419 Members as of 10/23
News
October 7, 2024
FSJP OCTOBER 7 STATEMENT
FSJP Statement on the Anniversary of October 7
Amid the Israeli state’s remorseless and relentless genocidal assault against the Palestinian people and its indiscriminate bombings and invasion of Lebanon, we reaffirm our commitment to protecting and honoring human life and mourning its loss. Compassion for all civilian victims and their loved ones is an intrinsic part of our solidarity with Palestinian liberation. It only reinforces our commitment to an immediate and permanent ceasefire and arms embargo followed by concrete measures that guarantee safety, justice, and freedom for all in the region.
October 7 began with the decades-long continued occupation and oppression of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, which has killed hundreds of thousands since 1948, and continued to mark an indiscriminate attack killing nearly 1000 people and taking hostage over 250 people in and around Re'im, Israel. This included not only Israeli Jews but also Israeli Palestinian and Bedouin citizens, and Asian migrant workers who came to Israel for work to support their families. The day ended with the launch of what became a violent, incessant, genocidal assault on Palestinians, which has to date displaced the entire population of Gaza, imprisoned without charge thousands of Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank, and killed tens of thousands of civilian men, women, and children. October 7th is a day that is traumatic for too many people. It deserves recognition, contextualization, and solace for the extreme loss of innocent civilian lives the day marks and the disproportionate, sustained violence October 7th, 2023 precipitated.
We refuse to be silent while the US government and US media, whether liberal or conservative, continue to whitewash this genocide and the US role in encouraging and funding Israeli war crimes. This month, we have seen Iran launch missiles at a military base in densely populated Tel Aviv and threats made against US army bases in Iraq should there be any retaliation on Iran. Every day the violence escalates, harming innocent civilians abroad, and bringing the threat of attacks against Americans closer to home. We demand that the US government follow our own laws and the Constitution, and stop funding war crimes, genocide, apartheid, and authoritarianism. Instead, we ask our country to enact a more just foreign policy in the Middle East that is not predicated on Palestinian--and now Lebanese--suffering. Neither Israeli nor American security and freedom can be protected through violence against Palestinians, Lebanese, Yemenis, Syrians, or others, but rather by ending escalation.
Moreover, as academics and higher education workers, we witness and condemn the entanglement of US universities, including the University of Michigan, in this genocide, from the refusal to divest from Israel’s military-industrial complex to its systematic repression of students, scholars, and workers who speak out about the injustices in Palestine. We demand that the University recommit itself to actually upholding – as opposed to merely invoking – academic freedom and shared governance in its policies and practices.
Call to action:
Participate in the October 7 Walkout
FSJP Members will meet on the steps of North Quad at 3:20-3:25, wear your FSJP tee shirt and/or Keffiyah.
August 28, 2024
FSJP Condemns Die-in arrests
FSJP Statement Condemning Police Brutality and Arrests at Die-In Protest
As we welcome students back to campus for the Fall semester at University of Michigan, we must acknowledge that there is no “back to school” for students in Gaza, where all twelve universities and colleges have been bombed, depriving 88,000 university students access to higher education.
Today, brave members of the TAHRIR Coalition called attention to this tragedy and reminded us of U-M’s complicity by staging a “Die-In” during the Festifall event at the Diag. This non-obstructive and non-disruptive protest was met with an aggressive response from UMPD who announced their presence with blaring bullhorns, proceeding to confront several protesters. Just as we have seen with previous protests, events were peaceful until the police arrived, bringing the violence with them.
The result of this belligerent attack by the hands of UMPD was serious injury to multiple protesters, one of whose head was slammed against concrete by police, and two were sent to the ER.
Additionally, four individuals were arrested without provocation. Two activists were targeted due to their racial identity. One remains in jail with DPSS suggesting they will be held through Friday afternoon.
President Ono declared this a “Year of Democracy, Civic Empowerment and Global Engagement,” and these students embody this message perfectly. UMPD’s actions today showed the hollowness of Ono’s words with such brazen use of force being leveled against students just three days into the semester. The university should be proud to have such passionately engaged students; instead, students who protest genocide are subjected to police violence, criminal charges, OSCR discipline, campus bans, loss of current employment, and are barred from ever working for the University of Michigan in the future.
FSJP condemns this egregious and disproportionate response by UMPD and the administration who ordered this attack. We locate these arrests within a clear pattern of intimidation and repression specifically targeting pro-Palestine voices. We call on President Ono and the Regents to cease this discriminatory behavior, immediately release jailed protestors, and drop all retaliatory discipline. And lest we lose track: the purpose of the protests is for U-M to divest itself of funds supporting and profiting from genocide, to help bring an end to it.
Call to action: Release Student Racially Targeted by University of Michigan Police
Email Zap: https://bit.ly/FestifallArrestZap
August 19, 2024
FSJP EnDORSES HUWAIDA ARRAF FOR U-M REGENT
FSJP ENDORSES HUWAIDA ARRAF FOR U-M REGENT
The University of Michigan’s Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine (FSJP) proudly endorses Huwaida Arraf for Regent of the University of Michigan. As a distinguished alumna and a seasoned civil rights attorney, Huwaida has consistently demonstrated a deep commitment to justice and equity. Her experience as a co-founder of a twice Nobel Peace Prize-nominated advocacy organization underscores her dedication to meaningful change both locally and globally.
Huwaida's priorities for the University of Michigan align closely with the values FSJP upholds. Her focus on affordability and accessibility, including the "Go Blue Guarantee" expansion and the promotion of debt-free education, reflects her commitment to ensuring that all students, regardless of background, can access a Michigan education. Additionally, her advocacy for ethical governance and sustainable investment, including implementing conflict of interest policies, shows her forward-thinking approach to university administration.
Huwaida’s emphasis on protecting the rights of our campus community is critical in today’s climate. Her plans to affirm academic freedom, expand mental health services, and improve campus safety, focusing on prevention and survivor support, will foster a safer and more inclusive environment for all.
FSJP believes that Huwaida Arraf’s leadership as Regent will bring a fresh perspective, rooted in Michigan values, that will enhance our university’s commitment to diversity, excellence, and innovation across all three campuses. We are excited to support her vision for a brighter future at the University of Michigan.
Note: This endorsement is of the candidate Huwaida Arraf and her platform, not the Democratic Party itself or other Democratic Party candidates in the running.
August 3, 2024
FSJP Statement in support of a member facing termination
FSJP Statement in support of a member facing termination.
Whereas FSJP affirms the right of all U-M Faculty and Staff to exercise free speech and participate in actions affirming their beliefs, we unequivocally condemn the decisions on the part of Michigan Medicine Human Resources (MMHR) to summon one of our members for a Disciplinary Review Conference (DRC).
This week, with hardly any notice, a member of FSJP and a Michigan Medicine employee received notification of a summons to a DRC, a serious escalation. The stated reason for this was unspecified "actions" at a pro-Palestine protest in November 2023. Typically, a DRC is the final stage in a process, preceded by warnings, a probationary period, and possibly a temporary suspension. To move summarily to the DRC step – typically understood as the preamble to termination of employment – signifies MMHR is treating this employee as a serious threat.
It bears mention that the employee in question dedicated over twenty years of valuable service to the University of Michigan, contributing to significant research benefitting countless patients, and making possible innovative discoveries by the faculty and practitioners supported by this work. Now, just two years from retirement age, this service seems likely to be cut short, jeopardizing research projects at a critical point and potentially depriving or delaying their benefit to patients.
The fact that MMHR would prioritize politics over the needs of its faculty, researchers, and patients shows the dire state of this institution.
We, as members of FSJP, decry the University of Michigan’s continued violence against its employees and students, punishing those speaking out against the genocide being perpetuated by Israel in Gaza and beyond, to ensure the university’s investments achieve maximum profits, and to protect the feelings of too-powerful regents.
We urge all University of Michigan employees, unions, student organizations, community members, and patients of Michigan Medicine to join us in condemning the actions of Michigan Medicine HR against this beloved staff person.
May 18, 2024
Statement on Charges for November 17th Ruthven protesters
FSJP statement on charges of November 17th Ruthven protestors
Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine (FSJP) unequivocally condemns the decision by the Washtenaw County Prosecuting Attorney Eli Savit’s office to pursue what can only be construed as politically-motivated felony charges to intimidate and punish anti-genocide and pro-Palestinian protestors and chill their speech, at the behest of the University of Michigan.
On November 17, 2023, protesters including students, staff, and faculty advocating for the divestment of endowment funds from companies complicit in the genocidal assault on Gaza engaged in a sit-in at the Ruthven Building, where the U-M administration’s offices are located. They held this protest after 42 days of Israeli airstrikes on homes, schools, hospitals, refugee camps and civilian infrastructure in Gaza, which had by then killed almost 16,000 Palestinians.
In response, the University mobilized a battalion of police officers from 10 jurisdictions to suppress them.
In its statement about the charges, the Prosecutor’s office claims that “The building is generally open until 5 PM, but it was locked at the time—and law-enforcement personnel were stationed outside of its doors. A group of protesters, however, gained entry by pushing past officers. Other protesters followed them into the building.”
The statement does not explain why protesters should be denied access to a public building of their own university during normal business hours. Instead, it castigates protestors for their actions, cynically framing them as “resisting/ obstructing/ assaulting a law-enforcement officer,” and bringing the full weight of felony charges against four individuals.
The statement belabors the point that the “First Amendment does not protect assaultive conduct” while neglecting to mention crucial context—namely, that it was the police who brought the violence with them, and the protestors who were at the receiving end of it. As videos from the scene demonstrate, it was the police who used batons, pushed students, body-slammed and ripped off a student’s hijab, and denied student protestors access to medics, water, and toilets.
Despite the clear evidence of police violence, the Prosecutor’s office praises the police for their behavior that day, commending their "professionalism" and supposed ability to "deescalate" the situation "without lodging anyone in jail." This shows the hollowness of Prosecutor Eli Savit's "progressive prosecution” agenda in practice.
The statement’s assertion that “Officers are regularly called upon to ensure the safety of political protests” and “to protect community spaces that may be vulnerable” strains credulity in the face of the violence unleashed by the police on November 17, and again on May 3, 2024, where videos show Michigan State Police officers using pepper spray against protesters and slamming them with bicycles. Whose safety was ensured?
The word “justice” is repeated no fewer than twelve times in the Prosecutor’s statement. Denying “assaultive conduct” charges, we are told, would not be in the interests of justice. But somehow, we are asked to believe that prosecuting those protesting the injustices of summary executions, mass graves, the deliberate targeting, torture and killing of healthcare workers, the maiming and orphaning of Palestinian children, and the destruction of aid trucks and aid workers, is in the interests of justice.
Prosecutor Eli Savit has said repeatedly in policy statements and public speeches that prosecutors have complete discretion on whether to charge, or not, and what charges to bring. And Prosecutors can drop charges.
Protesters should not be politically prosecuted under the pretext of “assaultive conduct” and “unlawful behavior” in a nation built on stolen land. Lawful (see apartheid, slavery, Jim Crow, and segregation) has never meant moral or just. And it is not the protestors who are guilty of “assaultive conduct.” We demand that the Prosecutor’s office drop these unjust charges, and we call on our community to demand the same.
May 4, 2024
READ & SIGN - OPEN LETTER TO the university of michigan leadership
If you are a U-M faculty, staff, alumni or parent:
FSJP members have written an open letter addressed to the elected Regents, President Ono, and University administrators.
The letter:
Condemns the leadership's approach on the night of May 3rd to repress protesting students using local and state police units.
Calls out their ongoing disingenuous attempts to invoke anti-Semitism to repress and demonize the students at the encampment, and even laugh and turn condescending towards the students' attempts to engage with them.
Demands the reversal of any bannings from campus buildings, and amnesty for all students,
Demands the leadership to fulfill their political duties and meet with the protesting students and address their demands.
Please read and sign the letter, and share far and wide with U-M faculty, staff, alumni and parents.
May 2, 2024
Solidarity at Commencement
Gaza Encampment Call for showing solidarity during commencement ceremonies:
Here are some ways you can be in solidarity while participating in commencement ceremonies:
1) Wear a Keffiyeh to the ceremony.
2) If you are giving a speech or any kind of commencement address be sure to speak out in support of a permanent ceasefire, free Palestine, Divestment of Endowment, and solidarity for the Gaza Encampment and the University of Michigan.
3) If you are a staff volunteer, refuse to restrict students' free speech and protests during ceremony.
May 1, 2024
May Day Rally
FSJP member speech at May Day Rally in the Gaza Encampment
On May 1st, 1886, more than 300,000 workers in 13,000 businesses across the United States walked off their jobs to demand an 8 hour work day. Those workers who participated in that first May Day action here in the U.S. had seen first-hand how Capitalism benefitted only the wealthy, while men, women and children died working 16 hour shifts in unsafe conditions. Children as young as eight, victims of industrial accidents, were among the protestors beaten down by company thugs and police.
138 years later, on this glorious first day of May, 2024, we stand here in solidarity with the men, women, and children of Gaza in their fight for life, dignity and freedom against the oppressive systems of colonialism, imperialism, and war capitalism.
We stand here in solidarity with hundreds of unions and labor organizations in the National Network for Cease-fire (NLNC), including the National Education Association, the unions of nurses, postal workers, electrical workers, flight attendants and the United Auto Workers (UAW).
And we stand here today on the Diag at the University of Michigan in fervent solidarity with these fine student activists who have learned well the lessons of this esteemed institution to be ethical, to question tyranny, to consider themselves inextricably connected in the global struggle for Justice and Collective Liberation.
They know that none of us can be truly free while our brothers and sisters in Gaza and throughout all the lands of historical Palestine, from the River to the Sea are not free.
And so, to the Regents, to President Ono, and to the Administration, we collectively say: Reflect carefully on this moment in history in which we all find ourselves. And heed the invitation of your finest and bravest students to come to the table here at this encampment for Gaza to negotiate in good faith divestment from Israel, as the students have been requesting that you do for six months. Listen to their demands, but also to their stories. March with us on the path toward justice and collective liberation.
Just we do in Palestine with Maqluba, it is time to turn the status quo upside-down!
Thank you!
April 23, 2024
Statement of Support of GAZA Encampment
April 23, 2024 FSJP Statement of Support for Gaza Encampment
FSJP stands in solidarity with the students of the Gaza encampment on the campus of University of Michigan and others across the United States as they attempt to keep focus and attention on ending the ongoing genocide in Gaza and Occupied Palestine.
Whereas every university in Gaza has been destroyed – three university presidents and 95 academics, including professors, deans, and other staff killed; upwards of 88,000 students’ educations halted – all institutes of higher education should be united in solidarity. And indeed we have seen remarkable student-led activism across the country. Unfortunately, the prevailing response from university administrators in the United States, including at University of Michigan, has been to slander student activists, trivialize their demands, and ultimately arrest them.
We affirm the diversity of this movement, comprising a coalition of groups and individuals which includes numerous Jewish members of the university community, and Palestinians who have lost family and loved ones to Israel’s rampage.
We reject the repressive actions and demonizing language of President Ono, other university administrators, and the regents, positing students as threats to the well-being of others – in particular, using the mendacious cudgel of anti-semitism – all the while disregarding the safety and well-being of Palestinian students.
We call on the university to:
Provide full transparency by disclosing all university investments;
Divest from any and all companies involved directly or indirectly in Israel’s genocide in Gaza and/or complicit in the occupation of Palestine;
Cease intimidation tactics of students such as creating unnecessary and threatening “Disruptive Activity Policy,” sending law enforcement to homes, issuing trespass citations, ordering disproportionate police presence at peaceful protests, and furthermore urge the prosecutor’s office to drop all charges currently pending against student protestors.
We are in the midst of a critical moment that requires a leading public institution such as ours to robustly protect academic freedom, free speech, and democracy, and we are grateful to these students for their example of bravery in the face of injustice.
HERE’S HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THE ENCAMPMENT:
Join in person on the Diag! We encourage faculty/staff, parents, alumni, and community members to shield the students as they chat, protest, pray, and build community.
Donate at this link to help secure supplies & food https://givebutter.com/h2NTYZ
Email the President and the regents using the script below:
Email script: https://tinyurl.com/UMCampZap
*when you click the link it will automatically open your default email program with an email ready for you to customize and send.
Call to express your support using the this phone script.
Reach out to tahrircoalition [at] gmail [dot] com with any additional questions about how to support the encampment.
April 10, 2024
Statement on the april 15 Strike for GAza
A coalition of 23+ national Palestinian and Muslim-led organizations across the US have called for a national strike for Gaza.
The members of UM-FSJP encourage faculty and staff, who can, to support the strike according to their capacity.
Here are some suggestions for how you may do so, in an increasing order based on your capacity:
If you cannot strike or choose not to strike but wish to show solidarity:
Add a signature line to your U-M email on April 13-15, on the lines of I stand in support of the National Strike for Gaza, and the divestment of U-M’s endowment, direct and indirect, from any firm that invests in the illegal occupation of Palestine.
If you choose to strike, choose any or all actions based on your capacity:
Set up an ‘vacation’ auto-reply for your U-M email with a message on the lines of Thank you for your email. I have chosen to take part in the Apr 15 Strike For Gaza. I shall respond to your message after this day. I stand in solidarity with calls to divest the U-M endowment from any firm that invests, directly or indirectly, in the illegal occupation of Palestine.
Cancel any appointments other than those that have a direct impact on student learning (e.g. classes) and unrelated to Palestinian solidarity.
Cancel all appointments and classes for the day.
For faculty facing repercussions from accusations of ‘jeopardizing the educational mission’, consider providing makeup recorded classes, take-home paper reviews, assignments, etc. If possible for your course, ask them to attend the Flint speaker event on Palestine.
Whatever action you choose, inform your students about your decision and why you chose to do so.
Likewise, inform your department/college head about your decision.
Download to print
More info, email templates & fliers: bit.ly/415StrikeToolkit
April 10, 2024
upcoming event: palestinian history (Flint/hybrid on april 15)
Palestinian History: Understanding the Past, Engaging with the Present
Registration: https://campusconnections.umflint.edu/icc/rsvp_boot?id=378588
The UM-Flint and the Arab American Heritage Council are hosting a speaker event on key factors that have culminated in the current humanitarian catastrophe in Palestine.
There will be three invited talks followed by a moderated Q&A session:
Dr. Juan Cole - The evolution of Palestinian statelessness. Dr. Cole (Professor of History, UM-Ann Arbor) has devoted his career to understanding the Middle East and the Muslim world and its relationship with the North Atlantic states.
Dr. Melanie Tanielian - The history of Israel’s humanitarian management of Gaza as a tool of occupation and permanent security. Dr. Tanielian (Associate Professor of History, UM-Ann Arbor) is a historian of war and society, interested in humanitarianism, human rights, and necropolitics.
Muna Tareh, MA, MPA - The international historical view of the Palestinian liberation struggle and its implications. Muna (Ph.D. candidate, Political Sci, Wayne State) researches the reach and limitations of human rights discourse in the transformation of situations of oppression and anti-colonial struggles.
Download flier to print.
Mar 27, 2024
2024 Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim U-M Communities' Survey
Read the primary takeaways in this slideshow.
Read the full survey report.
Key Findings
90% of respondents express dissatisfaction with the university's communications regarding Gaza, and 89% deem the university's efforts to combat Islamophobia as inadequate (pp. 3)
50% of the surveyed faculty and staff have contemplated leaving the university due to its treatment or messaging regarding Palestinians (pp. 4)
78% of respondents show demand for a structured U-M Strategy to combat Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian Racism (pp. 5)
Dec 13, 2023