February 2, 2024 ·

Dear President Link and Esteemed Members of Her Cabinet,

We hope this letter finds you well amidst your busy schedule. Firstly, we commend you on your dedicated leadership during your initial six months as President of Drew University. Your commitment to community engagement and improvement has not gone unnoticed, and we appreciate your efforts in fostering a positive atmosphere.

Since receiving the email from you and the Drew administration on October 11th, 2023 regarding the crisis, the world has taught your student community a stunning, heartbreaking lesson: a lesson that will live inside of us and the generations that follow for an eternity.

The world taught us that evil rules the day. That we as a human race can still sit and watch a genocide unfold right in front of our eyes and nothing can be done to stop it. We have learned that the horrors of our past are not enough to deter us from the horrors of the present or the future. We have learned that sovereign countries can murder innocent civilians with impunity. We have learned that our allies can bomb schools, places of worship, hospitals, ambulances, and humanitarian infrastructure with our tax dollars with no accountability. We have learned that the murder of journalists can be normalized. We have learned that respect for the dead and their final resting places can be mutilated. We have learned that all international laws can be ignored.  We have learned that international calls for peace can be overlooked. We have learned that international legal governing bodies have no power to save humanity from itself.

We have learned that an illegal, violent, humiliating occupation can continue indefinitely. We have learned that propping up an apartheid regime founded through the use of ethnic cleansing is a political advantage. We have learned that the right to resist said occupation will be met with brute cruelty at all costs. We have learned that the First Amendment right to free speech is conditional depending on what ethnicity you are or stand with. Even in academia.

Fortunately, your Drew student community has also learned that the world is not on the side of the aforementioned. We learned that the WORLD CAN RISE UP and demand justice. That we can do better. WE WILL be the generation that breaks this trend and WE WILL take this teachable moment to help us understand what NOT to do as the next generation of leaders. As we are on the cusp of picking up the mantle to lead the world, WE WILL respect the rights of the oppressed. WE WILL honor life regardless of its origin. WE WILL answer the calls of the international community. WE WILL protect human life and the institutions that are tasked with helping it thrive. WE WILL heed international law.  WE WILL PROTECT CHILDREN and all those who love them.

We are compelled to call upon you to help the student body navigate one of the most pressing challenges we face–the genocide in Gaza. In a world dominated by a Zionist narrative, advocating for Palestine poses significant challenges. Moreover, with the recent silencing of student movements across America, our liberty as students and citizens is at risk. Yet, we risk it for the sake of an oppressed people because we know how our voices can make an impact–we know that yours can too. Your influence and position grant you a powerful voice that can contribute to a more nuanced and empathetic understanding of the Palestinian cause. Now, more than ever, your advocacy can play a pivotal role in raising awareness and fostering dialogue on this critical issue affecting not just your students, but your peers as well. 

This McCarthyism extends beyond the student movement to the administrative level. The resignations of Harvard University President Claudine Gay and University of Pennsylvania President Elizabeth Magil mark a significant assault on academic freedom. These women defended free speech on their campuses amid personal attacks and threats, highlighting a concerning trend. Academic administrations should be alarmed by this silencing and repression, which undermines the core values of academia. If academic freedom faces a threat in discussions about Palestine, it raises concerns about the potential risks to other conversations. This repression establishes a precedent that could impact various areas of discourse. As the president of Drew University, it is essential to stand for something greater–intellectual liberty and the cherished expansion of thought and the mind. It is crucial to foster an environment where diverse perspectives can coexist and intellectual discourse can thrive. Defending academic freedom is a shared responsibility among university leaders to ensure the preservation of open dialogue and the pursuit of knowledge.

Former executive director of Harvard Hillel, Bernie Steinberg’s op-ed highlights the concern around silencing Palestinian advocacy and weaponizing anti-Semitism to stifle criticism of Israel and American policy:

“Let me speak plainly: It is not anti-Semitic to demand justice for all Palestinians living in their ancestral lands.The activists who employ this language, and the politics of liberation, are sincere people; their cause is a legitimate and important movement dissenting against the brutal treatment of Palestinians that has been ongoing for 75 years. One can disagree with any part of what these activists say, but they must be allowed to speak safely and afforded the respect their morally serious position deserves. I have learned much by listening and carefully considering the positions of these activists.”

The ongoing genocide in Gaza is profoundly impacting our university community. As students, we have consistently contributed to the vibrant fabric of the Drew community, and the current crisis is directly affecting our well-being. In times like these, our university must stand as a pillar of support for its students. 

In light of the profound impact of the ongoing genocide on our university community, we call upon Drew to continue its legacy of standing against oppressors: the 1960s barbershop protests for civil rights; the 1960s anti-Vietnam War protests; the movement to divest from apartheid South Africa in the 1980s. Famous advocates for human rights such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Abby Hoffman have been present at Drew University to support our community’s commitment to justice. We urge you to guide us in upholding this Drew tradition and continue forging our legacy as a community that stands on the right side of history. 

Drew University’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is a source of great pride. Our institution has long championed the belief that every student, regardless of background, should feel valued and supported. It is crucial to recognize that the suffering of Palestinian students should not be viewed as an exception but rather as an integral part of our collective responsibility to foster an inclusive community. 

We are just missing one thing in our quest to right the wrongs we are witnessing today – your voice.  Your silence is deafening and has left us with the impression that this institution, the one accountable for molding us into the leaders we need to be, can sit idly by. We need you to show us the way.  We count on you to teach us how to maneuver through these challenging times with courage and with justice as your guide. 

In this regard, we present the following demands:

1. Drew University must commit to protecting its Palestinian students and advocates exercising their political rights 
2. Drew University must introduce a new course offering on Palestine under the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, giving teaching preference to professors who are Palestinian or experts in settler-colonialism studies. 
3. Drew University must review its university investments, and if funds are invested in Israeli bonds and corporations supporting settler-colonialism, apartheid, and genocide, we demand divestment. 
4. Drew University must release a statement from the office of the President acknowledging the ongoing genocide against Palestinians, its impact on the Palestinian community at our University, and joining the international community in their call for a ceasefire and justice for the Palestinian people and peace for all human beings around the world. 

We believe that by taking these actions, Drew University can actively contribute to a more just and inclusive global community. We need you, President Link, to teach us the lesson that the world has been unable to. We need you to do that today. We are counting on your leadership to make a difference. 

Sincerely, 

Drew’s Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP)

ENDORSING ORGANIZATIONS: