We are individual staff and students of Loughborough University who wish to state our solidarity with the people of Gaza, against the retaliatory collective punishment ongoing at the hands of the Israeli military. We call for an immediate ceasefire, a reinstatement of food, water and supplies to Gaza, and an end to delivering Western arms to Israel.  

As committed anti-racists, we condemn both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. We refuse to be labelled anti-Semites when we distinguish Judaism (a beautiful, wise, ancient religion and culture) from Zionism (a nationalistic settler-colonial project). We join with many in the international community in calling for an end to the ethnic cleansing being enacted by the Occupation, propped up by Western powers who architected and enabled Zionist settler-colonialism in living memory. 

We call for Loughborough University to divest from companies who enable or are complicit with Israel’s war crimes. Specifically, we call for an end to the partnership with Caterpillar, which has been ongoing since the late 1990s and was renewed last year. We believe this partnership infringes upon the university’s own commitments to equity, diversity and inclusion, especially racial equity.  

We ask for the Loughborough University community, especially those who sincerely care about equity, diversity, and inclusion beyond performative commitment, to join us in educating ourselves and others, and standing in support of Palestinian liberation. 

We also demand that Loughborough University and Loughborough University London to:

• Open dialogues for staff and students to understand the challenges  Palestinian people are facing
• Engage in dialogues which promote solidarity with Palestinians
• Provide forums which provide critical discussions surrounding support for Palestine as not being pro-Hamas 
• Provide emotional and financial support for Palestinian students and scholars
• Direct students and staff to resources where Palestinians share their experiences and develop a seminar series or proposals with Palestinian voices so their knowledge and experiences are part of the discussion

Sign the petition now and speak up for Palestine!