A group of Princeton faculty, staff, and students are circulating a petition calling on the university to divest from companies that are contributing to or profiting from the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. If you’re a member of the staff or faculty, an undergrad or grad student, or an alum or member of the community, please sign. Whether you’re or pro- or anti-BDS (but especially if you’re anti-BDS on the grounds that it targets the entire State of Israel rather than the occupation itself), this is a good statement to support, and one that all of us in both sides of that debate can unite around.

The petition reads as follows:

We, the undersigned members of the Princeton University community, are deeply concerned about the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and siege of the Gaza Strip, which are responsible for severe violations of Palestinian human rights.

The Israeli military has occupied the West Bank for nearly half a century in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 242. The disproportionate violence against civilians during Israeli military engagements in Gaza in 2008-09, 2012, and 2014 has been condemned by many, including the United Nations and Amnesty International. Israeli settlements, illegal under the Geneva Convention and illegitimate according to the U.S. State Department, continue to expand in the West Bank and East Jerusalem despite international condemnation.

Many companies profit from the illegal Israeli military occupation and siege. These include Caterpillar, which provides bulldozers used to demolish Palestinian homes; Hewlett-Packard, which produces bioscanners used to profile Palestinians and track their movements; and Combined Systems Inc, which manufactures tear gas used on nonviolent protesters.

It is time for our university to join institutions like the Presbyterian Church (USA), the United Methodist Church, the Mennonite Church, the Quaker Friends Fiduciary Corporation, and Teachers Insurance and Annuity (TIAA-CREF) in divesting from such companies.

We therefore call on Princeton University to divest from all companies that contribute to or profit from the Israeli occupation of the West Bank until the State of Israel complies with UN Resolution 242, ends its military occupation of the West Bank, and lifts its siege of Gaza.

Faculty/staff/students can sign here.

Alums can sign here.

Members of the community, including families and friends of students, faculty, or staff, can sign here.

Once you sign, please circulate this widely.