Ohio University officially supports the colonization of Palestine and the genocide of Arab people living in the territory.
Ohio University officially supports the colonization of Palestine and the genocide of Arab people living in the territory. It does so minimally through its study abroad program in Tel Aviv University, a program that normalizes racist settler colonialism, and the Apartheid identified by the 2001 United Nations World Conference Against Racism in Durban.
At OU, activism for BDS is met with intense bullying from Zionist students. This bullying is encouraged by organizations that have appointed themselves as the leadership of a Jewish community claiming to speak for all Jews, which they do not. The verbal assaults against Jewish BDS activists have been particularly intense. OU President McDavis wrote an open letter invoking free speech, and stressing the importance of civility in response to Megan Marzec’s “Bucket of Blood” Challenge video. It is unacceptable for McDavis to imply that Marzec’s video is somehow not civil without mentioning the brutality of those who oppose BDS.
During the most recent genocidal attacks on Gaza, Tel Aviv University silenced and disciplined students and faculty who opposed the war. How can we send students into such a repressive, anti-democratic, racist environment? Our study abroad program in Tel Aviv must end.
OU’s endowment is held in a blind trust. We must have transparency in our finances in order to know whether our funds are invested in Israel. OU must boycott, sanction and divest from the Zionist state.
Louis-Georges Schwartz is an Associate Professor at Ohio University’s Film Division.
