Tuesday 12-12-2023 - 09:12

GCU Students’ Association wants to express our support to all students and staff who are affected by the ongoing middle east crisis. We are not experts on Israel and Palestine and we do not imagine we have the answers to this ongoing humanitarian crisis.

Our simple message is that we stand against terrorism, war, and violence against all human beings. We believe that international law must be adhered to. The Israeli and Palestinian people have the right to live in peace and prosperity, free from terrorism, free from occupation, free from violence, free from fear.

We also wish to voice our unequivocal support of a maintained humanitarian ceasefire, as multiple UN organisations have done before us. It is crucial that prioritisation is given to providing humanitarian relief to those directly affected by the horrifying violence that continues to unfold.

You can donate to the Israel And Occupied Palestinian Territory Appeal. The Red Cross are a humanitarian charity that stands for neutrality and impartiality in times of crisis. We encourage our community to donate to relief efforts where possible and support any grassroots fundraising organised by a number of our student societies.

We know that violence in Israel and Palestine means a higher risk of antisemitism, Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian and anti-Israeli incidents in the UK. The Students’ Association condemns all forms of discrimination. These behaviours do not reflect what we stand for here at GCU Students’ Association and will not be tolerated on our campus.

The Students’ Association respects that our members will have their own individual views on this situation and we respect individuals right to peaceful protest in our local communities.

If you have been a victim of harassment, discrimination or witnessed anything on campus you can use Report and Support, an online reporting tool for the GCU community and members of the public to submit a report about misconduct they experience on campus.

Please also be aware of the support services available to students through the University and Students’ Association:

• Students’ Association Advice Centre
• GCU Support Services
• TogetherAll