May 23, 2024

CAFI Statement on Resolution in Support of CUNY Gaza Solidarity Encampment

We write as CUNY faculty members in response to a proposal made by the Gaza Solidarity Encampment. This proposal asks our academic union to “Cancel all forms of cooperation with Israeli academic institutions.” 

The resolution targets Birthright trips, which offer Jewish students a unique opportunity to deepen their historical and spiritual connections to their religion, culture, and heritage. The proposed resolution unjustly singles out Jewish students. The university has no right to tell any of our faculty and students where they may not go to visit.

Banning CUNY’s Fulbright and Perspective programs to Israel runs counter to the interests and rights of individual students and faculty members. Our students and faculty can decide for themselves on questions like this. The University has no right to ban such activities.

We welcome President James Davis’ letter of May 22nd, directed to members if the Delegate Assembly, where he observes that “Academic boycotts are not generally endorsed by academic labor unions - including the AAUP, whose founding principle is academic freedom.” President Davis points out that consequential resolutions impacting the entire CUNY community require considerable time for discussion before they are brought to a vote.” He continues, “The recent resolutions on the CUNY Gaza solidarity encampment put a very different proposition to us. They ask us to cast a vote in favor of a CUNY academic boycott of Israel not just on behalf of ourselves, but on behalf of the 100 members we each represent - and to do so without sufficient opportunity for their input.”

The demand that CUNY divest from all Israeli companies and ban all academic exchanges with Israel conflicts with New York State Executive Order 157 and thus puts CUNY’s state funding into question. The proposed resolution threatens to halt a new PSC contact by putting CUNY on the list of institutions that support a boycott of Israel. The proposed resolution threatens any possible salary increase for our underpaid part-time faculty members. The proposed resolution is a terrible idea for CUNY and a terrible idea for the PSC. 

CUNY Alliance For Inclusion