2. The conflict in Israel/Palestine: exec statement and members' reactions
The exec received several responses to their recent statement.
The EASA executive committee has received heartfelt correspondence from members over the horrendous events in Gaza, Israel, and Palestine. We have received messages of support and criticism to our original statement, from valued colleagues. We think it is important that these are published in recognition of some of the divergent views.
At the centre of this conflict are long term inequalities of power which have been reproduced in ongoing structural violence and resistance. The discipline of anthropology, attentive to the complexity of relations of power, domination, colonisation, and resistance, is able to offer a well-informed critique on the violence currently taking place.
While we continue to stand in solidarity with those who lost loved ones in both Israel and Palestine, the exec committee hopes that we can reflect the views of many of our members in condemning the use of ongoing violence.
The nature of the conflict is complex, involving deep historical structures of racism and victimisation, but there are surely some basic building blocks to a peaceful resolution. Reflecting humanitarian ideals, we ask for:
- An immediate unconditional and permanent ceasefire to halt a genocide in Gaza and the provision of all necessary humanitarian aid.
- The immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and prisoners.
- A commitment from all parties involved to building a peace process that offers justice, equality, and citizenship to all the people in Palestine and Israel.
- A process that will quickly bring food, water, shelter, and land for Palestinian people.
We understand the differences of opinion that will exist among colleagues and hope that we can create spaces of dialogue and debate in the hope that we can become wiser and allow anthropology to foster solutions.
View the letters received by the Exec since the statement .
Recently, the EASA statement was applauded and mentioned by the Catalan Institute of Anthropology (ICA) and by ANKULEGI, the Basque Association of Anthropology in their own statements.
