Northwestern University
Educators for Justice in Palestine (EJP) Statement
December 2023

We the undersigned come together as Northwestern faculty, staff, librarians, and graduate students to speak out, on campus and beyond, in support of undergraduates, in solidarity with Northwestern Students for Justice in Palestine, and against anti-Palestinian, anti-Jewish and other forms of racism wherever they appear. 

We condemn the indiscriminate bombing of a trapped civilian population in Gaza and the cutting off of water, food, fuel, medicine, and electricity. We call for an immediate end to the massive violence being inflicted on the people of Gaza and the West Bank. There is no military solution to this crisis.

We recognize that Israeli state violence against the Palestinians has its roots in a well-documented history of colonization, stretching back at least 75 years, that has produced what many human rights groups describe as an apartheid regime, characterized by ongoing occupation, expropriation, ethnic cleansing and the denial to the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza of basic human and civil rights. These are the root causes of the current violence; history did not begin on October 7, 2023, however horrific the killing of Israeli civilians on that day was. 

We are aware that leadership at Northwestern is under pressure to be “pro-Israel,” even at the cost of jeopardizing academic freedom, promoting violations of free speech, and neglecting the safety of its own students. We are dismayed that students, staff and faculty at Northwestern and other US campuses have been targeted for censure and punishment for voicing support for Palestinians. In past weeks the intimidation has escalated, not only at Northwestern but around the country. 

We call on Northwestern to recognize the harm that Palestinian, Muslim, Arab and Arab-American colleagues and students have experienced in this climate. We express our solidarity with Indigenous and Black colleagues and students who are also experiencing harm. We stand with all students, faculty, and staff who feel pressured to acquiesce to U.S. and Israeli-sponsored ethnic cleansing.

We conclude with a quotation from an Open Letter from Jewish Students at Brown University, with whom we stand in solidarity:

“Our mourning is endless and informs our calls to prevent further loss. Our mourning is our teacher — it tells us we are all connected as humans…We can never let our mourning allow us to stand by as Israel’s military dehumanizes Palestinians with language like “human animals” and kills over 10,000 Gazans since Oct. 7. We are mourning all lives lost while standing unequivocally for the rights and freedom of Palestinians. Both can be true.”

Educators for Justice in Palestine is an inclusive organization that invites colleagues from all backgrounds and from all parts of the university to speak out in support of each other and our students. 

Please add your name to this statement to oppose the war on Gaza, the continuing occupation and brutalization of Palestinians subject to Israeli control, and the intimidation and silencing of our students and colleagues who wish to express their solidarity with the Palestinian people. 

Subsequently, we will ask if you wish to join our chapter and contribute to developing the guiding principles for the group.

Full list of current signatories.

Northwestern faculty, staff, librarians, and graduate students form chapter of Educators for Justice in Palestine (EJP)

(Evanston, IL—1/30/2024) In December 2023, a group of faculty, staff, librarians, and graduate students at Northwestern University launched a statement and open call to colleagues to form a chapter of Educators for Justice in Palestine (EJP).

Since then, 219 faculty, staff, librarians, and graduate students have signed onto that statement. On January 26, 2024, members of the EJP organizing committee voted unanimously to adopt the following guiding principles:

1. We are a democratic collective of faculty, staff, and graduate workers who support the movement for Palestinian self-determination, legal equality, and liberation.

2. We understand the struggle for Palestinian freedom to be aligned with other movements against colonialism and oppression. We reject any form of hatred towards or discrimination against any religious, racial, or ethnic group and consider Palestinian liberation to be inseparable from the fight against racism in all its manifestations.

3. We support the work of Students for Justice in Palestine and other pro-Palestinian student groups at Northwestern, and will defend the rights of all students to engage in critical conversations, debates, and non-violent political actions concerning Israel and Palestine.

4. We support calls for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions as a way to pressure Israel to end the occupation of Palestine and the curtailment of Palestinian rights in Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel.

5. We reject the conflation of antisemitism with criticism of the policies and actions of the Israeli state, critiques of Zionism, or support for Palestinian liberation, and we will resist moves to shut down discussions of any of these topics on such grounds.

6. We are committed to cultivating an ethic of community care and support in our work through practices of accountability, open dialogue, and sustained learning.

7. The most securely employed among us will protect more vulnerable members at all times.

8. In support of the above principles, we will engage in active education and advocacy as part of an emergent national network in coalition with Palestinian organizations and local and regional allies.

Other faculty, staff, librarians, and graduate students at Northwestern who affirm these principles are welcome to join our chapter of EJP. To do so please fill out this form (below). The group can be contacted by email northwestern.ejp@gmail.com. Our website is https://www.nuejp.org.

1. We are a democratic collective of faculty, staff, and graduate workers who support the movement for Palestinian self-determination, legal equality, and liberation.

2. We understand the struggle for Palestinian freedom to be aligned with other movements against colonialism and oppression. We reject any form of hatred towards or discrimination against any religious, racial, or ethnic group and consider Palestinian liberation to be inseparable from the fight against racism in all its manifestations.

3. We support the work of Students for Justice in Palestine and other pro-Palestinian student groups at Northwestern, and will defend the rights of all students to engage in critical conversations, debates, and non-violent political actions concerning Israel and Palestine.

4. We support calls for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions as a way to pressure Israel to end the occupation of Palestine and the curtailment of Palestinian rights in Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel. 

5. We reject the conflation of antisemitism with criticism of the policies and actions of the Israeli state, critiques of Zionism, or support for Palestinian liberation, and we will resist moves to shut down discussions of any of these topics on such grounds.

6. We are committed to cultivating an ethic of community care and support in our work through practices of accountability, open dialogue, and sustained learning. 

7. The most securely employed among us will protect more vulnerable members at all times.

8. In support of the above principles, we will engage in active education and advocacy as part of an emergent national network in coalition with Palestinian organizations and local and regional allies.