More than 1,000 scholars from New England universities and educational institutions, many of them the country’s most prestigious, have sent a letter to New England members of the U.S. Senate, demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. In the letter, dated Dec. 5, the scholars demand a permanent ceasefire; immediate provision of humanitarian aid; the release of all Israeli hostages and prisoners; and the deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping force in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. An Independent Commission is to be established to investigate the commission of crimes against humanity, with particular attention to violation of the Leahy law through the use of U.S. weapons to commit atrocities.
Using unusually blunt language, the scholars state: “We also write to emphasize—and for the record, to forewarn—that Palestinians face the prospect of ethnic cleansing and exponentially increased mass deaths in the coming days now that the Israeli government has resumed its military campaign in the Gaza Strip and the siege has not been lifted. In order to extricate the United States from further war crimes and a potentially genocidal campaign, to break the cycle of violence in Israel-Palestine, and to foster a lasting peace, we urge you to take the following immediate actions….” as described above.
