The National Women’s Studies Association Calls for a Ceasefire and Negotiations to End Gaza Siege and Israeli Apartheid
The National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA) is alarmed by the dramatic escalation of violence in Palestine and Israel. We mourn the extensive loss of civilian life in the past few days and over the last 75 years. The current escalation must be viewed in the context of decades of illegal Israeli military occupation and systemic violent campaigns in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. To end the violence, its root causes must be addressed. Military attacks will only exacerbate human suffering!NWSA condemns the ongoing and persistent U.S. government’s support for Israel’s apartheid regime and its massive financial and military support for the continuing violence, oppression, and human rights violations inflicted on Palestinians. Instead of fueling the volatile political situation, we call on the U.S. to work with other international organizations to de-escalate the violence, provide humanitarian support, and call for negotiations. As feminists, we recognize that violence and war often inflict gendered and sexualized harms on women and queer, trans and non-binary people. We cannot look away while this violence destroys people’s lives. The struggle for Palestinian liberation and for a just and lasting peace in the region is intertwined with the liberation and resistance movements led by other indigenous, colonized, and oppressed peoples everywhere. Today, we reaffirm our unwavering support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) resolution, which NWSA passed in 2015. We pledge to continue to work as hard as we can to educate ourselves and our communities about the historic injustice, suffering, and resistance of Palestinians.NWSA joins other humanitarian and human rights organizations in calls for an immediate ceasefire, an end to Israel’s current blockade of Gaza and the 16-year siege, and a prisoners’ exchange. We view these as necessary first steps, designed to prevent the loss of more lives and to lay the groundwork for comprehensive negotiations aimed at ending Israel’s apartheid regime and illegal occupation and recognizing Palestinians’ right to self-determination.On October 26, the NWSA Annual Conference will launch in Baltimore, MD and we will set aside spaces to support one another and to share feminist resources on the recent violence and its implications.Bending toward social justice,The National Women’s Studies AssociationKarsonya Wise Whitehead, National PresidentYi-Chun Tricia Lin 林怡君, Past National PresidentVivien Ng, Past National PresidentBeverly Guy Sheftall, Past National PresidentBarbara Ransby, Past National PresidentSimona Sharoni, Conference Co-ChairAriella Rotramel, Vice President Karma Chavez, TreasurerErica Williams, SecretaryJessica Pabón-Colón, Member-At-LargeGina Velasco, Member-At-Large
