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Social Justice

Calling for a Permanent Ceasefire in Palestine and Israel

Members presented a resolution at January’s membership meeting. The resolution was discussed, then tabled to February’s meeting. Members were informed of the resolution with an invitation to attend February’s meeting. After impassioned and civil discourse the following motion was approved. 

RESOLUTION OF UNION OF RUTGERS ADMINISTRATORS – AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS LOCAL 1766

Calling for a permanent ceasefire in Palestine and Israel. URA-AFT offered and moved adoption of the following resolution: 

WHEREAS, At least 25,700 people have been killed and 63,640 injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7th, and more than two thousand Palestinians remain in administrative detention without charge or trial; and the revised death toll from the October 7th attack on Israel is reported to be greater than 1,200, and approximately 132 Israeli hostages remain in Gaza; and 

WHEREAS, 2.3 million lives of those living in Gaza are at imminent risk if a permanent ceasefire is not achieved and humanitarian aid is not delivered without delay; and 

WHEREAS, Rutgers University endowment is invested in companies that actively perpetuate the apartheid system in Israel, such as Motorola, which produce surveillance and arms technologies that are used illegally in settlements in the West Bank; and 

WHEREAS, URA-AFT members come from diverse backgrounds, including Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Arab, Israeli, Palestinian, and more; and the nature of URA members’ work is to support the education of Rutgers students from a wide variety of backgrounds; and 

WHEREAS, criticism of the state of Israel does not represent anti-Jewish sentiment (sometimes conflated with anti-Semitism); and  

WHEREAS, on January 30th the AFT Executive Council unanimously adopted a resolution calling for a ceasefire and previously, President Randi Weingarten has affirmed the importance of unions engaging in issues of social justice beyond contract negotiations;” 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Union of Rutgers Administrators:(1) urges the Biden administration and New Jersey’s congressional delegation to immediately call for a permanent ceasefire and facilitate deescalation to urgently end the current violence; and(2) calls for delivery of prompt humanitarian aid into Gaza.