We are a group of concerned students, faculty, staff and alumni of Rutgers University, along with residents of New Jersey, raising our voices together to declare that the ongoing oppression and occupation of the Palestinian people and their land shall not take place in our name, with our money, or with our implied support. Across the country and internationally, thousands of groups and individuals are calling for an end to the economic support of the State of Israel that enables it to continue its apartheid practices and brutal military occupation, in violation of human rights and international law. We join those people of conscience to call upon Rutgers University to remove its financial investments from Israeli corporations and corporations who do business with Israel, with a special emphasis on armaments firms and others who directly support Israels oppressive regime.

In the 1980s, activists appalled by South Africa's apartheid regime called upon governments, corporations and universities to use the power of their financial holdings and investments to force change through divestment, or the removing of financial investment in South Africa or countries that continued to do business in South Africa despite its human rights violations. This movement for divestment helped to internationally isolate South Africa's apartheid regime and provided a rallying cry for activists around the world working for social justice. Today, Israel, backed by billions of dollars in United States tax monies and billions more in investment and economic participation by US-based corporations, continues its military onslaught, denial of human rights and racist, apartheid rule against the Palestinian people. As people of conscience, we can no longer allow this to happen with our tax money, with the support of corporations from whom we buy products, and with the support of the investing power of our university.

Therefore, we call upon Rutgers University to follow in the example of the movement to divest from South Africa, and practice truly socially-responsible investing by divesting immediately from corporations who do business in Israel, with special emphasis on arms manufacturers who directly provide the military machinery by which Israel attacks the Palestinian people. So long as the Israeli state enjoys the unfettered economic support of governments and corporations, its violations of international law and human rights will continue. It is incumbent upon all those who care for human rights to remove that economic support at government, corporate and institutional levels, and divest from Israel now!

Our campaign at Rutgers is initiated and organized by New Jersey Solidarity -- Activists for the Liberation of Palestine, a grassroots organization engaged in resistance and action in support of the Palestinian peoples right to human rights, national liberation, justice and self-determination. We come from various areas of the University community to stand for justice and to take action. We invite you to join with us.

For more information, please email info@rutgersdivest.org.