Since October 7th 2023, Israeli forces have waged a relentless, indiscriminate, genocidal bombing campaign in the Gaza Strip, murdering over 15,000 innocent Palestinian civilians, including over 8,000 children and 800 entire extended families at the time of writing. Backed by the Canadian, U.S. and other Western governments, Israeli military and government officials have repeatedly declared their intent to destroy the population of Gaza.
Since October 7th, food, water, medicine, fuel, electricity, and many other essentials of life have been completely cut off from the Gaza Strip by Israeli forces. This constitutes an escalation of the pre-existing, illegal siege which has subjected Gaza’s population to inhumane living conditions for the past 17 years.
As of October 28th, healthcare facilities throughout Gaza have completely collapsed as a result of continuous bombing and the siege. Internet and phone communications have been completely blocked. The people of Gaza are facing the threat of imminent annihilation, under the shadow of a media blackout.
Instead of condemning this escalating genocide, the TRU administration released a one-sided statement about violence in Occupied Palestine. The administration was presented with a letter signed by the Muslim community of TRU (Faculty, staff, students, and alumni). A TRU Palestinian student and the TRU Muslim Chaplain met with the administration to voice concerns, but the administration failed to retract or correct their statement and take any tangible actions to demonstrate care or solidarity towards the affected community. This is contradictory to TRU’s values of global mindedness and reconciliation. The administration’s refusal to even acknowledge the mass murder of Indigenous Palestinians has demonstrated a shocking, blatant, racist disregard for Palestinian and Arab lives, considering strong statements and support was demonstrated by the TRU administration for those impacted by conflict in Ukraine just last year.
Other Canadian university student unions have passed resolutions in solidarity with Indigenous Palestinians, including the Students’ Union Okanagan of UBC (2023), Student Society of McGill University (2023), UBC Alma Mater Society (2022), and Simon Fraser Student Society (2022).
Call to Action Be it resolved:- TRUSU will demand that the university’s administration immediately and publicly condemn the genocidal bombing campaigns and siege against the people of Gaza, retract its one-sided statement on violence in Occupied Palestine, and provide concrete support to affected students;
- TRUSU will issue an immediate public statement condemning the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza, and affirming its solidarity with Indigenous Palestinians, and Palestinian and Arab students;
- TRUSU will write a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and MP Frank Caputo to request that the federal government recognize the humanitarian crisis unfolding as a result of the current illegal siege and occupation, call for an immediate ceasefire and release of all hostages, and provide leadership in the flow of humanitarian aid;
- TRUSU affirms that solidarity for Palestinian human rights is protected speech under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Section 2(b), 2(c) and 2(d);
- TRUSU condemns all acts of Islamophobia, antisemitism, and racism in our country, which has significantly increased since October 7, 2023; and
- TRUSU will commit to a strong, consistent position in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle against genocide and settler-colonial occupation and apartheid.
Signed by:
