A Statement on Israel-Palestine

Rethinking Economics International expresses its unreserved solidarity with Palestinian civilians and their right of self-determination. We offer our support and condolences to all civilians who have been affected by recent events. We are troubled to see any avoidable loss of life, whether that be the attacks on Oct 7th, the bombardment of the Gaza strip or the many civilians killed across the region. We also note the ongoing rise of islamophobia and antisemitism, and reiterate our network’s zero tolerance policy for both of these and any other expressions or forms of hate and oppression.

As an organisation which views inequality as a major global challenge, we unreservedly oppose apartheid, ethnic cleansing, imperialism and reaffirm the fundamental equality between all peoples. Israel’s history has been tied to the history of colonialism, at the expense of Palestinian people and we are dismayed at the U.S. and European support for the ongoing siege and its refusal to support a humanitarian ceasefire. Decolonising economics, a cornerstone of our calls for reform, requires teaching recent events in a broader historical and political context such as the military and economic interests in this region in promoting conflict and the exploitation of natural resources. We value an economics education that discusses power relations, the economics of occupation, challenges imperialist theories and that gives voice to Palestinians living under apartheid. 

We strongly advocate for all universities to preserve the right to protest against Israel’s war crimes against Palestinians and its history of oppression. We strongly condemn any universities and research bodies sanctioning students, staff and academics for exercising these rights and governments that have threatened international students immigration rights. 

We urge our members and university groups to make these key demands at their institutions:

1. Call for an immediate ceasefire
2. Protect academic freedom, particularly in response to the threats made against academics and students who are showing solidarity with Palestinians
3. Keep all students and academic staff safe from racism of all forms whether that be islamophobia, antisemitism or any other form of prejudice
4. Provide wellbeing and mental health support to students, academics and university staff who are anxious, upset or need someone to speak to 

Rethinking Economics International will be sharing resources on teach-ins to educate ourselves and others on the history of the region, the occupation of Palestine and resistance movements. We support all groups of academics that are campaigning for academic freedom and will use our communication channels to amplify any of these calls. We will consult with our members on what further actions our network can take to support Palestinians’ right to live in freedom and dignity.