PUBLIC STATEMENT
MOBILIZATION OF THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY FOR THE PALESTINIAN CAUSE
ASSOCIATION OF ACADEMICS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHILE
MAY 20, 2024
May 15 was the anniversary of the Nakba or catastrophe, which refers to the beginning of the forced exile of millions of Palestinians in 1948 for the construction of the state of Israel. Since then, the Palestinian people have suffered countless forms of pressure ranging from the theft of their land, the destruction of their homes to apartheid, torture and death.
Following the existence of a genocide against the Palestinian population starting in October 2023 by the state of Israel, numerous university students, especially students, have risen up around the world to demonstrate that it is an act of dehumanization that must end. already. “Camp-outs” have been held on numerous campuses in the US and Europe to show their outrage at what is happening and demand that the respective universities stop engaging in any way with universities in Israel. In this context, on May 15, nearly 200 students from the University of Chile, organized as the Command for Palestine [1] and FECH, entered the headquarters of our University.
As a result of this student mobilization, voices of approval and applause and voices of rejection have emerged and, what is very worrying, there is difficulty in assuming that what is happening is a genocide. According to the Spanish Royal Academy, genocide is “extermination or systematic elimination of a human group based on race, ethnicity, religion, politics or nationality.” It is completely evident that what has happened and is happening in Gaza is a genocide of the Palestinian people by the Israeli government. This has been recognized by various officials and international organizations.
The members of the expanded board of directors of the Association of Academicians of the University of Chile ACAUCH, have analyzed the situation at length and have decided to declare the following:
1. We deeply regret the confrontational tone with which our authorities have referred to the mobilizations for the end of the genocide in Palestine.
2. We consider that the student action, which had been previously announced, was carried out in a peaceful manner and free of deed or verbal attacks on their part.
3. Due to the coexistence of another event, that of a conference of Ukrainian representatives, some friction occurred that did not deserve the disqualifying attitude of some authorities. We consider it unnecessary to continue an escalation of discredit that unfortunately is amplified in the media and also divides the university community.
We believe it is essential to generate a collective reflection as a university community on the genocide in Gaza and the actions that as a community and as an institution we must carry out, in coherence with our unrestricted commitment to Human Rights and not be indifferent to the genocide in Palestine.
ACAUCH EXPANDED DIRECTORY
[1] Editor’s Note: there is nothing called the Command for Palestine in the University of Chile, the statement must refer to the Solidarity Committee for Palestine of the University of Chile
Source: www.laizquierdadiario.com
