November 1, 2023
We are a group of philosophy professors in North America, Latin America, and Europe writing to publicly and unequivocally express our solidarity with the Palestinian people and to denounce the ongoing and rapidly escalating massacre being committed in Gaza by Israel and with the full financial, material, and ideological support of our own governments.
We do not claim any unique authority—moral, intellectual, or otherwise—on the basis of our being philosophers. However, our discipline has made admirable strides recently in confronting philosophy’s historically exclusionary practices and in engaging directly with pressing and urgent injustices. To this end, we call on our colleagues in philosophy to join us in overcoming complicity and silence.
As we write, bombs have killed over 8,500 people in Gaza. By the time you read this, that number will have risen.
Thousands more are trapped under rubble. For over three weeks, a siege of the territory has cut off food, water, medicine, fuel, and electricity. A million inhabitants of northern Gaza have been ordered to flee their homes amid airstrikes and in advance of an ongoing ground invasion with nowhere safe to go. Talk of a second nakba is chilling, yet apt. People of conscience have an obligation to speak out against these atrocities. This is not a difficult step to take; what is far more difficult for us is to turn away in silence and complicity from an unfolding genocide.
To focus, as we do here, on the actions of the Israeli state and the unflagging support it receives from the US and its allies, is neither to celebrate violence, nor to equivocate on the value of innocent lives. Civilian deaths, regardless of nationality, are tragic and unacceptable. Yet to act as though the history of violence began with Hamas’s attacks on October 7, 2023 is to display a reckless indifference to history as well as to both Palestinian and Israeli lives. In order for violence to stop, the conditions that produce violence must stop.
The blockade of Gaza has lasted 16 years; the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza has lasted 56 years; the dispossession of Palestinians of their lands and homes across historic Palestine has lasted three-quarters of a century, since the 1948 establishment of Israel as an ethno-supremacist state. It is not without reason that observers—including both international and Israeli human rights groups—now characterize Israel’s control over the land from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea as a system of apartheid.
Most importantly, we are all too aware that the countries in which we live and work and to which we pay taxes is funding and abetting one party and one party only in this deeply asymmetric conflict. That party is not the oppressed, but the oppressor.
Right now, the people of Gaza have urged allies worldwide to exert pressure on their governments to demand an immediate ceasefire. But this should—this must—be the beginning and not the end of collective action for liberation. If there is to be justice and peace, the siege of Gaza must end, the blockade must end and the occupation must end. Above all, the rights all people currently living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean, as well as those of Palestinian refugees in exile must be respected.
We invite our fellow philosophers to join us in solidarity with Palestine and the struggle against apartheid and occupation.In particular, join us in supporting the academic and cultural boycott of Israeli institutions—distinct from individuals—as outlined by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI). We urge all individuals to speak out openly and fearlessly, and work to advance the cause of Palestinian liberation and justice for all.
Signed,
- Hosn Abboud (American University of Beirut)
- Baher Abdulhai (University of Toronto)
- As’ad Abu Libdeh (University of Applied Science, Jordan)
- Diana María Acevedo-Zapata (Universidad Pedagógica Nacional de Colombia)
- María del Rosario Acosta López (University of California, Riverside)
- Javier Agüero Aguila (Universidad Católica del Maule, Chile)
- Sabeen Ahmed (Swarthmore College)
- Rachida Akil (Faculty of Humanities, University of Tunis)
- Aziz Al-Azmeh (Central European University)
- Dina Al-Kassimi (University of British Columbia)
- Hanan Al-Khalaf (Kuwait University)
- Aalia Hilal Al-Saadi (Sultan Qaboos University, Oman)
- Alia Al-Saji (McGill University)
- Saad Al-Tamimi (Al-Mustansiriya University, Iraq)
- Mohammad Alameri
- Linda Martín Alcoff (City University of New York)
- Eric Aldieri (Bridgewater State University)
- Asma Alibrahim (Al-Bayt University, Jordan)
- Daniel Allen (Villanova University)
- Rayid Almansory (University of Sunderland)
- Tasneem Alsayyed (University of Waterloo)
- Basil Alsoodany
- Mauricio Amar (Centro de Estudios Árabes, Universidad de Chile)
- Ilana Amaral (Universidade Estadual do Ceará)
- Hermann Amaya (Universidad de Guadalajara)
- Luvell Anderson (Syracuse University)
- Solmu Anttila (VU Amsterdam)
- Louise Antony (University of Massachusetts, Amherst)
- Emiliano Aquino (Universidade Estadual do Ceará)
- Alfred Archer (Tilburg University)
- Sara Aronowitz (University of Toronto)
- Cinzia Arruzza (New School for Social Research)
- Richard T.W. Arthur (McMaster University)
- Ali Asghar
- Aref Ashrafian (Mofid University, Iran)
- David Auerbach (North Carolina State University)
- Estenio Azevedo (Universidade Estadual do Ceará)
- Farshid Baghai (Villanova University)
- Étienne Balibar (Kingston University)
- Anthony Ballas (Northern New Mexico College)
- Ralph Bannell (Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro)
- Jonnefer Francisco Barbosa (PUC-SP, São Paulo)
- Óscar Barroso (Universidad de Granada)
- Bana Bashour (American University of Beirut)
- Stefanie Baumann (New University of Lisbon)
- Kenneth Baynes (Syracuse University)
- Zachary Behlok (Deinstitutionalized Scholar, USA)
- Abdelilah Belkeziz (Université Hassan II, Morocco)
- Nora Berenstain (University of Tennessee, Knoxville)
- Joseph Bermas-Dawes (DePaul University)
- Emanuela Bianchi (New York University)
- Shaikha Binjasim (Kuwait University)
- Greg Bird (Wilfrid Laurier University)
- Liliane Blaser (Comunidad de Trabajo e Investigación COTRAIN)
- Jared Bly (Villanova University)
- Ashley Bohrer (University of Notre Dame)
- Martin Bolaños (Universidad de Buenos Aires)
- Alcira Beatriz Bonilla (Universidad de Buenos Aires)
- Kelsey Borrowman (Villanova University)
- Dan Boscov-Ellen (Pratt Institute)
- Eric Bottorff (Oakton Community College)
- Faouzi Boukhriss (University of Ibn Tofail, Morocco)
- Erik Bordeleau (Universidade Nova, Lisbon)
- Samir Bouslhame (Ibn Zohr University, Agadir)
- Raymond Brassier (American University of Beirut)
- Bob Brecher (University of Brighton)
- Elyasi Eyja M.J. Brynjarsdottir (University of Iceland)
- Carmelita Brito de Freitas Felício (Universidade Federal de Goiás)
- Larry Alan Busk (Florida Gulf Coast University)
- Judith Butler (University of California, Berkeley)
- Kevin Cabardo (New School for Social Research)
- Fortunato Maria Cacciatore (Università della Calabria)
- Alex Callinicos (King’s College London)
- Antonio Campillo (Universidad de Murcia)
- João Cão Duarte (Universidade de Lisboa)
- Taylor Carman (Barnard College, Columbia University)
- Alejandra Castillo (UMCE, Chile)
- Amandine Catala (Université du Québec à Montréal)
- Marie Chabbert (Utrecht University)
- Eugenio Chahuan (Universidad de Chile)
- Robert Chapman (Durham University)
- Tim Christiaens (Tilburg University)
- Lillian Cicerchia (University of Amsterdam)
- Alejandra Ciriza (Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Argentina)
- Adriana Clavel-Vazquez (Tilburg University)
- Rebecca Comay (University of Toronto)
- Elena Comay del Junco (University of Connecticut)
- Sascha Miguel Cornejo Puschner
- Gustavo Costa (Universidade Estadual do Ceará)
- Carmen Liliana Cubillos Sastoque (Universidad Central de Venezuela)
- Carla Damião (Universidade Federal de Goiás)
- Housamedden Darwish (Leipzig University)
- Alexis Davin (University of Bristol)
- Angela Y. Davis (University of California, Santa Cruz)
- Byron Davies (Tecnólogico de Monterrey)
- Camila de Gamboa (Universidad del Rosario)
- Dayana de la Rosa (Universidad del Atlántico
- Reza Dehghani (University of Tehran)
- Stephanie Deig (University of Lucerne)
- Donatella Delle Porta (Scuola Normale Superiore)
- Finnur Dellsén (University of Iceland)
- Maliheh Deyhim (Memorial University of Newfoundland)
- Esa Díaz-León (University of Barcelona)
- Gonzalo Díaz-Letelier (UMCE)
- Rosalyn Diprose (University of NSW
- Tarek R. Dika (University of Toronto)
- Rosalyn Diprose (UNSW, Sydney)
- Federico Donner (Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Argentina)
- Marie Draz (San Diego State University)
- Todd Dufresne (Lakehead University)
- Emily Dupree (Loyola University Chicago)
- Fataharrahman Eisa (Alneelain University, Khartoum, Sudan)
- Peter Ekegren (Uppsala University)
- Latifa El Bouhsini (Université Mohamed V Rabat, Morocco)
- Mohammed El Fahem (L’Université Moulay Ismaïl de Meknès, Morocco)
- Safae el Khannoussi el Bouidrin (University of Amsterdam)
- Fouad El Mazouni
- Abdellah El Moutaouakil (Université Hassan II, Morocco)
- Zeyad El Nabolsy (York University)
- Adham El Shazly (University of Cambridge)
- Hind Elkalai (University of Massachussets, Amherst)
- Manal Elshwhaby
- Nathan Ecktrand (Sam Houston State University)
- Jessica Elkayam (Sam Houston State University)
- Jessica Ellis (European Graduate School)
- Diane Enns (Toronto Metropolitan University)
- Sandra Escutia Díaz (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México)
- Andrea Fagioli (University of Buenos Aires)
- Augie Faller (Bryn Mawr College)
- Saba Fatima (Southern Illinois University Edwardsville)
- Brandon D.C. Fenton (York University/Conestoga College)
- Ann Ferguson (University of Massachusetts, Amherst)
- Estela Fernández Nadal (Universidad Nacional de Cuyo)
- Luigi Filieri (Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz)
- Owen Flanagan (Duke University)
- Anton Ford (University of Chicago)
- Carina Fourie (University of Washington)
- Nancy Fraser (New School for Social Research)
- Layal Ftouni (Utrecht University)
- Alessandra Fussi (University of Pisa)
- Mercer Gary (Drexel University)
- Gabriele Gava (University of Turin)
- Kelly Gawel (Governors State University)
- Nassire Ghadire (University of Baghdad)
- Aya Moustafa Ghareeb (Ain Shams University)
- Jonathan Gingerich (Rutgers University)
- Marcela Gomez (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México)
- Gabriela González Ortuño (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México)
- Sarah Gorman
- Dana Grabelsky (City University of New York)
- Peter Graham (University of Massachusetts, Amherst)
- Ramon Grosfoguel (University of California at Berkeley)
- Miguel Gualdron Ramirez (University of Oregon)
- Hermann Guendel (Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica)
- Lisa Guenther (Queen’s University)
- María José Guerra Palmero (University of La Laguna)
- Rita Guidarelli (Universidad Autónoma Chapingo)
- Lauren Guilmette (Elon University)
- Daniel Gutiérrez (UBA-UNQ)
- Reza Hadisi (University of Toronto)
- Joshua M. Hall (University of Alabama, Birmingham)
- Kim Q. Hall (Appalachian State University)
- Sterling Hall (Villanova University)
- Raja Halwani (School of the Art Institute of Chicago)
- Naïma Hamrouni (Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières)
- Siba Harb (Tilburg University)
- John Harfouch (University of Alabama, Huntsville)
- Rafeeq Hasan (Amherst College)
- Sally Haslanger (MIT)
- Josh Hayes (Alvernia University)
- Tris Hedges (University of Copenhagen)
- Andrés Fabián Henao Castro (University of Massachusetts, Boston)
- Charles Hermes (University of Texas at Arlington)
- Inti Hernández Reyes (Universidad LaSalle Oaxaca)
- Tom Hickey (University of Brighton)
- Kathleen Higgins (University of Texas at Austin)
- Allan Hillani (New School for Social Research)
- Sukaina Hirji (University of Pennsylvania)
- Shannon Hoff (Memorial University)
- Nancy Holmstrom (Rutgers University, Newark)
- Hossein Houshmand (Simon Fraser University)
- Hengameh Hoveyda
- Peter Hudis (Oakton College)
- Lynne Huffer (Emory University)
- Andrew Hunter (Toronto Metropolitan University)
- Jenann Ismael (Johns Hopkins University)
- Fatma Ismail (Ain Shams University)
- María Antoniets Izaguirre (Universidad Central de Venezuela)
- Kamal Jabr
- Eneida Jacobsen (Villanova University)
- Aaron Jaffe (The Juilliard School)
- Alison Jaggar (University of Colorado, Boulder)
- Mark Jago (University of Nottingham)
- Joy James (Williams College)
- Yolande Jansen (University of Amsterdam/ VU Amsterdam)
- Michelle Jenkins (Whitman College)
- Marta Jiménez (Emory University/Universidad Complutense de Madrid)
- Christopher Johns (American University of Beirut)
- Andrew Johnson (Loyola Marymount University
- Robert N. Johnson (University of Missouri)
- Janine Jones (UNC, Greensboro)
- Ólafur Páll Jónsson (University of Iceland)
- Philip Kain (Santa Clara University)
- Gerasimos Kakoliris (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens)
- Khaled Kammouny (Lebanese University)
- Rachana Kamtekar (Cornell University)
- Sophia Kanaan (New School for Social Research)
- Luciana Kaplan
- Najwa Karassi
- Pedro Karczmarczyk (Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina)
- Rodrigo Karmy (Universidad de Chile)
- Lina Kattan (University of Calgary)
- Danivir Kent (Universidad de Guadalajara)
- Serene Khader (City University of New York)
- Muhammad Ali Khalidi (City University of New York)
- Akram K. Khan
- Sami Khatib (OIB, Beirut)
- Irfan Khawaja
- Sarah Kizuk (Skidmore College)
- Hans-Herbert Kögler (University of North Florida/Alpen-Adria University)
- Jennifer Komorowski(Toronto Metropolitan University)
- Marie Kortam
- Alexi Kukuljevic (Universität für Angewandte Kunst Wien/University of Applied Arts Vienna)
- Shapel LaBorde (Teachers College, Columbia University)
- Souad Lamrani
- Mark Lance (Georgetown University)
- Emily Lange (Marquette University)
- Matthew LaVine (SUNY Potsdam)
- Aurora Laybourn (DePaul University)
- Mithra Lehn (New School for Social Research)
- Jason Lemmon (University of Nebraska-Lincoln)
- Joop Leo (University of Amsterdam)
- Joseph Levine (University of Massachusetts, Amherst)
- Shen-yi Liao (University of Puget Sound)
- Matthias Lievens (KU Leuven)
- Anthony Löwstedt (Webster University Vienna)
- Pilar Lopez-Cantero (Tilburg University)
- Jesús Luzardo (Loyola University Chicago)
- Heather Lynch (Glasgow Caledonian University)
- Sandra Maceri (Universidad de Buenos Aires)
- Brooke Maddux (Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne
- Ali Karbalaei Mahdi (York University)
- Nelson Maldonado-Torres (University of Connecticut)
- Diana Marañón (Universidad de Guanajuato)
- Patricia Marechal (University of California, San Diego)
- Ned Markosian (University of Massachusetts, Amherst)
- Luciana Martínez (Universidad de Buenos Aires)
- Al Martinich (University of Texas at Austin)
- Giovanni Mascaretti (University of Bergamo)
- Don Mason
- Hassan Massoud (University of Alberta)
- Margaret McLaren (Rollins College)
- Saladin Meckled-Garcia (University College London)
- José Medina (Northwestern University)
- Maria Mejia (Elon University)
- Eduardo Mendieta (Penn State University)
- José Jorge Mendoza (University of Washington)
- Torsten Menge (Northwestern University Qatar)
- Hichem Messaoudi (University of Carthage, Tunisia)
- Daniel Michelow (Universidad Católica del Maule)
- Elaine Miller (Miami University, Ohio)
- Dana Francisco Miranda (University of Massachusetts, Boston)
- Arnold Yasin Mol (Leiden University/Islamic University of Applied Sciences Rotterdam)
- Andrés Molina Ochoa (South Texas College)
- Beatriz Montenegro
- Parisa Moosavi (York University)
- Gil Morejon (DePaul University/Loyola University)
- J. Moufawad-Paul (York University)
- Fahd Mughal
- Julia Muñoz (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México)
- Tamim Najate
- Evando Nascimento (UFJF Brazil)
- Jeramy Neefus (Michigan State University)
- Stephen Nelson (Northland Community & Technical College)
- Frederick Neuhouser (Barnard College, Columbia University)
- Christopher Norris (University of Cardiff)
- Abderrahim Nour Eddine (Professeur de philosophie à la retraite)
- Steve Núñez (University of Connecticut)
- Patrick S. O’Donnell (Santa Barbara City College)
- Kyle O’Dowd (New School for Social Research)
- Samir Okasha (University of Bristol)
- Johanna Oksala (Loyola University Chicago
- Ian Olasov (City University of New York)
- Adi M. Ophir (Brown University)
- Romy Opperman (New School for Social Research)
- Imge Oranli (Arizona State University)
- Mariana Ortega (Penn State University)
- Irene Ortiz (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid)
- Nadia Oubih
- Imranali Panjwani (Anglia Ruskin University)
- Emily Parker (Towson University)
- Diana Milena Patiño Niño (Deinstitutionalized scholar, Colombia)
- Alicia Patterson (Oregon State University)
- Astrid Paulsson (Charles Sturt University, Australia)
- Laura Pelegrin (Universidad de Buenos Aires)
- Jenny Pelletier (University of Gothenburg)
- John Pittman (John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY)
- Josué Piñeiro (Kennesaw State University)
- Valeria Pinto (University of Naples „Federico I“)
- Andrea Pitts (University of Buffalo)
- Giovanni Poggi (Nelson Mandela University, South Africa)
- Catarina Pombo Nabais (Universidade de Lisboa)
- Eli Portella Perreras (Florida Gulf Coast University)
- Kelli Potter (Utah Valley University)
- Francisco Quijano Velasco (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México)
- Laura Quintana (Universidad de Los Andes)
- Silvana Rabinovich (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México)
- Najat Rahman (Université de Montréal)
- Ahmad Fuad Rahmat (University of Nottingham)
- Amy Ramirez (National University of Singapore)
- Sandeep Ray (University of Nottingham)
- Tully Rector (Radboud University)
- David Rey (Universidad del Valle)
- Iaan Reynolds (Utah Valley University)
- Joel Michael Reynolds (Georgetown University)
- Julian Rios (Grinnell College)
- María Lucía Rivera-Sanín (Universidad Nacional de Colombia)
- Sajjad Rizvi (University of Exeter)
- William Clare Roberts (McGill University)
- Clelia O. Rodriguez (University of Toronto)
- Montserrat Rodríguez (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México)
- Luke Roelofs (University of Texas at Arlington)
- Monique Roelofs (University of Amsterdam)
- Taylor Rogers (Governors State University)
- Lillian Rojas Paez (Colectivo “Las Amazonas”)
- Concha Roldán (Instituto de Filosofía del CSIC, Spain)
- Nuria Roldán (Seville University)
- Maria Grazia Rossi (Universidade Nova, Lisbon)
- Catherine Rowett (University of East Anglia)
- Kathryn Russell (SUNY Cortland)
- Carl Sachs (Marymount University)
- Muhammad Sadiq Kakar (Vrije Universiteit Brussel)
- Abdelhamid Safa (IPU New Zealand)
- Gayle Salamon (Princeton University)
- Rocío Salcido (Universidad de Guadalajara)
- Magdi Abdelhafez Saleh (Professeur émérite aux Universités)
- Mohammad Salheen (Al-Azhar University)
- Rabab Salih
- Freddy Sánchez (Universidad Experimental de las Artes, Venezuela)
- Jorge Sanchez-Perez (University of Alberta)
- Sahotra Sarkar (University of Texas at Austin)
- Martin Savransky (Goldsmiths, University of London)
- Lara Scaglia (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México)
- Naomi Scheman (University of Minnesota)
- Lisa Schwartzman (Michigan State University)
- Henry Schiller (University of Sheffield)
- Paula Schwebel (Toronto Metropolitan University)
- Laurie Shrage (Florida International University)
- Richard Seaford (University of Exeter)
- Kris F. Sealey (Penn State University)
- Emiliano Sfara (University of Tours)
- Amer Shalaby (University of Toronto)
- Hasana Sharp (McGill University)
- Falguni Sheth (Emory University)
- Haiyue Shan (VU Amsterdam)
- Amy Shuster (The Ohio State University)
- Lotje Siffels (Radboud University)
- Sonia Sikka (University of Ottawa)
- Laura Silva (Université Laval)
- Matthew Noah Smith (Northeastern University)
- Nicole Smith (University of Texas at Austin)
- Iarle Sousa Ferreira (Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciéncia e Tecnologia de Goiás)
- Michael Starling (San Joaquin Delta College)
- Michael Stevenson (Brooklyn Institute for Social Research)
- Francesco Sticchi (Oxford Brookes University)
- Ted Stolze (Cerritos College)
- Lucian Stone (University of North Dakota)
- J.T. (Thijl) Sunier (VU Amsterdam)
- Mairaj Syed (University of California, Davis)
- Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò (Georgetown University)
- Luz Adriana Tamayo Duque
- Chloë Taylor (University of Alberta)
- Josias Tembo (Radboud University)
- Francisco Luciano Teixeira Filho (Universidade Estadual do Ceará, Brasil)
- Sunera Thobani (University of British Columbia)
- Peter Thomas (Brunel University London)
- Sarra Tlili (University of Florida)
- Anya Topolski (Radboud University)
- Iván Torres Apablaza (Universidad de Chile)
- Alberto Toscano (Goldsmiths, University of London)
- Adriel Trott (Wabash College)
- Paula Carolina Tur Murillo (Universidad Nacional de La Plata)
- Marcela Uchôa (University of Coimbra)
- Anwar Uhuru (Wayne State University)
- Gregory Vandamme (UCLouvain)
- Helga Varden (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
- Agustina Varela-Manograsso (Universidad de Murcia)
- Jorge Vega (Humboldt Universität zu Berlin)
- Juan José Vélez-Peña (University of Bremen)
- J. David Velleman (Johns Hopkins University/New York University)
- Elizabeth Victor (William Paterson University)
- Raúl Villarrorl (Universidad de Chile)
- Rafael Vizcaíno (DePaul University)
- Nikolaos Vlahakis (Sofia University)
- Steven J. Wagner (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
- Catherine Walsh (Deinstitutionalized scholar, Ecuador)
- Alistair Welchman (University of Texas at San Antonio)
- Cynthia Willett (Emory University)
- Vanessa Wills (George Washington University)
- Amelia Wirts (University of Washington)
- Sophie Withaeckx (Maastricht University)
- George Yancy (Emory University)
- Zahi Zalloua (Whitman College)
- Rocío Zambrana (Universidad de Puerto Rico)
- Kashef Zayed (Sultan Qaboos University, Oman)
- Eduardo Zazo Jiménez (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid)
- Robin Zheng (University of Glasgow)
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