New UCD Social Science and Law signatories can add their names and affiliations at this link.

We write with grief, more than four months into Israel’s ruthless bombardment of Gaza, and on the heels of the International Court of Justice’s finding that there is a “plausible case of genocide” committed by Israel against the Palestinians in Gaza, and that Israel must “refrain from” acts of genocide under the Genocide Convention. The milestones are unnerving and unconscionable. Since October, at least 30,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli Occupation Forces. We write to join with colleagues on all continents, and with workers in every field, in calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and in all occupied Palestinian territories; as a first step towards true Palestinian self-determination.

As workers and students, we are appalled to see that every one of Gaza’s universities has been damaged or destroyed in the Israeli bombardment, and 94 university teachers have been killed to date. In November, 15 Palestinian universities issued a call for “justice, humanity, and an end to 75 years of Israel’s regime of settler-colonial oppression and apartheid,” to which, as colleagues, we are duty bound to respond. There has been a wave of support amongst academics in Ireland, including over 950 signatures to an open letter circulated by Academics for Palestine, and other statements issued by Academics for Palestine Maynooth and TCD. Students in UCD have mobilised against the genocide and issued calls and collected signatures to demand action by UCD management. And yet as an institution, UCD, which condemned the Russian attack on Ukraine, calling it “a violation of international law” and “completely unjustified,” has chosen to remain silent on the ongoing slaughter in Gaza. 

It is with all this in mind that we urgently call on UCD to:

-Issue a statement in condemnation of the attacks that have devastated education alongside all other social sectors in Gaza, and in support of a permanent ceasefire.

-Recognise the ICJ’s interim ruling that the attacks on Gaza represent a plausible case of genocide and the court’s determination that Israel must take immediate action to prevent genocide.

-Suspend all formal and informal ties with Israeli institutions of higher education, corresponding to the call for an academic boycott of Israel issued by the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

-Ensure the safety, respect, and dignity of those members of the university community directly and indirectly affected by this conflict, first and foremost Palestinian students and staff, and condemn xenophobic and racist rhetoric on our campus. We demand the same for our Jewish colleagues, students and friends. There is no room for anti-semitism on campus.

In these times of deep mis- and disinformation, our job as academics is to stimulate critical thinking in the people around us and the institutions that they form. We note that we have tried, following the lead of undergraduate students at UCD, to ask the university administration to speak clearly about what is occuring, following its own footsteps in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Given the lack of a formal statement from UCD, we find ourselves left with no other option than to issue our own.

As Palestinian professor of comparative literature Refaat Alareer wrote in November, shortly before he was killed in his home in North Gaza by Israeli airstrikes, “If I must die, you must live to tell my story.”

Saying something is the very, very bare minimum. Doing so is a rational, moral, ethical and personal necessity if this work of our lives – to contribute to knowledge-building, to training critical thinkers, and to building a better world – is to have any meaning at all.

Signed:

Dr. Áine Ní Choisdealbha UCD School of Psychology
Dr. Andrew McCartan UCD School of Geography
Dr. Arjumand Younus UCD School of Information and Communication Studies
Dr. Bianca van Bavel UCD School of Geography
Dr. Carol Ballantine UCD School of Geography
Dr. Christine Bonnin UCD School of Geography
Dr. Declan Fahie UCD School of Education
Dr. Colette Barry UCD Sutherland School of Law
Dr. Dean Phelan UCD School of Geography
Dr. Dyuti Chakravarty UCD School of Sociology
Dr. Ebru Isikli UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice
Dr. Elizabeth Farries UCD School of Information and Communication Studies
Dr. Eugenia Siapera UCD School of Information and Communication Studies
Dr. Fiadh Tubridy UCD School of Geography
Dr. Geoff Boyce UCD School of Geography
Dr. Hao Cui UCD School of Sociology
Dr. Ieva Zumbyte UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice
Dr. James Steinhoff UCD School of Information and Communication Studies
Dr. Jeremy Auerbach UCD School of Geography
Dr. Jess Beck UCD School of Archaeology
Dr. Judy Walsh UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice
Dr. Katherine S. Kanne UCD School of Archaeology
Dr. Karen Smith UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice
Dr. Liam Thornton UCD Sutherland School of Law
Dr. Mary McAuliffe UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice
Dr. Matthew Donoghue UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice
Dr. Melanie Hoewer UCD School of Politics and International Relations
Dr. Michael Byrne UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice
Dr. Muireann Ní­ Raghallaigh, UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice
Dr. Orla Kelly Assistant Professor UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice
Dr. Patrick Brodie UCD School of Information and Communication Studies
Dr. Peter Tansey UCD School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy
Dr. Rosarii Griffin UCD School of Education, UCD School of Sociology
Dr. Ryan Lash UCD School of Archaeology
Dr. Sarah Donnelly UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice
Dr. Shane Mc GuinnessUCD School of Geography
Dr. Tine Ningal UCD School of Geography
Dr. Vincent Durac UCD School of Politics and International Relations
Dr. Zoe O’Reilly UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice

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Aa’ishah Buzakhar UCD Sutherland School of Law
Aaron Duke UCD School of Politics and International Relations
Adam Behan UCD School of Politics and International Relations
Aisling Hudson UCD School of Sociology
Aisling Phipps UCD School of Philosophy
Aleksandra Milenovic UCD School of Psychology
Alex Kennedy UCD Sutherland School of Law
Amanda Liddle UCD School of Geography
Amelia Coffey UCD School of Politics and International Relations, UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice
Ana Lucia Valencia UCD School of Philosophy
Angela Alnimri UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice, UCD School of Sociology
Angela Alnimri UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice, UCD School of Sociology
Annie MacDonald UCD School of Politics and International Relations
Aoife Allen UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice
Aoife Mc Closkey UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice
Aoife Williams UCD School of Politics and International Relations
Beatrice Metzler UCD School of Sociology
Cathy Darling UCD School of Philosophy
Clodagh Dunne UCD Sutherland School of Law
Cristin O’Gorman College of Social Sciences and Law Office
Danielle Smart College of Social Sciences and Law Office
Davis Hollis UCD School of Politics and International Relations
Dilara Uzun Doran UCD School of Education
Dominic Robinson UCD School of Geography
Dylan Murphy UCD School of Information and Communication Studies
Eibhlin O’Connell UCD Sutherland School of Law
Elizabeth Clifford UCD School of Politics and International Relations
Ella Nic Cionna UCD School of Politics and International Relations
Emily Rick UCD School of Geography
Era Selgjekaj UCD School of Politics and International Relations, College of Social Sciences and Law Office
Esra Tamtam UCD Sutherland School of Law
Eva Byrne UCD School of Sociology
Evelyn Rochford UCD School of Psychology
Faith Holmes UCD School of Politics and International Relations
Faith Whyte UCD School of Geography
Faye Carrie UCD School of Information and Communication Studies
Fiachra Barry UCD School of Geography
Finn Cleary UCD Sutherland School of Law
Fiona Nolan College of Social Sciences and Law Office
Frederik Volkmar UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice
Giuliana Rocca College of Social Sciences and Law Office
Gloria Pia Malandra UCD School of Philosophy
Gregory Timony UCD School of Politics and International Relations
Hannah Armstrong UCD School of Politics and International Relations
Hannah Whelan UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice
Heather Eogan UCD School of Psychology
Hind Amara UCD School of Sociology
Ieva Zumbyte UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice
Jacintha Vallely College of Social Sciences and Law Office
Jack Bergin UCD School of Geography
James Farrell UCD School of Information and Communication Studies
Jamie McLoughlin UCD Sutherland School of Law
Jill van Duin UCD School of Politics and International Relations
Joanna Long College of Social Sciences and Law Office
Johanna Dahl UCD School of Geography
Joseph Collins UCD School of Sociology
Joseph Hughes UCD School of Philosophy
Kate Bruton UCD School of Geography
Katherine Richert UCD School of Sociology
Kolbie Elisabeth Brown UCD Sutherland School of Law, UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice
Leah O’Brien Dempsey UCD School of Sociology
Leanna First-Arai UCD School of Geography
Linda Stone College of Social Sciences and Law Office
Loghman Hamehmorad UCD School of Sociology
Louis Toole UCD School of Politics and International Relations, UCD School of Sociology
Lucía Núñez Roncero UCD School of Politics and International Relations
Lucas Antonio dos Anjos Nascimento UCD School of Geography
Lucy Warmington UCD School of Politics and International Relations
Méabh Lonergan UCD School of Politics and International Relations
Maeve Harkin UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice
Mairead McCann College of Social Sciences and Law Office
Maisoun Qasem UCD School of Geography
Maliya Tadjine UCD School of Psychology
Maria Giulia Molinaro Vitale UCD School of Sociology
Mariana Suarez UCD School of Economics, UCD School of Politics and International Relations
Marion Bartl UCD School of Information and Communication Studies
Martyna Pawlak UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice, UCD School of Sociology
Meriem Oukacine UCD School of Politics and International Relations, UCD School of Sociology
Michael Kerr College of Social Sciences and Law Office
Morgan Harrison UCD School of Politics and International Relations
Nabilah Mohammad UCD School of Politics and International Relations
Nabilah Mohammad UCD School of Politics and International Relations
Nada Yehia UCD School of Sociology
Naomhán Mhaonaigh UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice, UCD School of Sociology
Nicholas O’Neill UCD School of Geography, UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice
Nina McCartney UCD School of Politics and International Relations
Orla Mahon UCD School of Philosophy, UCD School of Sociology
Orlaith Hennessy UCD School of Geography
Orlaith Rice UCD Sutherland School of Law
Róisín Ní Chatháin UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice
Rachel Bayer UCD School of Geography
Rashmi Guha Ray UCD School of Geography
Rhea Elizabeth Pothen UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice
Richeal Carroll UCD School of Geography
Rob Fitzpatrick UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice
Ronan Brennan UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice
Ronan Coney UCD School of Economics, UCD School of Politics and International Relations
Ronan Shanley UCD School of Sociology
Rose Shirley UCD School of Philosophy
Ruby Cullinan UCD School of Philosophy
Ruth Stewart UCD School of Sociology
Sadhbh McDermott UCD School of Politics and International Relations
Samuel Scanlon UCD School of Sociology
Sara Baker UCD School of Geography
Sarah Cox UCD School of Sociology
Seán Pender UCD School of Economics, UCD School of Geography
Shaam Mallak UCD School of Economics, UCD School of Philosophy, UCD School of Politics and International Relations
Shona Donnelly UCD School of Politics and International Relations, UCD School of Sociology
Sinead Olowookere UCD School of Politics and International Relations
Sinéad Mercier UCD Sutherland School of Law
Sofia Benesty UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice
Sofia Benesty UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice
Sonas McCaughey UCD School of Geography
Sonya Cotton UCD Sutherland School of Law
Sophie Carvalho Foley UCD School of Philosophy
Sorcha Mac Gabhann UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice
Klara Trane UCD School of Geography
Tara Aherne UCD School of Philosophy
Thibault Verlinden UCD School of Geography
Thomas Gavois UCD School of Politics and International Relations
Toma Arama UCD School of Politics and International Relations
Wagner Guilherme Alves da Silva UCD School of Geography
Yousif Alkindi UCD School of Psychology
Zahraa Jasim UCD School of Politics and International Relations, UCD School of Sociology
Zakia Laassri UCD School of Politics and International Relations, UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice