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Dear John, Antisemitism on university campuses has reached a new level, and the epicentre is the University of Windsor. We need your help demanding that UWindsor reverse its appalling agreements with University of Windsor Students’ Alliance (UWSA) and the anti-Israel, pro-BDS, encampment protestors who have occupied its campus grounds. While other universities across Canada are taking encampment protestors to court, the University of Windsor has chosen to capitulate to the hateful mob by signing agreements with extremist organizers of the anti-Israel protesters. The University of Windsor has abandoned its Jewish students and emboldened militant activism. In these agreements, the university commits to preventing academic collaborations with Israeli universities "until Palestinian self-determination is realized" – thus subverting academic freedom and placing the burden of Palestinian statehood solely on Israel. These agreements erase the Jewish connection to the land of Israel, a fundamental component of Jewish identity for the majority of Canadian Jews and Jews worldwide. Academic institutions should be promoting the exchange of ideas and mutual understanding, not taking positions that enflame conflicts. The University of Windsor attempts to impose a single narrative on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, shutting out opportunities for academic debate, compromise, and dialogue – initiatives that would otherwise help unite campus members instead of dividing them. Both the University Board of Governors and the Government of Ontario can ensure the university reverses its agreements and that academic institutions are accountable for maintaining a safe environment for all. Send a clear message to UWindsor President Rob Gordon and Ontario Minister of Colleges and Universities Jill Dunlop, and demand that the University of Windsor rescind its ill-conceived agreements with radical campus protestors and protect Jewish students. Sincerely, |
