Since the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, the Israeli government and Israel Defense Forces have forcefully removed Palestinian inhabitants from their historical homes and inflicted violence on Palestinian people. Militarization, brutality, murder, bombings, demolition, and family seperation have traumatized Palestinians for over seventy years. Palestinians have been forced to resist occupation and apartheid that has left most of Palestine’s historical population seeking refuge; the land which once belonged to Palestinians has been plagued by illegal Occupation and continues to shrink, potentially into oblivion.

We want to provide a brief history of Palestine because the Winter Term catalogue’s description of “Bridging the Gap: Israel,” set to take place this coming January, never mentions the word Palestine. The program justifies itself by stating that “the situation” is “complex,” and that the program “bridges the gap” and emphasizes “different perspectives.” The use of ideological “both sides-isms” frames the Occupation of Palestine as a conflict and not a settler colonial project carrying out genocide. The Winter Term project puts the needs of a predominately wealthy, privileged Oberlin student population above the rights and realities of Palestinians experiencing genocide and ethnic cleansing. Many Palestinians are barred from returning to Palestine because of Israel’s discriminatory laws and policies, so why should non-Palestinian Oberlin students have the right to take a school sponsored trip? The program states that its goal is “for students to develop the skills needed to enter conversations about Israel that are often characterized only by silence between those who have diverging viewpoints and to strengthen skills in community building.” The goal of this program is for students to further their academic skills and understand the perspective of war criminals, not to advocate for Palestinian liberation, or even learn about the historical roots of the Occupation. The genocide occurring in Palestine is ongoing and to take a trip to Palestine under any circumstance other than working towards Palestinian liberation is grossly inappropriate and directly supports apartheid.

Oberlin Students for a Free Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace condemn this Winter Term program and urge other students to do the same. By promoting and endorsing this trip, Oberlin College takes an oppressive stance.