July 2024
We are Palestinian and Jewish academics with personal, professional, and institutional ties to Germany and other German-speaking countries. We are organized to counter the repressive development of discourses, policies and actions related to Palestine/Israel. Our association includes scholars of the histories, religions, laws, cultures, and politics of the region, as well as of Palestinian and Jewish diasporas. Our collaboration is built upon our lived experiences, professional expertise, and ethical commitments.
As Palestinians and Jews, we have complex and distinct relationships to Palestine/Israel and Germany. Our association includes members born and raised in Palestine/Israel and in the diaspora. Many of us are descendants of victims and survivors of the Holocaust and the Nakba. Our painful histories reverberate in the present; many of us have experienced antisemitism and anti-Palestinian racism first hand. In Germany and elsewhere, commemorating the Holocaust often seems to preclude recognition of the Nakba. We maintain that the memory of the Holocaust should entail compliance with international law and human rights worldwide.
Partition has defined life in Palestine/Israel for almost a century. Palestinians are still denied self-determination, sovereignty, and citizenship while Jewish Israelis benefit from structural advantage, recognition, and privilege. Palestinians have experienced dispossession, systematic legal and social discrimination, routine violence, and the annexation, confiscation, and fragmentation of their land. The perpetuation of the occupation also impacts and endangers Jewish Israelis. This situation has been amply documented by the UN, international human rights organizations, and Israeli and Palestinian NGOs. We maintain that a viable future for Palestine/Israel requires justice for Palestinian refugees as well as Palestinians in the Occupied Territory and in the State of Israel. We share a vision of equal rights and democratic representation for all people in the region.
The logic of partition also impacts Palestinians and Jews in Europe, who are often framed as adversaries. In Germany in particular, we experience increasingly repressive state policies that include censorship, harassment and defamation, including threats to residence status or loss of employment. Against the violence of this positioning, we assert our intellectual, political, and ethical solidarity with each other.
As Palestinian and Jewish academics, we are committed to the following principles:
- Academic Freedom
Academic institutions play a crucial role in defending human rights and democratic values. We are committed to freedom of inquiry and expression, including peaceful protest by faculty, staff, and students. The rise of authoritarian tendencies across Europe endangers academic freedom and pluralistic discourse. We support the use of academic spaces for the exercise of political rights and the discussion of pressing issues without repression.
- Fair Representation
Academic and public discussions of Palestine/Israel should solicit a diversity of Palestinian and Jewish voices. Palestinians can and must be invited to speak for themselves in academic contexts and in the media. Similarly, academic and public debate must include a range of Jewish perspectives, including those critical of Zionism and the State of Israel. Only fair representation can combat distortions and false balance.
- Engaged Scholarship
We believe in the necessity and urgency of teaching and research on Palestine/Israel as well as on issues of racism, specifically antisemitism and anti-Palestinian racism. We aim to promote a nuanced and rigorous understanding of the history, politics, and cultures of Palestine/Israel to inform academic and public debates, strengthen democratic civil society, and critically reflect on political discourses. This includes the initiation of events and seminars, the development of educational resources, and the creation of dedicated research programmes.
- Solidarity with Palestinian Academics
We bear witness to scholasticide and to the oppression of Palestinian academics in Palestine/Israel and in the diaspora. In Europe, many Palestinian students and teachers work in the shadow of silencing and suppression. Palestinians are often excluded by displacement and statelessness from international academic opportunities. We call on institutions and funding bodies to actively welcome Palestinian scholars into already existing and new frameworks.
- Solidarity with Jewish Academics
The discourse around Palestine/Israel affects Jewish students and faculty. We maintain that open academic and political discussion can be pursued without endangering others. In Germany and other countries, moreover, Jewish critics of Zionism, the State of Israel, and anti-Palestinian policies are often harassed and structurally marginalized. We stand with Jewish scholars who face intimidation and accusations of antisemitism for their solidarity with Palestinians.
- Legal Responsibility
We assert that academic institutions have a vital role to play in creating a more just society. Institutions must transparently review, disclose, and terminate their relationships with all parties connected to violations of international law and human rights abuses, without exceptions.
Association of Palestinian and Jewish Academics 