The Palestine Solidarity Policy was approved by the undergraduate student body of McGill University, with 71% of the vote! However, the McGill administration has threatened to terminate an agreement with the undergraduate student union that would withhold its funding after the student union adopted the Palestine Solidarity Policy in its campus referendum.
Read the full Palestine Solidarity Policy: https://bit.ly/MGillPalestinePolicy
Subsequently, McGill University has threatened to terminate its Memorandum of Agreement with the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU).
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network joined with Roger Waters, Richard Falk, John Dugard, Libby Davies, Yann Martel, Chris Hedges, as well as several hundred other academics, artists, lawyers and activists, and many civil society organizations have signed a letter already. Join with them in sending your letter directly to McGill Principal and Vice-Chancellor Suzanne Fortier. See the letter below.
More than 25 universities across Canada have passed BDS oriented resolutions. Over the last few weeks, motions have been passed at five universities including McGill, Concordia, UBC, Simon Fraser and University of Toronto.
The Letter
Dear McGill University Principal & Vice Chancellor
We are alarmed to learn that McGill University has threatened to terminate its Memorandum of Agreement with the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) following students voting to adopt a “Palestine Solidarity Policy”. Your threat is both anti-democratic and anti-Palestinian.
Endorsed by 71% of students in a referendum, the Palestine Solidarity Policy calls for SSMU to divest from and boycott “corporations and institutions complicit in settler-colonial apartheid against Palestinians.” The vote essentially commits SSMU to take a stand against Israel’s system of racial discrimination. The Palestine Solidarity Policy aligns with a growing consensus among human rights researchers, from Amnesty International to Human Rights Watch, B’Tselem to Al-Haq, that have concluded Israel is practicing apartheid against Palestinians. It’s also not dissimilar to measures students promoted in the 1980s – opposed by administrators then – targeting apartheid in South Africa.
In opposing students’ democratic choice, the McGill administration claimed the Palestine Solidarity Policy encourages “a culture of ostracization and disrespect due to students’ identity, religious or political beliefs.” But, the policy does not mention ethnicity or nationality. It only targets institutions complicit in oppression.
In effect, your administration is seeking to silence debate on Palestinian dispossession and block McGill students from protesting Israel’s abuses. McGill students should be commended, not condemned, for pushing their Student Society to uphold its mandate to “commit to demonstrating leadership in matters of human rights and social justice.”
By threatening to terminate the agreements by which SSMU receives its fees, the McGill administration has threatened student democracy and is undermining the Palestinians quest for liberation.
We call on you as Principal and the Administration to not take any action against the SSMU for freely expressing their views democratically.
Sincerely,
Organizations
Africa4Palestine, South Africa
ِAl Harah Theater, Palestine
Al-Haadi Musalla, Toronto
Al-Quds Committee, Toronto
Australians for Palestine
Baladi Center for Culture & Arts, Bethlehem – Palestine
Bathurst Street United Church, Toronto
Boycott from Within (Israeli citizens for BDS)
Boycott Israel Network (UK)
Canada Palestine Association Vancouver
Canadian BDS Coalition
Canadian Foreign Policy Institute
Coalition against Israeli Apartheid, Victoria, BC
Edmonton Small Press Association, Edmonton, AB
Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA), USA
Global Peace Alliance Society, BC
Hamilton Coalition To Stop The War
HR4A Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK
Just Peace Advocates/Mouvement Pour Une Paix Juste
Justice For All Canada, Toronto
Justice for Palestinians
Knowledge Track Inc.
Let Kashmir Decide
Niagara Movement for Justice in Palestine-Israel (NMJPI)
Oakville Palestinian Rights Association (OPRA)
Palestine Solidarity Alliance, South Africa
Palestine Solidarity Campaign – Cape Town
Palestinian and Jewish Unity, Montreal
Palestinian Youth Movement – Greater Toronto Area
Peace Alliance Winnipeg
PPSWU Palestine
Ramallah Center for Human Rights Studies (RCHRS), Palestine
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
Solidarité populaire Estrie, Sherbrooke
The Australian Friends of Palestine Association
The Muslim Youth Movement of South Africa
Toronto Raging Grannies
UJFP, Paris
Youth Political and social forum YPSF, Palestine
Individuals:
Ahmad Al-Dissi, Professor
Ahmed Abbes, Research Director in Paris
Alan Wolinski , Retired Civil Servant
Alexander Kuilman, Ex- lawyer
Anand Pillay, Academic
Andrew Brook, Retired Academic
Angus Geddes, Agricultural Economist (Retired)
Anne Bryce, Retired Health Service Manager
Anne Gardner Remley, Writer-journalist retired
Anne Henderson, Filmmaker
Annick Suzor-Weiner, Academic
Bill Skidmore, Retired professor
Bill Walton, Retired
Bruce R. Allen, Paralegal
Candice Bodnaruk, Writer and Activist
Carmel Conway, Human Rights Advocates
Carmen Aguirre, Theatre artist and author
Cathy Gulkin, Filmmaker
Charlotte Kates, International coordinator, Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
Cheryl Gaster, Lawyer (Retired), Chartered Mediator, Adjudicator
Chris Hedges, Journalist
Christine McMillan, Retired teacher and tax officer.
Claude Brasseur , Activist
D Neibert, Hospital Administrator, Systems Engineer, R.Ph.T.
Daina Z. Green, Alumna McGill
Daniel Slapcoff Graduate Student
Dave Bleakney, trade unionist
David Cannon, Chair of Jewish Network for Palestine UK
David Fairn, Teacher
David H. Finke, Retired printer; Quaker minister
David Low, Clergy
David Peters, Human Rights Advocate
David Swanson, Author
Deborah Jackman, Artist
Desmond Sequeira, Multi-Faith Chaplain (Retired), Ex-Jesuit Priest
Diana Chaplin, Palestinian supporter
Diana Neslen, Concerned grandmother
Dorar Abuzaid, Academic Support Staff
Dorothy Field, Artist, writer
Dr. Barry Heselwood, Academic
Dr. Don Crewe, Academic
Dr. S.Sayyid , Academic
Dr. Dwyer Sullivan, High School teacher of Social Justice and World Religions
Dror Warschawski, Academic
Ed Lehman, President, Regina Peace Council
Elena Putley, Artist
Elizabeth-Anne Malischewski, Community activist
Emilio Alvarez, Artist
Enver Domingo, Activist
Eric Mills, Editor
Father Robert Assaly, Former McGill Faculty Lecturer
Frances Baskerville, Artist
Frances Combs, United Church of Canada clergy
Francis Collins, Human Rights Advocate
Frank Roles, MD PhD FRMS, emeritus professor Ghent University
Frank White, retired
Garry Potter, Professor
Genie Silver, Ph.D., Academic
Gerry Hobden, Human Rights Advocate
Glenn D Tarver, Human Rights Advocate
Glenn Michalchuk, Peace and human rights activist
Gordon Doctorow, Ed.D, Retired academic
Hassan Husseini, Labour Negotiator
Helen Marks, Secretary, Liverpool Friends of Palestine
Henry Zaccak, CEO
J.W.Freeman, Mathematics Lecturer, retired
Jake Javanshir, Human Rights Advocate
Jalal Kawash, Academic
James Benham, Lawyer
James Dickins, Human Rights Advocate
James Prothero, Artist
Jan C Steven, Human Rights Advocate
Jane Collier, Academic
Jean Gagne, Supporter, Independent Jewish Voices Montreal Chapter
Jeff Winkelaar, Retired
Jennifer Whitfield, Human Rights Advocate
Jim Mitchell, MDCM 1964
Joe Modeste, Retired teacher
John Coates, Professional Engineer
John Dugard, Former Judge ad hoc Int Court of Justice
John Garrett, Academic (retired)
John Grant, Retired Adviser
John Greyson, Film/video artist
John Liss, Lawyer
John M. Darling, Archivist
John Molgaard, Retired academic
John Philpot, Lawyer
John Porter, IT specialist
John Price, Emeritus Professor, University of Victoria
John Steinmeyer, Independent Researcher
Jonathan Rosenhead, Academic
Jooneed Jeeroburkhan, Writer & Human Rights Activist
Judi McCallum, Retired librarian
Judith Cravitz, Exec member, Jews for Justice for Palestinians (UK)
K & S Selfop, Solidarity Activists
Karen Evans, Human Rights Advocates
Karen Platt, Jewish retired college instructor
Karen Rodman, Exec Director, Just Peace Advocates
Kate Chung, Retired, grandmother
Kate Langton, Research manager
Kate Randle Hardy, Academic
Kathleen Von Riesen, RN
Ken Stone, Treasurer, Hamilton Coalition To Stop The War
Kevin Gould, Academic, Dept of Geography, Planning and Environment, Concordia University
Khaled L. Mouammar, Former Member, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Larry Grand, Retired, taxpayer, citizen
Lawrence Sutherland, Activist
Les Levidow, Academic
Lesley McGorrigan, University staff
Libby Davies, Former Member of Parliament
Lilian Patey, Clergy
Louise Seidel, Disabled Theatre Artist
Marilyn Hay, Human Rights Advocate
Marina Barham, Human Rights Advocate
Marion Davis, United Church of Canada clergyperson
Marlena Santoyo, Member, Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom
Martin Fontaine, Agent de pastorale
Maruf Dewan, Human Rights Advocate
Mary Brown, Human Rights Advocate
Mary Lou Jorgensen-Bacher, Government Worker
Maryanne Stone-Jimenez, Lactation Consultant
Maureen, Retired Teacher
Michael A. Lebowitz, Professor emeritus of economcs, SFU
Michael Wilde, Retired Lecturer
Michal Sapir, Writer and musician
Miguel Figueroa, Human Rights Advocate
Mike Cushman, Academic
Miko Peled, Author/activist for Palestine
Nadege Couamin, Human Rights Advocate
Naheed Gilani, Human Rights Advocate
Nahla Abdo, Professor of Sociology/Carleton University
Nora Lester Murad, Writer, educator
Norma Rantisi, Academic
Odette Dabit, a proud Palestinian
Ofer Neiman, Israeli citizen
Omer Aijazi, Academic
P. I. Gomes, Sociologist
Paul Waley, Academic
Paul Wimpeney, former Assistant Director, Hopwood Hall College, Rochdale, Greater Manchester
Peter Eglin, Professor Emeritus, WLU
Peter Jackson, Acoustic Engineer and Technical Director (Retired)
Peter Purich, Retired
Phyllis Creighton, Retired adjunct faculty, Trinity College, Faculty of Divinity, Toronto
Pouya Valizadeh, Professor
Prof. Haim Bresheeth-Zabner, Author, filmmaker, academic researcher
Prof. Emeritus Bob Brecher, Retired academic
Professor Gregory Philo, (Emeritus) Academic
Professor Megan Povey
Professor Richard Seaford, Academic
Rabab Abdulhadi, Director and Senior Scholar, Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies, San Francisco State University
Rabbi David Mivasair, Parent of two McGill graduates
Rachel Reesor-Taylor, Academic
Rajesh Ravisankar, Human Rights Advocate
Ralph Carl Wushke, Clergy
Rasha Soliman, Academic
Rashmi Luther, Retired professor, School of Social Work, Carleton University
Razan AlSalah, Academic
Reem Kelani, Singer, musician, broadcaster
Regina Birchem, Ph.D.
Renee Nunsn-Rappard, Retired nurse
Reuben Roth, Professor Emeritus, Laurentian University
Rev. Dr. Robin Wardlaw, retired United Church minister
Rev. F. Mark Mealing, Ph.D. retired academic Folklorist, unretired Anglican priest
Rev. Steve Berube, Human Rights Observer Palestine/Israel
Richard Falk, Professor of International Law Emeritus
Rina King, Human Rights Advocates
Robert Boyce, Academic
Robert D. Kent, Emeritus Professor, Computer Science, Academic
Robert Fantina, ِAuthor and journalist
Robert Gowenlock, Retired
Robin Boodle, Concerned Canadian
Roger Waters, Musician/Activist
Ron Benner, Artist, Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Visual Arts, Western University
Roz Isaac, Concerned citizen
Ruth Ballardie, Academic
S.L. Bondarchuk , NPO Administrator, Artist
Sally Campbell, McGill BA 1968 Lawyer/Mediator, Retired
Samuel Halévy, Artist
Sara Traub, Human Rights Advocate
Sasha Lofquist Human Rights Advocate
Sherry Ann Chapman, Academic
Sheryl Nestel, Independent Scholar
Sid Shniad, Member, Independent Jewish Voices Canada
Stephen Aberle, Performing artist
Stephen Tiller, Human Rights Advocate
Susan Czarnocki , Retired
Susan Stout, Retired
Suzanne Riddell, Human Rights Advocates
Sylvat Aziz, Academic
Tamara Lorincz, Academic
Thomas Brown, Professor Emeritus, Mathematics
Tony Greenstein, Writer and journalist
Trevor Goodger-Hill, Writer and Poet
Victor Woods, Research Human Health
W. T. Beckett, Human rights activist
Wael Hallaq, Avalon Foundation Prof. Columbia Univ.
Wendy Gichuru, Social activist
William – known as David Berryman, University Chaplain, UK
Wolfe Erlichman, Member, Independent Jewish Voices
Yann Martel, Author
Yom Shamash, Teacher
Campaign initiated by
Canadian Foreign Policy Institute (CFPI)
