On October 9th, a coalition of Columbia University student groups signed and published a statement blaming Israel and the U.S. for Hamas’ invasion and calling for “liberation.”
The coalition, “Palestine Solidarity Groups at Columbia,” began its statement by expressing sympathy for “the individuals and communities at Columbia University affected by the tragic losses experienced by both Palestinians and Israelis.” It quickly pivoted to a full-throated condemnation of Israel and defense of Palestinian aggression.
“We also affirm that there can be no future of safety and freedom for all Israelis and Palestinians without holding the Israeli occupation accountable for its actions and putting an end to the untenable status quo of Israel's apartheid and colonial system,” the statement read.
“We cannot view the recent actions of Palestinian fighters in isolation. Gaza is an open-air prison that lacks the essential necessities such as food, clean water, medicine, and electricity.”
“The weight of responsibility for the war and casualties undeniably lies with the Israeli extremist government and other Western governments, including the U.S. government, which fund and staunchly support Israeli aggression, apartheid and settler-colonization.”
“Israel does not have the right to defend its occupation, its apartheid state, or its siege of Gaza.”
A number of Columbia University student groups signed the statement:
- The Palestinian Student Union at Columbia University (DAR Columbia)
- SIPA's Palestine Working Group (PWG)
- Columbia Law Students for Palestine (CLSP)
- The National Lawyers Guild at Columbia Law School
- Columbia Law’s Restorative Justice Collective
- Turath: the Arab Students Association at Columbia University
- Empowering Women of Color at Columbia Law School
- Muslim Student Association at Columbia University
- Middle Eastern Law Students Association at Columbia Law School (MELSA)
- Conflict Resolution Collective (CRC)
- Columbia Law Students Human Rights Association (CLSHRA)
- Parole Advocacy Project at Columbia Law School
- Suspension Representation Project (SRP) at Columbia Law School
- Muslim Law Students' Association (MLSA)
- South Asian Law Students Association
- SIPA Human Rights Working Group
- Jewish Voices for Peace at Columbia University
- Columbia Law and Political Economy Society
- Society for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
- Queer & Trans People of Color (QTPOC)
Townhall has identified the student leaders of several of those groups. Their names are listed below.
Conflict Resolution Collective (CRC)
CRC describes itself as “devoted to promoting the understanding of conflict resolution studies, serving as a platform for students and practitioners to exchange ideas and make meaningful contributions to the field.”
Akmaral Bekbossynova (President)
Akmaral is a graduate student studying International Affairs, Economic and Political Development. She spent the past summer in Turin, Italy, interning for the United Nations System Staff College. Bekbossynova worked on the project’s Peace and Security Hub.
Middle Eastern Law Students Association at Columbia Law School (MELSA)
Columbia describes MELSA as an “affinity group for students of Middle Eastern descent and all students who have an interest in Middle Eastern cultures, languages, and issues. It seeks to raise awareness and promote dialogue on a range of topics, including human rights, democratic transitions, gender issues, and the conflicts in the region.”
Arman Antonyan (Co-President)
Arman is a student at Columbia Law.
SIPA’s Palestine Working Group (PWG)
PWG describes itself as a “new effort to raise awareness, increase understanding, and promote engagement among the SIPA and Columbia student body on Palestine.” We meet, organize, and advocate in order to encourage a more holistic understanding of Palestine, with specific attention devoted to the political, social, economic, cultural, historical, and legal circumstances that have influenced the past and shape the future.
Jasmine Sarryeh-Jemeršić (Co-President)
Jasmine is a graduate student at Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). She currently works as a Senior Client Services Consultant at Fragomen, an immigration firm based in New York. Previously, she worked at as a student adviser and coordinator at Columbia University. Before that, she worked at the Center for Inquiry (CFI) where she served as CFI’s representative to the United Nations.
Editor’s Note: When originally published, this article included the name of an individual identified by Townhall as a co-president of one of the involved student groups. That individual’s name has been removed after they provided evidence showing they previously resigned from the group.