Statements of Solidarity with #UTDivest, Chronologically Ordered

February 15th, 2015

Jewish Voice for Peace Statement of Support for Divestment at the University of Toledo

Written and endorsed by the Jewish Voice for Peace Detroit chapter

As members of Jewish Voice for Peace, a rapidly-growing organization of American Jews supporting a just peace in the Middle East, we wholeheartedly endorse the #UTDivest campaign at the University of Toledo.

There can be no exceptions when it comes to human rights. The Palestinian people are subjected to a system of ethnic segregation, discrimination, violence and military occupation by the state of Israel. These abuses have been extensively documented by human rights organizations and the United Nations, and are clearly illegal under international law. The University of Toledo endowment is invested in corporations which supply arms and equipment used in these human rights violations, or otherwise profit from them, and #UTDivest justly demands an end to these unethical investments. Toledo's Palestinian students shouldn't be forced to help pay for bombs dropped on their friends and family in Palestine.

In seeking divestment from these corporations, #UTDivest joins a movement of students across the United States who refuse to accept their tuition dollars funding oppression. This growing movement has passed divestment resolutions at several universities, including seven of the University of California system's ten schools. Jewish Voice for Peace supports this movement for equality and justice, comprised of students from a wide variety of ethnic and religious identities, including Jewish students.

We reject the accusation that this movement is anti-Semitic, a baseless claim that dishonors victims of real anti-Semitism and dangerously cheapens the term. It is not anti-Semitic to divest from companies that support and profit from the official policies of a nation state that violate international law and human rights. The false invocation of anti-Semitism for political ends, much less to defend corporations violating human rights, is cynically exploitative, and we condemn it as such.

Standing proudly in the Jewish tradition of fighting for justice, we refuse to be silent while oppression is carried out in our names. We urge the University of Toledo student government to honor Palestinian human rights by passing #UTDivest.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CQvd0D0MlFHUXSNL40lWFhx8Y_ibTtReJ_CW9KGkzxc/edit



University of Toledo Muslim Student Association
Sunday, February 22, 2015

To President Naganathan, Student Government President Notestine, and Members of the UT Student Government:

We, the University of Toledo Muslim Student Association, support UT Divest. On Tuesday February 17^th, 2015, our members and other supporters gathered to attend the Student Government meeting to further enlighten ourselves on the issue of divestment and to hear from our Student Government. As University of Toledo students, we were appalled by the treatment we were faced with that night for merely exercising our right to attend a Student Government meeting.  Declaring the meeting as closed and forcing us to watch a debate from a live stream in an entirely separate room was already difficult to deal with. The addition of increased police presence and the usage of police dogs further served to humiliate and crush our sentiments.

             Many of the notions pushed that night were irrespective of the true nature of the divestment campaign. The debate seemed to be creating a correlation between the divestment campaign and an escalation of tension between people of Jewish and Muslim faith. The sight of divestment supporters from different faiths, colors and creeds could have easily altered such baseless claims. However, since it was a closed meeting, Student Government was not granted the right to see or hear the voices of the supporters, thus allowing this notion to linger.

Furthermore, the assumption made by some of the Student Government members showed a lack of concern for the student body. This was especially true for those UT Palestinian students and their families who have suffered and continue to suffer from the abuse of resources provided by these corporations that the University invests in. Palestinian students were completely disregarded by Student Government. Likewise, Student Government ignored those members of the student body appalled by the misuse of their tuition money to support companies who so wholly violate human rights.

Finally, the abhorrent claim that divestment from these corporations would lead to an increased harassment of Jewish students on campus is both unrelated to the resolution being debated and a dangerous claim to make. This dehumanizes the Muslim students on campus by painting them as oppressors, as well as alienating the Jewish students by singling them out as victims.

As members of the Muslim community in a post 9/11 America, we understand the daily treatment of harassment, discrimination and alienation. It’s due to these experiences that we stand shoulder to shoulder with oppressed communities. We disagree with the religious narrative that was painted during this debate, and continue to fully support the UT Divestment campaign. This is not an issue of religion but an issue of human rights. We support a campaign that works towards a world free of discrimination and harassment for all. UT MSA demands that Student Government rectify the situation they created by allowing an open meeting where the entire student body can participate in democratic debate surrounding this issue. UT MSA is in support of UT Divest. UT MSA is in support of peace.

US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Sign & Share PETITION: Support Open Debate & #UTDivest! What a month it’s been! Just this past week, the student governments of two of the country’s most prestigious universities -- Stanford andNorthwestern -- voted to divest from companies involved in the Israeli occupation and abuses of Palestinian human rights. Two weeks ago, the University of California (UC) Student Association became the first multi-campus student association to endorse divestment in a landmark, landslide victory. Just 10 days prior, UC Davis became the seventh UC campus government (out of ten) to vote in favor of divestment. Last December, UAW 2865, the UC student workers union, became the first major U.S. labor union to endorse divestment, while more than half the voting membership pledged to support the academic boycott of Israel. And on, and on... But at the University of Toledo (UT) in Ohio, students were barred from attending a meeting to debate divestment, and at the meeting, the student government was barred from voting on it! WILL YOU SIGN THIS PETITION TO SUPPORT THE RIGHT TO DEBATE AND VOTE ON DIVESTMENT AT UT?Here’s what happened: On the same night that Stanford celebrated a hard-earned victory last Tuesday, studentsat UT presented their divestment resolution to the Student Government for debate and vote. But the student body was not allowed to attend, and the Student Government allowed only Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Hillel representatives to speak -- effectively redefining a pluralistic issue along religious lines. Testifiers for and against divestment were forced to sit in separate rooms and prevented from hearing one another’s arguments. This was done in the name of preventing violence, painting divestment and the predominantly Muslim and Arab UT bases behind it as somehow violent. In fact, divestment opponents even cited the recent Chapel Hill shootings of three Muslim students as an example of why divestment should be rejected!  Amidst the emotional, but peaceful debate, the UT student government’s Judicial Council suddenly convened a meeting of its own and ruled the resolution "unconstitutional" on grounds that it was "discriminatory" and "one-sided," so no vote could even be taken. The Jewish Federation of Toledo boasted about "working diligently with Hillel and the University administration to defeat the motion." Students at #UTDivest need your support! Please sign and share this petition calling for transparency, democracy, and the right to vote on divestment! We are truly reaching a turning point,with more than two dozen campus boycott and divestment victoriesnationwide and seemingly more campaigns launchingwith every passing week!  As the incredible power and momentum of these student-led campaigns gets stronger, so will the desperation and nasty tactics of those wishing to defend Israel's aggression. We must all be ready to rally to support these brave students when the time comes, and now is one of those times.  Please sign and share this petition defending divestment and UT Students for Justice in Palestine today! Congratulations to the many incredible SJP chapters -- and their critical allies -- across the country, whose leadership have brought the campus-based movement to the extraordinary place it is today.   Anna Baltzer National Organizer P.S. To keep up with the UT campaign and future action opportunities, make sure to follow #UTDivest on Facebook and @UTSJP on Twitter!

Take these actions: 1. SIGN PETITION: Let UT vote on divestment! 2. Share petition onFacebook and Twitter. 3. Follow #UTDivest on Facebook. 4. Follow @UTSJP on Twitter. Support Palestinian farming families. Shop our fair-trade store:   Follow Us:  Facebook Twitter YouTube Blog Vimeo

Back to Top The US Campaign aims to change U.S. policies that sustain Israel's 47-year occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, and that deny equal rights for all. ABOUT | TAKE ACTION | RESOURCES | STORE | DONATE | UNSUBSCRIBE US CAMPAIGN TO END THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION | PO BOX 21539 | WASHINGTON, DC 20009 202-332-0994 | USCAMPAIGN@ENDTHEOCCUPATION.ORG | WWW.ENDTHEOCCUPATION.ORG

University of Toledo Muslim Student Association

Monday, February 23, 2015

To

Nagi Naganathan                                  Clayton Notestine
Interim President                                  Student Body President and Senate/Members
The University of Toledo                     The University of Toledo

The International Students Association (ISA) would like to state our support for the UT Divest campaign. We as International Students request that the university honor its ethical commitments to respect international law and rights by removing University investments in corporations that violates international law and human rights in the Occupied Palestine Territories. We are confident that we are standing for an activity that is both humane and responsible as an International Organization, and not supporting any political or religious campaign. UT ISA has stood up for students coming from different nations, ensuring that their laws, rights and sentiments are respected, irrespective of their faith, color and ethnicity.

Our members of the ISA executive board and other International supporters gathered to attend the Student Government meeting on Tuesday February 17th, 2015, acknowledging the importance of this divestment activity and ensuring that justice shall be performed by the Student Government. However, the Student Government declared the meeting as closed-door and forced the supporters to watch a debate from a live stream in an entirely separate room, cutting down the voices of all the student body supporters.

The assumed notions made by some of the Student Government members showed a lack of concern for the student body. Our International Palestinian students and their families have suffered and continue to suffer from the abuse of resources provided by these corporations that the University invests in. Imprudently, the Student Government not only ignored a section of student body but also declared the resolution unconstitutional.

As members of this international organization, we fully support the UT Divestment campaign irrespective of all the needless slander that this campaign has been accused of. We astutely understand the campaign and comprehend that this is not an issue of religion but an issue of human rights. We support a campaign that works towards a world free of discrimination and harassment in any form. UT ISA demands indemnity. We believe that the Student Government should rectify their errors by allowing an open, transparent debate where the entire student body can democratically participate in addressing this issue. UT ISA strongly believes in the right of students to express their sentiments openly, and believes that this right will facilitate the pursuit of justice. We believe that peace will only be attained when justice is pursued and rights are respected.

The Executive Board
International Students Association
The University of Toledo

Our sign of support:

Mohammed Albaaj
President

Hadi AlNasir
Internal Vice President

Kimsa Nguyen
External Vice President

Farha Jahan
Secretary

Shagufta Sami
Media Officer

Dina Tete
Events Coordinator

Rajaey Al-Humud
Treasurer

Student African American Brotherhood

The Student African American Brotherhood UT chapter understands the struggle of SJP and the UT Divest Movement. Our student government decided that it was “unconstitutional and also a danger to the Jewish Students.” The UT Divest Movement is not focused on violence nor does it tolerate or condone it. The senators should be given a chance to vote on whether they support or deny the cause; as well as being able to have an open debate where the student body as well as both parties can plead their cases. Student Government, of all organizations, should be for due process and democratic debate. We as an organization are asking Student Government to allow their senators to make their own decision based on hearing the full debate from both organizations on why UT should or should not divest. Give the students a chance to speak for the students.

Signed,
S.A.A.B.


Ohio SJP Organizing Committee

To President Naganathan, Student Government President Notestine, and Members of the UT Student Government:

We, the Ohio Students for Justice in Palestine Organizing Committee, collectively write to you with our unwavering support for UT Divest in their efforts to take part in open dialogue regarding divestment from companies that profit from the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Having followed the recent affairs in which the student body was barred from attending the Student Government’s meeting to debate UT Divest’s recent proposal for divestment, we strongly condemn the segregation and silencing of students involved in Palestine solidarity work, and we especially denounce the erroneous conflation of religious discrimination with efforts to rectify the university ties to human rights violations.

We understand this sequence of events as a blatant demonstration of Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism, as it was mandated that testifiers both for and against divestment were forced to sit apart so as to not be able to listen to one another. In doing so, the Student Government has construed divestment as an inherently violent tactic, though the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement is premised upon non-violent resistance to an illegal and militarized occupation. Mandating that the student body watch the debate on live-stream from a different room, while increasing the presence of police during this time likewise incorrectly construes divestment as a threat to the safety of Jewish students. Though students, faculty, and town members of all different faiths and ethnicities support divestment, this deliberate attempt by the Student Government and administration to falsely conflate divestment with religious intolerance is shameful and cowardly.

We condemn in the strongest terms the lack of transparency surrounding the rejection of the divestment resolution. Universities should not be run like corporations with no regard for students’ concerns. Especially in the case of Palestinian students, whose tuition is invested in the corporations that contribute to the deaths and misery of their loved ones, it is an offence to suggest that their support for UT Divest is an exercise in bigotry and discrimination. Palestinians live under military occupation, apartheid, and quotidian violence in routine violation of international law. In investing its endowment in corporations that profit from and perpetuate the occupation, the University of Toledo is a complicit third party to these human rights abuses. It is with this at heart that we extend our strong support to UT Divest as they advocate for open dialogue in an effort to align UT’s investments with moral commitments to justice, freedom, and equality.

Ohio Students for Justice in Palestine Organization Committee, including:

Cleveland State University Students for Justice in Palestine 

Oberlin College Students for a Free Palestine

Ohio State University Committee for Justice in Palestine