It’s hard to be an administrator at this time. Dealing with a pandemic while holding concerns for students' safety, academic integrity, and uncertainty about the future is not an easy task. We are concerned that these important duties were undermined by your article in the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle (bit.ly/2S4DDLK). We invite you to reconsider.

Your statement sought to reassure Pittsburgh’s Jewish community of Point Park’s commitment to combat antisemitism, a noble and necessary pursuit in these times that have seen a rise in all forms of bigotry, particularly antisemitism. Despite the important and timely message, the article unnecessarily and unfairly speaks against the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement for freedom, justice and equality and assumes the Jewish community is monolithic in supporting the Israeli government's discriminatory actions. The misrepresentation of the boycott movement, and by extension its supporters, puts students at risk and threatens academic freedom.

The BDS movement for freedom, justice and equality is a  peaceful, grassroots campaign using classic nonviolent tactics such as boycotts to demand Palestinians be afforded their basic rights enshrined in international law. Palestinians draw inspiration from other successful campaigns across the world: the Civil Rights movement’s bus boycott, Gandhi’s salt boycott, and most notably, the South African anti-Apartheid movement, which successfully used international divestment as well as economic, cultural, and academic boycotts to fight the South African regime.

While boycotts are a key tactic of social justice campaigns, they always have detractors. Gandhi was accused of commiserating with Axis powers, Mandela was labeled a “terrorist,” and the Montgomery Bus boycotters were maligned as “communists.” Today the BDS Movement’s call for Palestinian equal rights has been similarly maligned and misprepresented.

The BDS movement has always held that as a human rights-based movement it is, “opposed on principle to all forms of discrimination, including anti-semitism and Islamophobia.” The BDS movement website (www.bdsmovement.net) has detailed criteria for determining boycott targets. The leaders have consistently cut ties with or outright denounced those who use the campaign to target individuals “based on their identity or opinion.”

Despite this care, those opposed to Palestinian rights exploit the legitimate fear of rising antisemitism by trying to paint support for Palestinian human rights as anything other than what is just, and what we would demand for all people—freedom. Israel has a government that enacts policies that impact people's lives. Under these policies, Palestinians are systematically discriminated against. Everything from their right to access life-saving medical treatment to their right to clean drinking water is obstructed by the Israeli government. Human Rights Watch has documented these and many other discriminatory policies in their 2020 report: (bit.ly/HRWrep2020). Palestinians have the right to demand better, and we have the right to support them in doing so.
 
President Hennigan, through your statement, you tell Palestinian students that they cannot demand their rights and protect their families from harm. Students who care about universal freedom and justice are being told they cannot take  peaceful action in support of upholding international laws and norms. Jewish students who do not want the Israeli government to use their religion to justify oppression are being told they cannot engage in boycotts or advocate for divestment. In fact, all of these students should be commended for standing up for what is right, even when it is not popular. These are the values teachers, mentors, and administrators at Point Park University should promote and uphold.  

Palestinians should not be demonized for calling for freedom. When you, as a university president, perpetuate stereotypes of Palestinians generally and BDS particularly, you give credence to those who are trying to diminish freedom of speech and academic freedom.

As someone who works diligently to support students and uphold academic values, we hope you will reconsider your stance on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement for Palestinian freedom, justice and equality.

Signed,

FRIENDS OF SABEEL NORTH AMERICA (FOSNA)
As a Christian organization, founded upon liberation theology, FOSNA is dedicated to struggling in solidarity for the dignity and freedom of all human beings, especially those who are oppressed. We invite President Hennigan into conversation with us and other supporters of BDS, so we may speak for ourselves about why we pursue this work, rather than be maligned by those who presume to speak for us.

JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE (JVP)
As a grassroots Jewish organization that advocates for the rights of Palestinians, we are proud endorsers of the Palestinian call for BDS because we believe in the safety and dignity of all people. The Israeli military occupation violates several human rights laws, and we support the rights of students and faculty who desire a different and better future.

AMERICAN MUSLIMS FOR PALESTINE (AMP)
AMP works to educate the American public about justice in Palestine from within American policy context and under human rights and international and American law, primarily the Fourth Geneva Conventions, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Declaration on the Rights of the Child, the US Arms Export Control Act and the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.   AMP calls for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands, the right of return for Palestinian refugees, an end to Israeli settlement construction and an end to Israel’s siege on Gaza. AMP supports the Palestinian call for boycott, divestment and sanctions as a peaceful tool to force Israel to comply with international law.

FOSNA CLERGY AND SEMINARY ACTION COUNCIL
The FOSNA Clergy and Seminary Action Council is a national group of Christian faith leaders who publicly advocate for FOSNA’s goals of promoting a just peace in Palestine and Israel. These church and seminary leaders resist theologies that support the Israeli occupation or other forms of racial or ethnic oppression. Council members offer solidarity to leaders of all faiths who face punishment or harassment for their stance on Palestine and Israel.

JVP RABBINICAL COUNCIL
The JVP Rabbinical Council is committed to building communities that embrace and celebrate the myriad ways to be Jewish, where we bring our whole selves, including a commitment to justice in Palestine. Our support for BDS, the nonviolent movement to end the Israeli government’s oppression of the Palestinian people, is an expression of the Jewish teachings that all people are created in the image of G-d, and that we are commanded to love our neighbor, and the stranger, as we love ourselves. The Palestinian call gives individuals, communities, and corporations an opportunity to be more ethical and play a role in bringing about a more just future.


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