October 11, 2023
Dear Dr. Volnick and the wider FAU community,
The Israel-Palestine conflict has been described by many scholars over the years as a complicated issue that requires nuanced critical analysis. Sociologist and ethnic studies scholar David Naguib Pellow, for example, described the conflict in the following way:
One of the most intractable cases of religious, geopolitical, social, and environmental conflict in the world is the Israel/Palestine struggle. Perhaps the single most important thing to keep in mind when considering this conflict is that it is infinitely complex with respect to the historical forces shaping it, its contemporary character, and its future implications. In other words, there are no simple answers to the questions “Why is this happening?” and “What is the solution?” (Pellow, 2017, 110).
Yet, this week, FAU released two statements that some of us affiliated with FAU feel are inappropriate, inaccurate, and harmful given that they lack nuance, historicity, and critical analysis. The initial statement sent on Monday offered support and empathy towards Israel, without extending the same compassion and support towards Palestinians, many of whom are civilians caught in the middle of the conflict. By not mentioning Palestinians and thus erasing them, this statement implicitly erased Palestine, its people, and its right to exist. The statement alienates Palestinian students, faculty, and their allies on this campus.
Subsequently, another statement was released that we believe misrepresents what has taken place at FAU this week. On Monday, supporters of Israel marched through campus and reportedly threatened, surrounded, and physically attacked a community member who was quietly offering an opposing view. As far as we know, none of those involved were detained, questioned, or arrested. Today, a peaceful march organized by Palestinian students was subject to pervasive harassment by what appeared to be some of the same people, who shouted rape threats and were aggressive toward the marchers and the police officers. In contrast to Monday, officers arrested students who were being harassed as well as a pro-Israel counter-demonstrator who many witnessed physically attack a student marcher. According to dozens of witnesses at the scene, these arrests included disproportionate use of force. We feel these events were mischaracterized in the statement that was sent to the university community today, which describes Monday’s march as peaceful and seems to blame peaceful Palestinian marchers and their allies for the aggressive and violent actions of counter-protesters and FAU police officers. Palestinian members of the FAU community were already feeling alienated, alone, and unsafe, but the recent message leaves them feeling that the University is willing to distort the facts in order to take one side in this deeply painful conflict that is impacting so many in the FAU community.
As educators and as an academic institution, it is important to make it clear that we condemn antisemitism, Islamophobia, and oppression and discrimination in all forms. Many Palestinian students and faculty, as well as faculty who teach about the Israel-Palestine conflict, have received threats of violence this week. Regardless of intention, we feel FAU made these colleagues vulnerable through the statements released about the conflict. We fear the initial statement, in conjunction with today’s seemingly inaccurate narrative of violent Palestinian protestors against the backdrop of supposed peaceful pro-Israeli protestors, will continue to create vulnerabilities and risk for students, faculty, and staff on campus.
The purpose of this letter is to extend support to our Palestinian colleagues at FAU. Our Palestinian colleagues deserve as much empathy and solidarity as our Israeli colleagues. We ask that President Volnick extend her (and, thus, FAU’s) empathy to all students and faculty impacted by the Israeli-Hamas conflict, including Palestinian students, staff, and faculty.
In Solidarity,
FAU Students