As part of our response to the recent escalation of violence by the Israeli government against Palestinians, we are proud to support H.R. 2590, which calls for accountability from the US government and its ongoing complicity in this humanitarian crisis. This complicity comes in the form of military aid, weapons sales, diplomatic cover, and an underlying investment in global militarism. We continue to advocate for the right of members of our community to speak out against these abuses, including flagrant violations of International Law and prolonged ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, without experiencing negative consequences in their workplace and further marginalization.
We join many Palestinian activists and people as well as their allies, including Jewish people who uphold the legitimate demands of Palestinians, to unequivocally stand against antisemitism and violence against the Jewish community. Violence against Jewish people is completely unacceptable, and is rooted in a long history of structural white supremacy, both in the US and globally. We firmly reject any use of antisemitic tropes, particularly as these tropes are often used to justify and motivate violent attacks against the Jewish community. Hate is never acceptable or justified.
We recognize that both Israeli and US governments regularly level disingenuous accusations of antisemitism in these conversations — not as a means to actually address real violence against the Jewish community but in order to evade responsibility for occupation and other violations of International Law. This additionally relies on a mischaracterization of both Palestinians and Jews as diametrically opposed and monolithic groups — itself a tool of antisemitism and white supremacy, which only serves to further systems of exploitation and settler colonialism.
We are committed to continuing to: put pressure on the US Congress and the Biden administration to take action to end human rights abuses and hold the Israeli government accountable; center the voices of Palestinians in this work; start divesting from companies that are directly complicit in producing weapons; and reject antisemitism, anti-Palestinian hate, and white supremacy in all forms. We are also committed to supporting Palestinian solidarity here in our own University of Washington community. Members who are interested in participating in this ongoing work are encouraged to join the International Solidarity Working Group by emailing intl-workgroup@uaw4121.org.