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We, the undersigned, mindful of the strong personal and professional relations that some of our colleagues have with the Middle East region, also mindful of our presence in a society historically built on the appropriation of Indigenous land, wish to register our deep concern over the violent events unfolding in Israel/Palestine and we mourn the many lives that have been cut short.

We are also mindful that the Australian settler colonial state has long directly supported the colonisation of Palestine.

The current escalation is a result of the new wave of evictions of Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah in Occupied East Jerusalem. These evictions have to be understood as a continuation of the appropriation of Palestinian land and the expulsion of Palestinians from what became Israel and that began with the Zionist colonisation of Palestine, supported by the United States and the European colonial powers, early in the last century.

As the sole effective governmental power throughout Israel and the occupied territory, the Israeli state bears the greatest responsibility for the unfolding tragedy. It is this state that is directly engaging, or licencing Jewish supremacist mobs to engage in, the eviction of Palestinians from their homes.

We condemn all those who direct their violence against civilians. Nonetheless, we cannot but note the massive asymmetry in the capacity for violence that makes the Israeli state responsible for the much greater violence and devastation that the Palestinians are being subjected to.

We maintain our unequivocal commitment to a future in which Jews and non-Jews have found ways of existing together in a society where the rights, the sense of security and the dignity of all is respected. We stand in solidarity with all those working for such a future.

We are also concerned at the simplistic, ahistorical representation of these issues by many journalists, intellectuals, and political leaders, as a traditional "conflict" between two opposing parties or polities (implying the need to condemn either one or both “sides"), rather than an entrenched, ongoing system of settler-colonialism prosecuted or endorsed by numerous states, which produces intractable forms of economic, social, and political inequality that culminate in violence of many kinds, the most immediate victims of which are typically civilians, Arabs and Jews alike.

This completely unjust situation is perpetuated by the repeated equation of support for Palestinian redress with `anti-semitism'. That equation is deeply flawed and deliberately obscures the reality of European colonial occupation and domination of Palestinian lands and people. The issue is one of justice for a dispossessed, brutalised and immiserated Indigenous population.

We call on the settler state of Israel to immediately end its violent occupation of Palestinian lands and to dismantle the apartheid legislative regime which it has implemented in order to secure its hegemony.

We deplore the incursion of Israeli police into al-Aqsa mosque.

We condemn as criminal Israel’s current military attack on Gaza in the form of remote warfare.

We fear the aim is the total erasure of Palestinians from the occupied territories.

We call for an end to U.S. military funding to Israel and Australian collusion in that murderous trade.

We call for further open debate of the attacks in the United Nations Security Council blocked twice by the U.S. government.

We condemn Australia’s and the UK’s support of Israel's illegal government policies of apartheid and territorial expansion.

Statement authored and signed by:

1. Tony Redmond, Honorary Senior Fellow, School of Social Science, University of Queensland
2. Julie Finlayson, Research Fellow, Centre for Native Title Anthropology, Australian National University
3. David Boarder Giles, Lecturer in Anthropology, Deakin University
4. Ghassan Joseph Hage, Professor of Anthropology and Social Theory, University of Melbourne
5. David F. Martin, Anthropos Consulting
6. Neil Maclean, Honorary Associate at the Department of Anthropology, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Sydney
7. Francesca Merlan, Professor, Anthropology, Australian National University
8. Alan Rumsey, Emeritus Professor of Anthropology, Australian National University
9. Gretchen Stolte, Fellow of the Australian Anthropological Society

Co-signed by,

10. Yasmine Musharbash, The Australian National University
11. Melinda Hinkson, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Deakin
12. Benjamin Hegarty, The University of Melbourne
13. Matt Barlow, University of Adelaide
14. Dr Michal Glikson, Charles Darwin University and Viswa Bharati University of Santiniketan
15. Kevin Keeffe, Honorary Lecturer, ANU
16. Simon Foale, Associate Professor, Anthropology, College of Arts, Society and Education, James Cook University
17. Dr Adele Millard, University of Western Australia, Australian Anthropological Society, Royal Anthropological Institute
18. Kim McCaul, Culture Matters Consulting
19. Klara Hansen
20. Dr Michael Main, The Australian National University
21. Emeritus Professor Jon Altman, School of Regulation and Global Governance, Australian National University
22. Luis Angosto-Ferrández, University of Sydney
23. Piers Kelly, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft Fellow, University of New England, Armidale
24. Dr Tanya J King, Deakin University
25. Greg Downey, Professor of Anthropology, Macquarie University
26. Debra McDougall, President, Australian Anthropological Society & Senior Lecturer, University of Melbourne
27. Tyler Riordan, University of Queensland
28. Thomas McNamara, La Trobe University
29. John Morton, Honorary Associate, Anthropology, Department of Social Inquiry, La Trobe University
30. John Ellissen Burton, University of Queensland
31. Dr William Skinner, University of Adelaide
32. Assa Doron, Professor of Anthropology, Australian National University
33. Joanne Thurman, Australian National University
34. Professor Paul Tabar, Lebanese American University & Western Sydney University
35. Dr Christopher David Haynes , Fellow of the Australian Anthropological Society
36. Dr Kathleen Openshaw, Western Sydney University
37. Rosita Henry, Professor of Anthropology, James Cook University
38. Dr Carmen Jacques, Edith Cowan University
39. Sally Babidge, The University of Queensland
40. Ms. Nayeli Torres-Montenegro, University of Sydney
41. Jon Marshall, University of Technology Sydney
42. Jennifer Rowe, University of Queensland
43. Patrick Guinness, ANU
44. Geir Henning Presterudstuen, Western Sydney University
45. Esther R Anderson, University of Southern Queensland
46. Dr Paul Gorecki, Acacia Heritage Research Pty Ltd
47. Baden Offord, Curtin University
48. Inge Riebe, Australian National University
49. Professor Devleena Ghosh, University of Technology Sydney
50. Dr Sascha Fuller, University of Newcastle, Australia
51. Malini Sur, Western Sydney University
52. Monique D Briggs, PhD candidate, Bebegu Yumba, James Cook University, Qld
53. Professor David Carter, University of Queensland
54. Lara McKenzie, The University of Western Australia
55. Lisa L Wynn, Associate Professor, Macquarie University and President Emerita, Australian Anthropological Society
56. Greg Acciaioli, The University of Western Australia
57. Traci Sudana, University of the Sunshine Coast
58. Tanja Deher, University of New South Wales
59. Lucy Bonanno, James Cook University
60. Dr Hannah Bulloch, University of Otago
61. Gareth Lewis, Consultant anthropologist
62. Frank McKeown, Fellow, Australian Anthropological Society
63. Jennifer Deger, Associate Professor, James Cook University
64. Dr Inez Baranay, Independent writer
65. Franca Tamisari, University Ca’ Foscari of Venice
66. Annmarie Mckeown  
67. Ãse Ottosson, University of Sydney
68. Em Prof Lyn Parker, University of Western Australia & Australian National University
69. Karen Hansen, Australian National University
70. Dr Jennifer Alexander, Fellow, Australian Anthropological Society
71. Martha Macintyre, The University of Melbourne
72. Dolly Sanchopeni Kikon, University of Melbourne
73. Shahid Iqbal, University of Sydney
74. Professor Michael Allen, University of Sydney
75. Petronella Vaarzon-Morel, The University of Sydney
76. Henrietta Byrne, University of Adelaide
77. Sarah Pini, University of Southern Denmark
78. Arjati Schipf, Notre Dame University of Australia
79. Eve Vincent, Macquarie University
80. Aidan Craney, La Trobe University
81. Christine Helliwell, Emeritus Professor, Australian National University
82. Chris Gregory, Australian National University
83. Dr Sophie Chao, University of Sydney
84. McKayla Tan, Student, Ravenswood School for Girls
85. Mythily Meher  
86. Richard Vokes, University of Western Australia
87. Lucas Marie, Fellow of the Australian Anthropological Society
88. Amanda Wise, Professor of Sociology, Macquarie University
89. Shabir Ahmad, Assistant Professor of Anthropology. University of Peshawar Pakistan
90. Stephanie Betz, Australian National University
91. Dr Kari Dahlgren, Monash University
92. Kathryn Robinson, ANU Emeritus Professor
93. Tim White, Independent Education Union/ Industrial Workers of the World
94. Aisha Sultan, University of Adelaide
95. Barbara Glowczewski, Professorial researcher, French National Scientific Research Centre (CNRS)
96. Prof Elspeth Probyn, University of Sydney
97. Tina Marie Sheil, Student Anthropologist, University of Western Sydney
98. Liz Norsa
99. Rosemarie Rusch, Bond University
100. Borut Telban, Professor of Anthropology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts
101. Dr Burhan Amarah, Bond University
102. Belinda Spagnoletti, University of Melbourne
103. Liz Hydesmith, University of Manitoba
104. Dr. Cato Berg, University of Oslo, Norway
105. Issah Wumbla, University of Melbourne
106. Daphne Nash, The University of Queensland
107. Simone Woest, James Cook University
108. Dr Ute Eickelkamp, University of New South Wales
109. Michelle Nayahamui Rooney, Australian National University
110. Professor Gay Hawkins, Institute for Culture and Society Western Sydney University
111. Richard Eves, Emeritus Professor, Australian National University
112. Sidrah McCarthy, independent researcher
113. Len McKeown, Human rights
114. Tribute J. Mboweni, The University of Queensland
115. Sarah Haggar, University of Queensland
116. Professor Fiona Magowan, Queen's University Belfast
117. Dan Jorgensen, Professor Emeritus, University of Western Ontario
118. Barbara Lepani, Resilient Blue Mountain
119. Heriberto Rodriguez, Journalist
120. Holly High, The University of Sydney
121. Zoe Chuah, Australia Post
122. Bill Jeffery, Associate Professor, University of Guam
123. Justine Chambers, Australian National University
124. Roberto Costa, Macquarie University
125. Natasha Fijn, The Australian National University
126. Prof Cristina Rocha, Western Sydney University
127. Angie Bexley, Crawford School of Public Policy, ANU
128. Hanne Mary Worsoe, The University of Queensland
129. Dr Sebastian Job, Honorary Associate, University of Sydney
130. Erin Fitz-Henry, Senior Lecturer, University of Melbourne
131. Robert Fisher, University of Sydney
132. Paul Memmott, The University of Queensland
133. Charmaine Jones  
134. Dr Sarah Webb, Fellow, Australian Anthropological Society
135. Professor Katherine Gibson, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University
136. Dr Randi Irwin, University of Newcastle
137. Bronwyn Shepherd, Deakin University
138. Rebekah Plueckhahn, The University of Melbourne
139. Lilly O’Scanaill  
140. Sean Martin-Iverson, The University of Western Australia; Australian Anthropological Society
141. Dr Lisa Stefanoff, UNSW
142. Timothy D Johnson, Australian National University
143. Sabrina Clarke, Australian National University
144. Karuna and Sankara Santosa, Deakin University and Auburn High School
145. Dr Cynthia Hunter, Academic Associate University of Sydney
146. Dr Wendy Risteska, RMIT University
147. Dr Yuriko Yamanouchi, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
148. Di O'Rorke, University of Melbourne