The following is a joint statement first initiated by student organizations at IU Indianapolis—followed by student organizations at surrounding colleges and universities—in condemnation of Israel’s genocidal campaign of terror in Gaza and in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for liberation.
IU Indianapolis statement of solidarity with Palestine
Over the past 42 days, Israel has dropped over 20,000 tons of bombs in Gaza, an area ⅓ the size of Marion County with over 6 times the population density. As a result, over 10,000 Palestinians have been killed, including thousands of children. Tens of thousands have suffered life-altering physical injuries. Thousands more are still missing or trapped beneath the rubble of their homes. The entirety of Gaza’s population of 2.2 million continues to endure severe physical, mental, and emotional harm inflicted by the constant threat of violence, the destruction of homes, and the cutting off of vital services like food, water, fuel, and electricity.
While the mass media reports on Israel’s renewed assault on the Palestinian people as if the conflict began on October 7, 2023, we know that the violence did not begin 42 days ago. For well over 75 years now, the Palestinian people have suffered violence, displacement, occupation, and apartheid at the hands of the Zionist colonial project.
Settler colonialism is the root cause of the violence, which has always fallen disproportionately on the Palestinian people as they struggle for dignity and sovereignty against a nuclear-armed power backed militarily, economically, and diplomatically by the United States. Any person or organization committed to a true and lasting peace must recognize, condemn, and struggle against the inherent and routine violence exacted on the Palestinian people every day under colonial occupation.
The mass media portrays Israel’s indiscriminate bombing of Gaza as “self-defense.” We reject this entirely, and denounce the targeting of residential neighborhoods, hospitals, schools, mosques, and churches as genocidal war crimes intended to terrorize the population of Gaza.
The United Nations 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, ratified by 153 states worldwide, defines genocide as follows:
In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group, as such:
Killing members of the group; Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
Based on this definition, we feel it is entirely appropriate to refer to Israel’s current siege and bombing campaign in the Gaza strip as an act of genocide, which should be investigated and prosecuted by the International Criminal Court to hold Israeli military and civil leadership responsible for its horrific crimes.
Those of us living in the United States cannot stand aside and watch as this genocide progresses. Although the violence is occurring on the other side of the world, it is intimately connected to the institutions of U.S. government here in Indiana and nationally. The same U.S. government that oppresses Black, Indigenous, immigrant, and other marginalized peoples here at home sends over 3.6 billion dollars in military aid to Israel every year. 51.5 million of these dollars come from Indiana—12.8 million from Indianapolis alone. Many of the bombs being dropped on Gaza were manufactured in the U.S. From the President of the United States down to the local level, our elected officials have callously and recklessly supported Israeli escalation of the violence, while refusing calls for a ceasefire.
We the undersigned ask the leadership of IU, the student body of the university, and the Indianapolis community as a whole to join us in calling for an immediate ceasefire; for freedom for the over 10,000 Palestinian political prisoners currently held hostage by Israel; and for the ultimate liberation of Palestine, including the right to return for the millions of Palestinian refugees around the world. For all those in support of humanity, respectfully email the phrase “ceasefire now” to IU’s systemwide administration, iupres@iu.edu, brstoph@iu.edu, and bdot@iu.edu.
In full solidarity with Palestine and all oppressed people,
Initial Student organization joint signatories
* Listed in alphabetical order
- Alliance for Immigrant Justice
- Black Student Union @ IUPUI
- Butler Diversity Program Council
- Butler Muslim Student Association
- Butler Students for Justice in Palestine
- Dazzling Diamonds
- Democratic Socialists of DePauw
- InspireMe Fit at IUPUI
- Middle Eastern Student Association IUPUI
- Midnight Riot Indianapolis
- Native American Student Alliance of IUPUI
- National Association for Colored Women’s Club (NACWC IUI Chapter)
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP, IUI Chapter)
- Pakistani Student Association
- Religious Studies Student Alliance
- Spanish Club IUPUI
- Student African American Brotherhood
- Students for Socialism IUPUI
- The Sociology Club
- Young Democratic Socialists of America at IUPUI
- Young Democratic Socialists of America IU Bloomington
Endorsed by
Community organizations
- ANSWER Indiana
- Circle City Mutual Aid
- Flanner Farms
- Indianapolis Liberation Center
- Jewish Voice for Peace – Indiana
- Party for Socialism and Liberation – Indianapolis
Indiana University of Indianapolis faculty, staff, and workers
- IUPUI Muslim Faculty and Staff Council
- Mohammad Al-Haddad, Naga P. Chalasani Professor of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
- Andrew Davis, PhD Student, Mathematics
- Hiba Alalami, PhD Student, American Studies
- Charley Jackson, PhD Student, Urban Education
- Rick Bein, Professor Emeritus of Geography
- Charmayne Champion-Shaw, Lecturer in Native American & Indigenous Studies
- Edward E. Curtis IV, Plater Chair of Liberal Arts and Professor of Religious Studies
- Lynn S. Dombrowski, Associate Professor of Human-Centered Computing
- Carrie E. Foote, Professor of Sociology
- John Gullion, Division of Undergraduate Education
- Andrea Jain, Professor of Religious Studies
- Wendy Vogt, Associate Professor of Anthropology
- Karen Kovacik, Professor of English
- Stephen Lane II, Philanthropy Librarian
- Razi Nalim, Chancellor’s Professor of Engineering and Technology
- Ash Errichiello, Multicultural Student Specialist, Professor of Asian American Culture, former faculty member AC Stokes Team Coordinator Student Success Coach
Additional Organizational Endorsements
- Indy Hope Packages
- The Alpha Omicron Charter of Sigma Psi Zeta Sorority, Inc. at IUPUI
- UIndy College Democrats
- Myanmar Student Organization IUPUI
- Hampton Institute
- Indiana Center for Middle East Peace (Fort Wayne, IN)
- Iskra Books
- Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies
- Alpha Upsilon Chapter of Sigma Lambda Upsilon/Señoritas Latinas Unidas Sorority, Inc. at IUPUI
- Palestinian Solidarity Committee, Indiana University Bloomington
- Community Food Box
- No More Deserts
Additional Individual Endorsements
- Dr. Gabriel Rockhill
- Rishi Sarin
- Erin Brady, Associate Professor of Human-Centered Computing
- Claire L Religious Studies Studies Association
- Curry Malott, Associate Professor, Educational Foundations & Policy Studies, West Chester University of Pennsylvania
- Ben Tracy
- Rouba S A
- Sydney (IUPUI student)
- Cheyenne Schultz, Human Rights Activist
- Derek R. Ford, Associate Professor, DePauw University; Visiting Researcher, Korea University (Tokyo)
- Sam James, ANSWER Indiana
- Marija Skaro
- Chris Adams
- Bryce Stockslager University of Indianapolis Student
- Ally Muterspaw
- Kayla McVeigh, undergraduate at IU-I
- Holly Cusack-McVeigh, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Museum Studies
- Devyn Naylor- Central Indiana DSA StoneWall Solidarity Co-Chair
- Alyssa Geisler, IU School of Medicine
- Elizabeth Valencia, seminarian and marriage and family therapist intern at Christian Theological Center; Multicultural Ministry Partner at All Souls Unitarian Church of Indianapolis
- Amal Rasheed at Ball State University
- John B
- Hannah Milano (IU alumni)
- Soha Khedr
- Naomi Boucher
- Lindsay Littrell
- Hala Hersi, Indianapolis Resident and 4th Year at The University of Chicago
- Brianna Edgerly
- Shakira Diaz
- Alanna Lee
- Taylor Schmitt
- Leah Foster
- Eliza Christie
- Rainie Grant Masjid Al-Fajr
- Yadsy Prisciliano, IUPUI Student
- Hafsa Rizwan
- Alex Ellison
- Li Buszka
- Bren Case
- Zack Bunnell
- Jalen Roseberry, Dathouse Inc.
- Tristan Johnson, no affiliation
- Lisa D
- Olivia Reuter
- Meenasarani Linde Murugan, IUPUI
- Nora Hopper-Gaunce, Freshman at Indiana University of Indianapolis
- Salma Abdi
- Carolina Castoreno
- Jesse Brown, IUPUI alumnus, DSA member, Councillor-Elect, Indianapolis City County Council District 13
- ruthie barakat
- Hazim El-Mounayri
- Yasmin Abdi, student at IUPUI
- Sarah Coyl — Butler Alum
- Andre Hardy
- James Padgett
- Ibrar Paracha
- Charlie Ball
- Brandaun Allen
- Alyssa Stewart
- Saimir Qalliu
- Wesley Stevens, IUPUI Graduate and former President of the Native American Student Alliance at IUPUI
- Adel Nada
- Syed Hussain
- Tarick Abdo, IU Alumni
- Dr. Aiza Ashraf, MD
- Zainab VanHorn-Ali (Retired IU Health Clinical Laboratory employee)
- Ash Blunt
- Nazli Khan
- Maria Aquino of Sigma Psi Zeta Sorority, Inc.
- Sohel Anwar, Professor of Mechanical and Energy Engineering
- J Reyes, IUPUI student
- Rosa Sierra Villanueva (Students for Socialism @IUPUI)
- Erin Williams
- Mae K Harmon
- Destiny Glover, Indy Liberation Center
- Susana Wilson
- Lilu, IUI Student
- Calvin Timm DePauw University
- Matthew Rinehart
- Anam Chaudhry, Fundraising Chair and Philanthropy/Activism Chair of Sigma Psi Zeta Sorority Inc.
- Sydney Stutsman
- Mina Davis-Cornett
- Bridget O’Reilly
- Erin Merski
- Kaylin Winters
- Katherine Shr, School of Science & O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs Alumni
- Erin Brady, Associate Professor of Human-Centered Computing
- Rev. Katie Romano Griffin
- Nadeem Siddiki
- Raid Daas
- Everland Wells B.A. English. Student of Masters of Librarian Information Sciences.
- Professor Emeritus Frederick L. Bein
- Yla Tadas
- Aubrey Whiteman
- Mae Rood
- Sarah Ali
- Nat Bellami
- Megan Bellami
- Kay Hawthorne, Mapping Purpose, LLC
- Aidan Susnar
- Kassy Ramirez
- Lauren Ryan
- Joshua Flack
- Adam LeClerc
- Tasneem Nada
- Hannah Merica
- Nell Gabrielle Dela Llana
- Rossibella Cardoza Pineda
- Mirindi Tanguy Kabangu
- Olivia Fowler
- Laurel Hulett
- Rania Zakaria
- Delilah Harris
- Julia Stumpff
- Payton Emberton
- Brittany Snyder
- Joselin Ramirez
- Joan Wyand
- Claire Wright, Bach. of Architecture student at BSU
- Maria Espana Ascanio
- Amanda Thrasher
- Stacy Micich, Ivy Tech student
- Laynie Rearick
- Arissa G.
- Ammon
- Marissa Dooley
- Olivia Fields
- Anna Morgan, Social Justice Scholar, IU Indianapolis
- Daniel Tietzer
- Maya E Abramson
- Susanna Weick, graduate student at IU School of Social Work
- Bailey Clark
- Michael Lintner Rivera
- Kim Eng Koo
- Austin Long
- Sierra Nuckols
- Sierra Martin
- Kara Bookwalter
- Ayla Walter
- Jad Rea
- Sierra Burch, IUPUI student
- Michael Wenndt, Central Indiana DSA
- Nicole Sarkas
- Kathy Lansford
- Schylar Keeney
- Sarah Wulf, Liberal Arts Student at IU Indianapolis
- Annie Middleton (IUI Undergrad)
- Abbie Martin
- Lee Gambara
- H. Lupin
- Jing Xu
- Amal Jamal
- Aida Lavigne Niese
- Ribhu Deb
- Kyra Kissel
- Zayd Sharief, Fishers High School
- Samman Shakya
- Lucy Deetz
- Emma Rees
- Lexie Richins
- Hunter Shaffer, Ball State University alumni, IATSE Local 30 union member
- Sanna Mahmood
- Shelby Floyd
- Marisa Votapek
- Ezra Terry
- Kelly Hayes, Associate Professor of Religious Studies
- Sarah Montañez
