Prof. Colin Bailey
President and Principal, Queen Mary University of London                 
April 24, 2024

Dear Prof. Colin Bailey,

We are writing to you to express our profound concern for the wellbeing of our colleague Prof. Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian due to her harassment by Israeli authorities and continued vilification by much of the Israeli media.

Prof. Shalhoub-Kevorkian is a Global Chair in the School of Law, as well as the Lawrence D. Biele Chair in Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She is a leading authority in the fields of trauma, childhood, state crime and criminology, surveillance, gender violence, law and society.

On 29 October 2023, the rector and president of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HJU) sent a letter to Prof. Shalhoub-Kevorkian stating that they were ‘sorry’ and ‘ashamed’ she was at their university, requested that she should leave, and were “astonished, disgusted and deeply disappointed” that she had signed and circulated a petition of “Childhood researchers and students calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza”. Further, they claimed that by signing the letter, Prof. Shalhoub-Kevorkian had committed an act that is “not very far from crimes of incitement and sedition.” The letter was then disseminated around social media and provoked a barrage of hate and threats of violence directed toward Prof. Shalhoub-Kevorkian.

In mid-March, after Israeli television condemned a podcast in which Prof. Shalhoub-Kevorkian criticized Zionism while casting doubt on the scope of sexual assaults perpetrated by Hamas, the president and rector of Hebrew University issued a letter suspending her from all her teaching responsibilities. Following a backlash from both their staff and from the international community, Hebrew University’s leadership later retracted their decision.

Despite her reinstatement on 28 March, Israeli government officials, media outlets, and right-wing groups persisted in their persecution and attempts to silence her because of her academic work. On 18 April 2024, Prof. Shalhoub-Kevorkian’s home in Jerusalem was raided and searched by Israeli police during which they confiscated her mobile phone, computer, documents, and books. She was arrested at Hebrew University and taken for questioning. After the interrogation, she was handcuffed and taken to the detention center in the Russian compound. She said that ‘there they stripped me completely, a girl searched my body, I told her that I'm not a criminal, that I'm just talking. They cursed me: 'Die', 'Burn', 'Hamas'.’ She said that she was taken to the doctor at the detention center, and only after pleading and after her blood pressure reached very dangerous levels did he agree to give her medicine that was in her bag. She went on further to say that ‘they took me to a room and threw a mattress on the floor. I was shivering with cold. I asked for a blanket, and they brought me a blanket that smelled of garbage and urine and was also wet.’ On her arrest, Nadera said that ‘I sat on the bed until morning, my ears and nose started to bleed, I threw up, washed my face and went back to bed. I don't know how something like this happens to someone my age. The light was very strong and there was noise. The cold was terrible, my teeth were chattering, even though the blanket smelled and it was wet, in the end I covered myself with it because I couldn't stand the cold. Although I research these things, I never felt them on my flesh.’ Both her hands and legs were shackled as she was led from prison to court.

The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court released her on the 19th April, stating that they found ‘no substantial evidence to support the severity of the accusations or to indicate [her] involvement in further offenses’. The court ordered her release on condition that she attend any further investigations and provide financial guarantees.

Prof. Shalhoub-Kevorkian has since been summoned to appear for further interrogation this coming Thursday while Israel’s television channels broadcasted a 12 minute segment criticising her academic writings and accusing her of spreading unsubstantiated lies.

The atmosphere within Israel is making it extremely dangerous for academic staff and students to freely express non- or anti-Zionist positions, or even to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, where according to the International Court of Justice, it is plausible that a genocide is taking place. Academic freedom has come under sustained attack and those who dare criticise Israel’s war on Gaza are routinely threatened and silenced.

The president and rector of Hebrew University have paved the way for the persecution of Prof. Shalhoub-Kevorkian, and contributed to an atmosphere that has endangered her life. The undersigned members of QMUL’s community therefore request that:

1) QMUL issue a public statement condemning the attack and arrest of its staff member and our colleague Prof. Shalhoub-Kevorkian.

2) QMUL immediately suspend its partnership with Hebrew University, given its flagrant disregard for academic freedom and its failure in its duty of care for its own staff.

Yours sincerely,

Prof. Penny Green, School of Law
Prof. Liam Campling , School of Business and Management
Prof. Kathryn Yusoff, School of Geography
Prof. Yossef Rapoport, School of History
Prof. Neve Gordon, School of Law
Prof Kim A. Wagner, School of History
Prof. Roberto Veneziani, School of Economics and Finance
Prof Edmund Robinson, Electronic Engineering and Computer Science
Prof. Tessa Wright, School of Business and Management
Prof. Malgosia Fitzmaurice, School of Law
Prof. Sionaidh Douglas-Scott, School of Law
Tanroop Sandhu, School of History
Dr Vincent Guermond, School of Business and Management
Samuel Brevitt, School of Mathematical Sciences
Prof. Giulio Fella, School of Economics and Finance
Dr Tarek Anous, School of Mathematical Sciences
Dr Nikolaus Perneczky, SLLF
Raul Madden, School of Law
Charlie Thomas, SPIR
Dr Zara Dinnen, School of English and Drama
Dr Waseem Yaqoob, School of History
Farida soliman, SLLF
Cameron Michie, School of Mathematical Sciences
Adam Onus, School of Mathematical Sciences
Dr Poulami Somanya Ganguly, School of Mathematical Sciences
Dr Tanzil Chowdhury, School of Law
Dr Hedi Viterbo, School of Law
Mr Mujahid Aziz, School of Law
Mrs Nadira, School of Law
Stefania Rainaldi, School of Law
Cath Norman, School of Law
Dr Angela Sherwood, School of Law
Dr Thomas MacManus, School of Law
Luiza Tavares da Motta, School of Law
Dr Eva Nanopoulos, School of Law
Ellen Allde, School of Law
Dr John Adenitire, School of Law
Dr Sadhvi Dar, SBM
Mr Gianni Vuolo, School of Law
Fernando Quintana, School of Law
Dr James Eastwood, SPIR
Dr Daragh Murray, School of Law
Mayes Al-Jassas, CCLS
Dr. Yasmin Fedda, SLLF
Prof. David Whyte, School of Law
Vasiliki Apatzidou, School of Law
Hayley O'Hagan, School of Law
Dr. Keren Weitzberg, SPIR
Natalie Hye, School of Law
Rupert Seal, School of Law
Kevin Warne, School of Law
Dr Andrew Pitt, School of Law
Dr Hannah Scott Deuchar, School of Languages Linguistics and Film
Dr Emilie Oléron Evans, School of Languages,  Linguistics and Film
Nick Bernard, School of Law
Veselina Dzhumbeva, School of Linguistics, Languages and Film
Arthur Pander Maat, School of Mathematical Sciences
Tatiana Costa, School of Languages Linguistics and Film
Dr Felix Fischer, School of Mathematical Sciences
Dr Niharika Pandit, SPIR
Archie Wolfman, SLLF
Prof. Ian Walden, School of Law
Shah Hoque, School of Business & Management
Dr Mary Robertson, SBM
Dr. Hong Qi, School of Mathematical Sciences
Miss Anisa Rothman, Business Management
Dr Rachael Allen, SED
Muirín Kramer, School of English and Drama
Bashir Kashmiri, School of Business and Management
Peter Alldridge, School of Law
Bindiya Chongbang, School of Mathematical Sciences
Prof. Abhishek Saha, School of Mathematical Sciences
Dr Musab Younis, SPIR
Souradeep Roy, School of English and Drama
Mr Imran Kabir, SBM
Fareeha Akhtar, SBM
Dr Matan Kaminer , SBM
Prof. Ralf C Michaels, School of Law
Prof. Jerry Brotton, English and Drama
Prof. Rachael Gilmour, English and Drama
Prof. Ahu Tatli, SBM
Ms Khadija Ahmed, SBM
Najeeba Ahmed, School of Law
Maks Del Mar, School of Law
Dr Deborah C. Darling, SLLF
Cristòfol Tripiana Traver, School of Languages, Linguistics and Film
Prof. Uma Suthersanen, Centre for Commercial Law Studies
Ms Naima Zannat, SBM
Dr Camillia Kong, School of Law
Shahida, School of Law
Dr Elsa Noterman, Geography
Dr. Laura Nys, Visiting scholar
Dr Jessica Sklair, SBM
Dr Jaswinder Blackwell-Pal, School of English and Drama
Mr Sebastian Mylly, School of English and Drama
Joe Sammut, SPIR
Dr Alvina Hoffmann, SPIR
Sofia Negri, Schoof of Geography
Dr Alexis Alvarez-Nakagawa, School of Law
Mrs Angeliki Polatou, Centre for Commercial Law Studies
Prof Lee Jones, School of Politics and International Relations
Dr Isobel Roele, School of Law
Dr Maia Holtermann Entwistle, SPIR
Dr Chris Moffat, School of History
Shahla Geoffrey, SBM
Prof. Ratna Kapur, Law
Dr Diego de Merich, SPIR
Prof David Schalkwyk, SED
Dr Karen Iversen, SPIR
Dr Lucy Kneebone, SPIR
Dr Nivi Manchanda, SPIR
Prof. Hans Lindahl, School of Law
Meredith Warren, SPIR
Javier Valdés Torres, School of Law
Ms Audrey Tan, SPIR
Dr Kate Leader, School of Law
Dr Shreya Sinha, School of Business and Management
Mr AJ Martin, School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences
Ayesha Riaz, School of Law
Dr Joanna Orr, Medicine and Dentistry
Miss Juthsna Bibi, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Dr Paul Kirby, SPIR
Kite Jones, School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences
Dr Susan B. Edgington, History
Dr Charlotta Salmi, English and Drama
Han Dee, school of English and drama
Dr Saqib, SEMS
Elizabeth Storer, School of Geography
Paul Giuliani, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Dr Claudine Grisard, SBM
Dara Leyden, School of Business and Management
Dr Adam Elliott-Cooper, SPIR
Dr Jo Elliott, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry
Mr Shaidul Hoque, Academic Registry
Natalie Brinham, School of Law
Dr Ashvin Devasundaram, SLLF
Dr Cristina Moreno-Almeida, SLLF
Dr. Ed Kiely, School of Geography
Dr Ruth Fletcher, School of Law
Dr Isadora Cruxen, SBM
Gareth Skehan, School of Law
Dr. Sharri Plonski, SPIR
Dr Matteo Fumagalli, SBBS
Srikrupa Raghunathan, SLLF
Mr Salman Uddin, School of Business and Management
Dr kitt price, School of English and Drama
Zahra Sharifonnasabi, SBM
Dr Andreas Papamichail, Wolfson Institute of Population Health
Pedro Perez Rothstein, School of English and Drama
Dr Javier Sajuria, SPIR
Bronwyn Murphy, SPIR
Prof. Jeremy Keenan, School of Law
Dr Kathleen McCarthy , SLLF
Dr Rick Saull, SPIR
Miss Sayda Begum, School of Geography
Suyash Barve, School of Business and Management
Dr Nick Taylor, Business and Management
Maria Rojas Ruiz, School of Physical and Chemical Sciences
Merna Nasralla, School of Law
Dr Paula Serafini, SBM
Dr Matteo mandarini, SBM
Prof. William Spence, Dept Physics and Astronomy
Dr Alexis Wearmouth, SBM
Marijke Anbeek, SLLF
Misbah Ahmed, SED
Dr Alaya Forte, SPIR
Prof. Isabel Rivers, English and Drama
Dr Maggie Inchley, SED
Dr. Ayan Meer, SBM
Lara Fothergill, School of English and Drama
Prof. Andrea Brady, School of English and Drama
Dr Archie Davies, Geography
Siddharth Chakravarty, School of Business and Management
Prof. Martin Welton, School of English and Drame
Amanda Brown, School of Law
Dr Clive Gabay, SPIR
Dr Rachel Humphris , SPIR
Dr Rowan Lubbock, SPIR
Dr Sophie Crowe, School of Law
Ms Lizzie Remfry, WHRI
Prof. Mark Van Hoecke, School of Law
Prof. David Colclough, School of English and Drama
Mr David Hannon, School of Mathematical Sciences
Maryam Hosseini, School of Mathematical Sciences
Dr. Noah Birksted-Breen, School of Politics and International Relations
Tahmima Choudhury, Centre for Commercial Law Studies
Prof. Isabel Rivers, School of English and Drama
Dr Lilian Moncrieff, School of Law
Dr Ed Ramsden, History
Dr Layli Uddin, SPIR
Dr Ioana Jipa-Muşat, School of Business Management
Mr Jules Deering, School of English and Drama
Prof. Barbara Taylor, School of History
Dr Annabel Cox, SLLF
Prof. Violeta Moreno-Lax, School of Law
Dr Rob Waters, School of History
Mr. Fasih Sheikh Rehman, Centre for Commercial Law Studies
Dr Mohsin Alam Bhat, School of Law
Prof. Steven Eastwood, SLLF
Zak Tobias, Politics and International Relations
Prof. Sophie Harman, Politics and IR
Thomas Musgrove, School of History
Mr. Francisco Simão, School of Mathematical Sciences
Mrs Shazia Sadiq, School of Geography
Dr Simon Layton, School of History
Dr Hannah Wright, SPIR
Dr Liesbeth Corens, School of History
Ms Nabila, Medicine
Dr Katharine Hall, SPIR
Lasse Thomassen, SPIR
Jessica Jacobs, Geography
Prof. Jim Bolton, School of History
Dr Elena Baglioni, SBM
Mr Talha Shameem, School of Chemistry and Physical Sciences
Dr Kyla Sankey, SBM
Prof. Mojisola Adebayo, School of English and Drama
Leslie James, School of History
Dr Jacob Stringer, School of Geography
Dr Libby Saxton, School of Languages, Linguistics and Film
Aida Hassan, Centre for Public Health and Policy
Dr Jenny Bangham, School of History
Samira Saunders, School of Law
Dr Bert Carlstrom, School of  History
Archit Nanda, School of Languages, Linguistics and Film
Dr Holly Ryan, SPIR
William Monteith, School of Geography
Dr Giulia Carabelli, SPIR
Gill Lamden Kilgarriff, SED
Dr Zafer Ornek, School of Business and Management
Dr Rowena Abdul Razak, School of History
Dr Maria Ioannidou, School of Law
Dr Michael Romyn, School of History
Dalia Saris, SPIR
Dr Jack Sargeant, School of Business and Management
Jack Gain, School of Business and Management
Ms Grahita P., School of Economics & Finance
Dr Sam McBean, School of English and Drama
Dr Sayed Elhoushy, SBM
Dr. Joanne Yao, SPIR
Nancy Wilson, SLLF
Dr Rodolfo Russo, School of Mathematical Sciences
Miss Florence Garnham, Centre for Commercial Law Studies
Dr Huw Marsh, English and Drama
Ms Maria Perez-Guzman, SLLF
Dr Rowland Curtis, SBM
Ms Monira Begum, School of Geography
Lilyemma Whalley, School of English and Drama
Dr Shane Boyle, School of English and Drama
Tom Druker, School of Law
Dr Matthew Ingleby, School of English and Drama
Jonathan Kennedy, WIPH
Dr Molly Macdonald, School of English and Drama
Dr Tessa Whitehouse, School of English and Drama
Dr Kambiz Boomla, Medicine and Dentistry
Laura Maghetiu, School of Business and Management
Dr Reuben Loffman, School of History
Farzana Begum, School of Business and Management
Dr Carlo Inverardi-Ferri, School of Geography
Katie Hale, School of Mathematical Sciences
Dr. Nathaniel Mon Père, Barts Cancer Institute
Prof Brian Dillon, SED
Prof. Mark Jerrum, School of Mathematical Sciences
Emanuela Nova, School of Economics and Finance
Prof. Caroline Knowles, Geography
Prof. Sue Harris, SLLF
Maximilian Hofmann, School of Business and Management
Dr Sita Balani, School of  English and Drama
Dr Giuditta Trinci, School of Geography
Dr. Jane Freeland, School of History
Professor Nadia Valman, SED
Dr Charlotte Johann, School of History
Mr Ryan O'Shea, SED