Statement of Support for Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voices for Peace
We salute Students for Justice is Palestine (SJP) and Jewish Voices for Peace (JVP) for standing strong and raising their voices against the genocide and colonial occupation of the people of Palestine, amid what is clearly a campaign of repression and intimidation of the student movement at large, especially those who take a principled stand against imperialism.
We extend our love, respect and solidarity to them. We know through first hand experience, as former student activists and alumni from Columbia, how difficult it is as a student to be in such a hostile, elitist, Zionist climate.
We want to remind our friends in SJP and JVP that they stand with, and are supported by millions. In action, these students are part of a rich tradition at Columbia and in other universities, who use their voices to stand on the right side of history, against racist apartheid, against Imperialist wars and aggression and for liberation.
We know that much like the Apartheid State of Israel pretends it is the only democracy in the Middle East, Columbia pretends it is a bastion of free speech. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. Columbia, as an institution, has a long history of repressing student voices for peace and justice with force and intimidation – when it threatens their donations from millionaires and billionaires.
We experienced this first hand as student activists back in 2006, when the University persecuted and tried to suspend Karina Garcia and other members of the Chicano Caucus when we and others confronted a fascist anti-immigrant vigilante group, The Minutemen Project. These goons, who have since been swept away to their rightful place in the dustbins of history, were on a speaking tour at the time. It started with Columbia’s campus and was on its way to dozens of other universities where it hoped to use the legitimacy of an elite university to raise money and provide political cover for an organization dedicated to terrorizing migrant families at the U.S.-Mexico border.
They were invited to the campus then by the College Republicans. When confronted by students who organized our own demonstration, telling the truth about their history and violence, not only were we physically attacked by the Minutemen, but we were thrown under the bus by the University as well. Columbia caved to right wing pressure from media outlets like Fox News’ Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity, as well as “liberals” at the New York Times.
At the time, we felt isolated on campus but our connection to community and political organizations off campus grounded us and kept us strong. We look back today and we can be proud of the stance we took. Thanks to social media, we hope these courageous students can see, perhaps more clearly than we could at the time, that they are NOT isolated. It is the apartheid state of Israel and the U.S. government that are more isolated in the world today than they have ever been. It is from that place of weakness that they are lashing out against the bravery of students.
Our message to students standing in unwavering support of justice and against genocide is – Keep going! Keep doing what you’re doing. Don’t look back and don’t be afraid. We have a world to win!
It is clear that pro-Israel supporters of genocide are in fact living in a bubble at Columbia University. Sooner or later, that bubble is gonna pop. And you can be proud of where you stood. History will absolve you, as it did us!
