On Tuesday, March 25th, another victory for Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at Loyola University Chicago took place on the senate floor. The resolution to divest from Israeli occupation came back for a re-vote, which led to a 12-10-9 win.  

This win came after the resolution already passed overwhelmingly on March 18th, 2014. USGA senators faced much backlash from pro-Israel students, faculty, and external groups that forced them to bring the discussion of the resolution back to the table. 

SJP and its allies were put through obstacles that no other group or organization would be forced to go through. There is a clear double standard and abuse of power taking place. According to USGA President Pedro Guerrero, closed meetings took place with representatives of the Jewish United Fund, which is notorious for harassing and spying on students who advocate for Palestinian human rights. 

A day after the divestment resolution passed for the second time, President Guerrero voted to veto the divestment resolution. This decision was made despite over 1,000 undergraduate student signatures, and over 300 letters of support for the resolution.

In his veto statement, President Guerrero claims that the divestment resolution has caused “harm to our [USGA] constituency,” but failed to recognize the harm and systematic abuse Palestinians, including Palestinian students of Loyola University, face on a daily basis. Because of Guerrero’s decision, USGA’s senate narrowly missed a historic opportunity to divest its funds from corporations like Raytheon, which supplies weaponry to Israel integral to maintaining the occupation of the Palestinian people. 

Instead of making reference to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory, Guerrero incorrectly called it “the Palestinian occupation” in his statement. Guerrero also states that the resolution “highlighted two ultimate goals, to divest from companies that profit from the Palestinian occupation and to urge the university to participate in socially responsible investing. These are two different requests, and must be separated.” Divesting from companies that profit off human rights abuses is inherently tied to socially responsible investing and they must not be separated. Additionally, Guerrero’s denial of the unethical investments made in human rights violations against Palestinians should not be taken lightly. 

President of SJP and USGA senator Nashiha Alam said: “Although President Guerrero caved into pressure and vetoed a resolution that passed twice, we still see this as a victory and a step in the right direction. Many members of the USGA stood on the right side despite intense pressure, intimidation, and harassment.  And there has been a shift in discourse on our campus. People are concerned about tuition money being invested in corporations that commit human rights abuses in Palestine. There is an energy from a diverse range of students, faculty and staff who want to take action. We are winning.”

Rest assured, this movement for divestment at Loyola is far from over. In fact, it is just getting started. The divestment resolution has reached so many hearts and minds on campus and our resolution has forced people to challenge the status quo. The wide attention on campus gained from the divestment resolution has revitalized the Jesuit spirit by inspiring students to take action and strive for justice. 

SJP and our many allies and supporters will continue our efforts to remove our University’s complicity in Israel’s violation of Palestinian human rights.

On Tuesday, March 18th, the Loyola University Chicago Unified Student Government Association voted to pass a resolution asking Loyola to divest from corporations that are complicit in and which profit from the occupation and oppression of the Palestinian people. Nearly 1,000 undergraduate Loyola students signed a petition in support of the divestment resolution. Twenty-six senators voted in favor of the resolution, while two abstained. No senator opposed it.

Shortly after last week’s vote, the student government received a slew of e-mails from opposition groups demanding a re-vote. After meetingwith off-campus pro-Israel organizations, such as the Jewish United Fund, during the past few days, student government president Pedro Guerrero asked for a reconsideration of the divestment resolution at this yesterday’s senate meeting. However, even under pressure and intimidation, twelve senators bravely stood their ground and chose to stand up against injustice and upheld their votes in support of the resolution, while ten opposed it and nine abstained.

For Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), this vote is a victory and it is the first step toward achieving socially-responsible investment at Loyola University. Our organization maintains that there is no reason for Loyola University to invest in the oppression of any group of people, including Palestinians.

“I am so proud to say that I am going to graduate with the knowledge that we were able to make some sort of difference on campus,” says Loyola senior, USGA senator, and member of SJP, Rwaida Izar.

Just as students in prior generations helped to eventually bring down Apartheid in South Africa, we hope to do our part in ending the system of apartheid experienced by Palestinians today. We are proud that Loyola’s student senate has joined the growing, nationwide call for a more just and ethical standard of university investments. We thank the student senate and all who supported this resolution for standing on the right side of history.

Disappointment and I are not new to each other. Disappointment and I are long time acquaintances. Disappointment is my comfort zone. Disappointment and I have met a myriad of times throughout the course of my seventeen years of life.

Disappointment is my comfort zone.

Disappointment and I met in the winter of 2009 during Operation Cast Lead, when 1,400 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip were killed by the Israeli military and labeled as collateral damage. Disappointment and I met when I turned on the TV and the systematic slaughter of 1,400 people was labeled as a war by the mainstream media. The word ‘war’ implies two equal sides; a besieged population facing one of the strongest militaries in the world does not sound like a war to me. Disappointment and I met when I spent a month and a half waiting in high hopes for President Obama to say something as Palestinian civilians faced the Israeli military’s tanks, F-16s, drones, and Apache helicopters.

Disappointment is my comfort zone.

Disappointment and I met whenever I had to explain to my classmates that Palestinians deserve equal rights and should not be subjected to military occupation. Disappointment and I met whenever I was put in a position to make a case on why Palestinians should not be herded like sheep and have to wait for hours in crowds at military checkpoints, being humiliated by soldiers. Disappointment and I met whenever I had to explain why walls separating people should not exist. Disappointment and I met whenever my feelings on these issues were denigrated by teachers and classmates in spaces where I should be welcome to share my opinion, in spaces I should feel comfortable, in spaces where I should not have to affirm my existence.

Disappointment is my comfort zone.

Disappointment and I met when I stood on a sidewalk with duct tape over my mouth in support of Palestinian hunger strikers with a sign in my hand, and a man looked me in the eye and called me a terrorist without a stutter. Disappointment and I met when all I wanted to do was rip the duct tape off my mouth and scream back at him, but decided to silence myself, because society does not like when Palestinians raise their voices. Disappointment and I met when I scroll through my Facebook newsfeed and see photos my classmates post from birthright trips to the land of my forefathers, and I realize I may never have that privilege as a Palestinian.

Disappointment is my comfort zone.

Disappointment and I met when the University of California-Irvine put 11 students on trial for standing up and protesting against Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren’s speech. Disappointment and I met when the University of Chicago gave a platform to former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert, who facilitated the murder of 1,200 Lebanese civilians during the summer of 2006 and 1,400 Palestinians in Gaza during the winter of 2009. Disappointment and I met when those who stood up against Oren and Olmert were accused of attempting to silence the speakers. Disappointment and I met when the Palestinians who are actually silenced by the military occupation of their towns and villages were not taken into account upon inviting the officials who uphold their oppression. Disappointment and I met when the University of Michigan rescinded their invitation to Alice Walker, a social justice advocate, due to pressure from donors over her criticisms of the Israeli government. Disappointment and I met when I found that the University of Michigan will be hosting Ehud Olmert this school year, shortly after silencing Palestinian students when they brought divestment to their student government’s table.

Disappointment is my comfort zone.

Last Tuesday when senate was voting on the divestment resolution, I was in a trance. I was once again preparing myself to meet my good old friend, disappointment, even though there were no objections throughout the meeting to the resolution. All I heard was clicking, lots of clicking. Other than that, my surroundings were blurry. I was too occupied preparing myself for the embrace of disappointment. I was preparing my heart to feel strangled by barbed wire. I was preparing my throat to choke up. I was preparing my head to be pushed against the window of the bus on the 25 minute drive back to my apartment, tears dripping down my cheeks. I was preparing myself to feel like I have duct tape holding my lips together like the night of the candlelit vigil. But this kind of duct tape is different in that it is not an option to rip off.

Suddenly, the clicking stops. I am hesitant to look up at the screen. I am hesitant. I do not want to face reality. For once, I am not ready for disappointment’s condescending embrace.

Finally, I muster up the courage to look up at the voting screen. Disappointment was not there, but an almost unanimous vote in favor of divestment was. A smile bursts across my face. I walk out of the room. Where is disappointment? I cannot place the feeling I have as I walk down Granville on my way to Metropolis. Why do I feel so strange? Suddenly, it hit me.

Shock.

I walked into the student senate meeting preparing myself for betrayal. I walked in writing a passion-filled speech on my phone on why I do not want to be complicit in the military occupation of the towns and villages of loved ones. I was mustering up the courage to speak in front of a crowd once again. I was mustering up strength to see my fellow students at this university roll their eyes at me as I let my guard down in front of them, the way my classmates in high school did.

Shock.

For the first time ever, I did not have to explain my humanity. I did not have to explain why military occupation, checkpoints, and separation barriers were wrong. I did not have to explain why I am not comfortable being complicit in anyone’s oppression, especially that of my family and friends. For once, I was not forced to make myself vulnerable and validate my existence in front of a crowd. I did not have to deal with the anxiety of having to make a case against human rights violations, or explain why Palestinians should not be subjected to a different set of law than Israelis. For once, I did not have to put into words why inequality is wrong. For once, I was allowed to just be.

Disappointment was not there. I was allowed to just be.

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Loyola University Chicago Students Pass Resolution to Divest from Israeli Occupation

CHICAGO, IL (March 19, 2014)—Last night, Loyola University Chicago became the first Jesuit University in the United States to pass a student government resolution to divest from companies complicit in aiding the Israeli Occupation of Palestine. The Senate legislation calls upon Loyola University Chicago to remove its holdings from eight specific companies that play active roles in the human rights abuses committed by the Israeli Government.

The first corporation listed, Caterpillar, sustains the occupation by providing tools and bulldozers to destroy Palestinian infrastructure such as homes, neighborhoods, and agricultural fields. Caterpillar tools also aid in the expansion of illegal settlements as declared by the United Nations. The second corporation, General Electric (GE), manufactures engines used for the same helicopters that violate human rights violations by attacking Palestinian civilians. Hewlitt-Packard Company (HP), similar to the aforementioned companies, also aids in the systemic oppression of Palestine. HP provides discriminatory identification systems used by the Israeli militarycheckpoints and profits from mass incarceration. Group 4 Securicor (G4S), Raytheon, Elbit Systems, SodaStream, and Veolia are the remaining companies that complete the list.

By passing this piece of legislation, the student body at Loyola University Chicago is asking for further and constant examination of Loyola’s assets for future investments. In the policy statement on Socially Responsible Investing (SRI), the Board of Trustees claims to commit to a social mission with the promotion of social justice. Divesting from these companies remains true to this statement and ensures that Loyola is not profiting from companies that contradict Jesuit traditions and values. Senator Nashiha Alam supports this in her speech of affirmation by saying, “…the university has a responsibility to filter our investments and have an investment screen. We [the students] are responsible for making these ethical investments.”

Students for Justice in Palestine at Loyola University Chicago (SJP) has been working on a divestment campaign since 2012. After gathering over 800 undergraduate student signatures in support of divestment, SJP introduced the legislation to the Unified Student Government Association (USGA) for deliberation. The Senate meeting was full of outside community supporters as well as current students passionate about the cause. USGA Senator MelindaBunnage speaks in favor of the Divestment legislation “I think this piece of legislation has potential to be really effective. USGA worries about the community and student support but it’s clear that passing this is very important to our student body.”

SJP LUC hopes that this success signals the beginning of future successes for other universities and Jesuit institutions across the United States. It is the students’ responsibility as crucial members of society to draw attention to these immoral acts against an entire population and by passing divestment, Loyola University Chicago is making an influential difference.