Princeton Uni. Group Releases Palestinian Solidarity Statement

PRINCETON, NJ — Members of Princeton University faculty, students, and alumni on Tuesday released a statement in solidarity with the Palestinian people, as violence continues to escalate in the Middle East.

In their statement, members said they “condemn the ongoing attacks on the Palestinian people in Gaza by the Israeli armed forces, which represent the latest chapter of a nearly-fifteen-year blockade that has transformed the territory into a prison for its two million inhabitants, most of whom descend from refugees expelled and driven from their homes during the Nakba (1947-1949) that accompanied the creation of the state of Israel.”

They also condemned the “displacement of Palestinian families in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem,” while mourning the loss of lives.

Members said they stand by Human Rights Watch and the Israeli human rights organization B’tselem.

“We salute the bravery and will-to-survival of Palestinians—in the Occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza, and within Israel—as they resist the violence of the Israeli military, settler militias, and lynch mobs,” the statement said.

Dozens were left dead since violence flared in the region on May 10. Last week, President Joe Biden said Israel "has the right to defend itself" from rocket attacks.

On Monday, President Biden expressed his support for a ceasefire in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In their statement, the group said Palestinians have the right to "live in freedom", and "remain in their residences."

“We stand in solidarity with Palestinians and their Jewish Israeli allies, understanding that their struggle is fundamentally entwined with many other movements for equality, justice and liberation both within the United States and around the world,” the statement said.

“We join together in rededicating ourselves to working against all forms of racism, colonialism, and injustice at Princeton, in the classroom, on campus, and beyond.”

Read their full statement here.

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