The ongoing blockade and attacks in Gaza have become one of the worst humanitarian disasters in modern history. The deprivation of 2.3 million people of food, medicine, fuel, and education is considered a serious violation of international law and the conscience of humanity.
Historical analogies further illustrate this picture. During the siege of Leningrad in World War II, hundreds of thousands of civilians lost their lives to starvation, cold, and bombardment. Jews were among the victims of that tragedy. Today, the fact that people who have historically endured similar oppression impose a similar siege on another ethnic and religious group, or remain silent in the face of it, is met with shock and profound sadness.
The United Nations and humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned: Starvation in Gaza has become a systematic weapon. This situation contradicts the most fundamental principles of international law.
The blockade in Gaza directly targets not only the fundamental right to life but also the right to education. Universities are being bombed, libraries are being destroyed, and students are being forced to abandon their education. Thousands of university students and academics have either lost their lives directly or been forced into exile. This threatens the region’s academic future.
This is a test case for the global academic community. To end this persecution, we must speak out, establish solidarity networks, create scholarships and research opportunities for students and academics exiled from Gaza, international academic institutions (e.g., Scholars at Risk, Scholar Rescue Fund) must launch more visible support campaigns, and universities must stand with the victims instead of remaining neutral in humanitarian crises, adhering to the principle of “not remaining silent.”
After World War II, the phrase “never again” became a common mantra for humanity. However, the events in Gaza demonstrate that this promise has been forgotten. The Jewish people, who felt the pain of the siege of Leningrad most deeply, remain silent in the face of the persecution in Gaza today, a bitter irony of history.
https://www.ft.com/content/90aaed53-027b-4eed-be93-89632f0d2ea5
