Dear Editors,
I am the alum (1996) and retiree (2018) from the Milken Institute School of Public Health whom Dean Lynn Goldman expelled from our listserv for supporting students in their encampment. The Hatchet reported the Dean’s statement in their daily updates on the protest April 26.
As a former organizer against the war on Vietnam and current opponent of imperialist wars, I urge students, staff, faculty and community to continue supporting the workers and students of Palestine, Israel and the U.S. to fight Zionism, genocide and repression. Zionism is another type of nationalism in the form of Jewish superiority; it affirms that Jewish people deserve their own land to avoid persecution and justifies the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.
The world is largely divided between those with wealth and power versus those who work to make them rich. This is true in Israel, the U.S., the West Bank and Gaza. (See the multiracialunity.org blog for the collection of articles on Israel and Palestine). While there is a long history of antisemitic persecution, Zionism and its wars do not make Jews safe. Multiethnic and multiracial solidarity will.
Universities and other educational institutions are part of the cultural landscape of a country’s ruling elites. They indoctrinate students with ideologies and false narratives of history. They operate like corporations, hiring the cheapest labor, paying low wages, creating precarious teaching positions and serving military research needs. Their administrators make millions and respond to their donors.
Yet, universities are also centers of dissent for peace, labor, anti-racism and climate. Kudos to all the students, Jewish, Palestinian, Black and white, who are organizing today despite threats of jail and suspension. Continue to resist repression, imperialism and racism. Engage with unions to stop business as usual. Elections do not change conditions even as Biden does his best to win over students with loan forgiveness and crocodile tears. Let your administrators know you will not support repression and censorship.
Karyn Pomerantz is an alum from the Class of 1996 and a former member of the Milken Institute School of Public Health.
