UCC Officers issue statement amid ongoing unrest on college campuses; offer continued solidarity with partners and people in the Middle East

The United Church of Christ continues to walk in solidarity with our partners in the Middle East through prayer, public witness, advocacy, and support for their critical response to the needs in their communities. Israel’s declared war on Gaza has continued for more than 200 days. In this time, over 34,000 people have been killed and tens of thousands more injured, while practically all of the Palestinian people of Gaza face starvation. The violence must end. We are confounded by how this assault on the Palestinian people in Gaza can be permitted to happen, and deeply regret and oppose the role the U.S. has played in enabling Israel’s campaign through diplomatic cover and a steady stream of military aid and materiel. This includes the approval of tens of billions of dollars more in aid to Israel by Congress this past week.

We hear the cries of our partners in the Middle East and the Palestinian people. We pray to God that this war will cease and the people in Gaza be relieved of their suffering. We press for a permanent ceasefire, the delivery of abundant medical and humanitarian aid, the immediate release of all hostages and prisoners, and resolution to the core issues so that a lasting and just peace may prevail.

Global opposition to the Israeli military campaign has been widespread. For months, millions of people in cities around the world have demonstrated against this war. On U.S. college and university campuses in recent weeks, students and faculty have been especially active and outspoken, calling for an immediate ceasefire and the divestment of their educational institutions’ assets from companies that profit from this violence, including the arms manufacturing industry. They are also calling for these institutions of learning to be transparent about funds received from Israel and how these funds are used.

Unfortunately, the discourse and coverage of the campus protests have been particularly reductive. Frequently characterized as hate speech or antisemitism, this framing ignores the fact that a vocal portion of the protesters are Jewish. Among them are students with Jewish Voice for Peace, who have joined with Students for Justice in Palestine and others to call for peace. Many groups have erected tents on campus, evoking how 1.7 million Palestinians in Gaza are forced to live, having been displaced from their homes and communities. Students and faculty are also cognizant of the fact that schools and universities in Gaza have not been operational during this current academic year. Many have been destroyed altogether, including the Gaza branch of our partner, Dar al-Kalima University, which has been reduced to rubble.

As they rally for peace, students on campuses nationwide have been subject to beating, expulsion, and arrest by campus security and local police for their generally non-violent protests and their attempts to assert their first amendment right to free speech. The 34^th General Synod of the United Church of Christ gathering in 2021 adopted a resolution which “affirm[ed] the First Amendment constitutional right to freedom of speech and assembly to protest the actions of the State of Israel and to uphold the rights of Palestinians, including the use of economic measures to support justice as a First Amendment right.” It rejected the notion that any criticism of the State of Israel is automatically antisemitic and it opposed government efforts “to limit free speech on university campuses and to restrict or ban support of the international Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement.”

The General Synod further called on the church to offer its:

Amid the current wave of campus activism and ongoing demonstrations, we insist upon respect for the constitutional right of free speech, encourage opportunities for the free exchange of ideas and open debate, support non-violent means to express opposition to policies and practices, abhor instances of real hate speech and violence, and counsel restraint by authorities.

And we recognize the necessity to keep our focus on the most vulnerable – the Palestinian people of Gaza, including its women and men, its children and its students, who seek justice and a dignified life. Instead of working to silence the voices of those who cry for peace, we call on the leaders of academic institutions and of government to focus their efforts and energy on the promotion of an immediate peace and a just world for all.

May God have mercy on all who suffer so grievously from violence and injustice, and may God grant us all the courage to lift our voices for the cause of peace with justice.

Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson
General Minister and President / CEO

Rev. Shari Prestemon
Acting Associate General Minister

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