Scholars Against the War on Palestine
A Call for a Ceasefire
January 19, 2024
This call is issued by Scholars Against the War on Palestine (SAWP), a transnational cross-disciplinary coalition of scholars, working to advance the Palestinian call “to take urgent action to stop Israel’s current war and genocide in Gaza.”
Permanent Ceasefire Now!
Christmas and holiday festivities in Palestine were canceled this year in solidarity with Gaza. Heads of Churches in Jerusalem and Bethlehem, the city synonymous with the birthplace of Jesus, canceled all festive celebrations as Palestinians collectively mourn the loss of thousands of lives–the result of Israel’s genocidal war.
In the first ten weeks of war, Israel dropped in excess of 25,000 bombs–the equivalent of two nuclear bombs–on 2.2. million besieged Palestinians in Gaza. It has done so with unwavering support from the United States and other western nations. The bombardment has killed more than 24,000 Palestinians, including more than 8,000 children, and millions are facing starvation and dehydration as food, electricity, and water has been cut off. More than 1.1 million people have been forcefully displaced internally, and much of Gaza’s infrastructure has been carpet-bombed, destroying hospitals, schools, universities, residential units, bakeries, religious sites, archives, and government buildings and facilities.
Permanent Ceasefire Now!
Israel has waged a full scale war on Palestinian educational institutions. In Gaza, eleven out of fourteen universities are completely destroyed including the Islamic University of Gaza (IUG), Al-Azhar University, and the North Gaza branch of Al-Quds Open University. Israeli airstrikes targeted and killed renowned Palestinian intellectuals including, Sufyan Tayeh, world-leading scientist and President of IUG, and the prominent poet and English literature professor Refaat Alareer of IUG. Israeli bombs have destroyed over 239 government schools and 50 United Nations Refugee Works Agency (UNRWA) schools. Thousands of students, staff, and educators have been killed and more than 88,000 students in Gaza have been deprived at their right to education.
This holiday season, we stand with Palestinians everywhere in calling for
(1) an immediate and permanent ceasefire;
(2) the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza;
(3) ending Israel’s siege on Gaza;
(4) ending attacks on educational and health institutions in Palestine.
Please use the following link to sign our latest statement: https://scholarsagainstwar.org/statement/holidayceasefire/