(Versão em português aqui)

March 27, 2024

We, the students of the Psychology of Intercultural Relations Master’s program and student collective "Estudantes Pela Palestina Iscte" at the University Institute of Lisbon (Iscte-IUL) put forward this petition and ask the Iscte-IUL community to sign it, to amplify our deep concern regarding the humanitarian disaster in Gaza. We urge the university faculty, students, and staff to speak and act against what, according to Francesca Albanese (UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967), is reasonably believed to meet criteria of a genocide enacted by the State of Israel against the Palestinian people. 

See here for the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. 

Currently, as Israel's military operations in Gaza surpasses the 170-day mark, the need for our institution to call for a ceasefire and stop all university operations supporting genocide is more pressing than ever.

The intensity and destructiveness of Israel’s military action is disproportionate and unprecedented - even by the standards of previous conflicts with Hamas. Israel is showing no regard for civilian life in its brutal campaign of bombing and near-total siege. With only a tiny trickle of humanitarian relief allowed to pass into Gaza, mass starvation is imminent. Meanwhile, pro-peace and anti-occupation parties in Israel face mounting repression.

Over the last 170 days, and as of this writing, the Israeli military has killed over 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including over 13,000 children. No fewer than 17,000 children have become unaccompanied and separated from their parents. Oxfam reported in January 2024 that Israel was killing an average of 250 Palestinians per day. These figures continue to rise due to Israel’s continued siege on Gaza, which is now in violation of the International Court of Justice’s provisional measure that humanitarian aid be allowed into Gaza: 2.2 million people in Gaza are facing severe food shortages, with at least 52,500 infants at risk of starvation. Israel has decimated Gaza’s healthcare system – targeting hospitals, killing hundreds of healthcare workers, and blocking the entry of fuel and medical supplies. Public health experts and aid organizations predict that more Palestinians will die of disease than from bombing.

Actions matter. More importantly, the actions of essential institutions, such as universities, like this one, matter. Historically, widespread political action at the hands of universities has preceded change, and we as students at Iscte-IUL want change.

We acknowledge and deeply condemn all antisemitism, and we condemn the atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7th 2023. However the actions by the State of Israel cannot and must not be the answer to the terrorist attacks committed by Hamas. 

Collective Punishment on the Palestinians is a war crime.

This petition seeks to persuade our institution, Iscte-IUL to become an active agent and participant, concerning the plight of the Palestinian people in Gaza, by releasing a public statement calling for an immediate ceasefire.

This action is necessary and a testament to our unwavering dedication to making a positive impact on the world. Let us be advocates of justice, compassion, and progress, ensuring that our university and our masters program’s legacy becomes synonymous with taking a principled stand against oppression and standing up for the well-being of all humanity.

We must echo the voices of justice, fairness, equality, and decolonization, thereby aligning the principles of our course of study with the urgent need for a halt in the suffering of civilians in Gaza. The time has come for us to demonstrate our commitment to ethical and humane values.

We urge the University to listen to its students, faculty, and staff.

You can read the open letter that was sent out to the rector, directors of research units, deans of schools, as well as researchers and university staff here (including a Portuguese version).

We sign this petition as a way to show solidarity, and to be a part of the effort to end all human rights violations against the Palestinian People.

Signed,

1. Robert Jeancarlo Gomez Bravo - Postgraduate Student