blue Nawa
Asia Said
Lali Garsia
Ellie Glenn
Emily Reed
Emilia Gusdal
Julia Grayson
Maleah Upton
Liam Seaton
Elias Hanson
Caroline Leland Beail
Angela Jessa Hifume
Christyl Tango-an
Veronica White
Maggie Shepphird
Adriana Fleming
Cassidy Albrecht
Joe Rutar
Eleanor Olmstead
Amara Geibel
Andrew Mortensen
Rayvin Gierwatowski
Ben Siegel
Anh Mai
Tristan Sabot
Braeden McCollow
Else Madsen
Frances Thayer
Ian DiMundo
Caroline Pearore
Emma Gross
Jonas Geere
Bella Gutierrez
Kate Heinsch
Lucy Court
Signe Aleckson
Dima Aljamal
Maddie Holtz
Hamza Azzam
Fernanda Hernández
Lenibeth Salazar
Anthony Kyrian
Kolbot Pal
Yaseen Al-Juboori
Grace Heinz
Yasmina Tsedenova
Stella Wheeler
Benjamin Lyan
Beri Kobani
Piper Mans
Matt Degnan
Mariam Mikayelyan
Shahad Alothman
Yousef Abualatta
Jenna Graff
Luke Butler
Jackson Gilbert
Nuziabah Said
Miles Greenberg
Jasper Kuleck
Muvaki Nhlema
Kate Zhylinskaya
Phumelele Mncina
Quinn Bennett
Mohamed Radale
Luanga Kasanga
Kazimierz Goodman
Donovan Roddy
Gelila Bessufek Lemma
Azky Lemma
Pauline Iwerks
Eva McKinney
Emma Sahly
Zoe Matre
Emma Storbakken
Riki Poore
Quau Holman
Rachel Williams
Abby Engbrecht
Karen Henriquez Fajardo
Manal Zaman
Solveig Narum
Madi Dinneen
Tore Michaelson
Ellie McDonald
Leina Golo
Esi Amoah
Quamasia O’Neal
Tanzila Bakhtiyorzoda
Mateo Camino-Rios
Marin Henry
Kelynn Ott
Oslo Martin Risch
Yeng Xiong
Meakin Bang
Liz Mills
Leif Olsen
Maggie Brooks
Andrew Kramer
Vianey Calixto Rojas
Amelie Quevedo
Tashani Williams
Leen Al Saleh
Alexander Dagher
Carmella McGee
Elliott N-B
Bassaa Tufaa
Ivy Lanz
Roxi Wessel
Lucy Johnson
Kenna Brandt
Madeline Gilles
Salma Elbezawy
Laura Monguí
Mariam Adamyan
Tatev Telunts
Hiba Samad
Ashley Marcial R
Azeez Khudeeda
Damian Waite
Bella Marek
Luvinga Kahise
Lauren Schilling
Emma Silvestri
Zumratmo Zarifkhonova
Sardar Qaidi
Elizabeth Diaz
Sat Barseghyan
Piper Kuehl
Ani Kharatyan
Abbey Weitzenkamp
Austin Brekken
Leonor Arrobas
Etsub Yayehyirad
Olive Loewer
Christine Whear
Peter Leach
Will Asinger
Grace Knowlan
Alix Bettin
Michael Ruelas
Samsam Ali
Sabina Smith
Ruhama Solomon
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