We, the below signed, request a student meeting to demand that Sydney University disclose all of their ties with Israel, divest from those ties, and sign on to the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions statement. 

On April 22nd Students for Palestine Sydney Uni established a peaceful protest encampment as part of our ongoing campaign to stand with the people of Gaza against the bombings, invasion and occupation by Israeli forces. Our struggle is for them, and our encampments are for them. We are horrified at the brutality that is being brought down upon Palestinians. We cannot sit by while it unfolds. To do so would be a moral travesty. We believe in the possibility of a world without war, but that belief demands action.

 
Our demands are simple. We call on our university to disclose all of their ties with Israel, divest from those ties, and sign on to the international Boycott Divestment & Sanctions statement. In particular, we are deeply disturbed by the partnerships our university holds with weapons companies known to be part of the Israeli military's supply chain, including Thales and Lockheed Martin. We are peace activists. We firmly believe that universities should be institutions of education and learning, and should not have any connection to the weapons industry that brings death and destruction to our world. 

We are aware that people in Gaza know about our movement. We have seen photos with the names of Australian universities written on tents and held up on signs in the war zone.  Internationally, governments and institutions have attempted to isolate the Palestinians. Our campaign strives to show those in Gaza that they do not walk alone. We want to show that young people in this country are with our brothers and sisters in Gaza. We stand with them, we breathe with them, we share their sorrows, we raise their flag. 

We reject all forms of racism and discrimination including Islamophobia, antisemitism, sexism and homophobia. Opposition to the state of Israel and to Zionism as an ideology is not antisemitism. Many of the student leaders of our protests are Jewish. We stand alongside Jewish people against discrimination, and we see ourselves as standing on the shoulders of a long line of Jewish pro-Palestine and anti-war activists.

We call for university management to meet with us and answer our demands, but we refuse to meet with them behind closed doors or carry out secret negotiations. We have launched this campaign for a Student General Meeting to demonstrate the profound depth of support for the Palestinian cause that exists on our campuses, and to strengthen our demand that Mark Scott and his executives respond to our campaign in a public forum where their answers can be subject to the scrutiny of the student body and the community.

We are part of a global movement for an end to genocide and apartheid in Gaza, for peace and against racism and imperialism. It's time for USyd to listen to our calls and take a stand on the right side of history.