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The University of Notre Dame calls upon its students, alumni, parents and friends to be a force for good in this world. Inspired by its Catholic identity, education at Notre Dame integrates intellectual formation with cultivating a love for and commitment to the common good. It is with the values Notre Dame instilled in us that we, the undersigned students, staff, alumni and faculty of the University of Notre Dame, express deep disappointment and concern at the University of Notre Dame’s complicity and silence on the ongoing atrocities being committed in Gaza. Our concerns come from a place of respect for all human life and a commitment to Notre Dame’s mission “to create a sense of human solidarity and concern for the common good that will bear fruit as learning becomes service to justice.” We follow the steps of our very own peacemaker, Father Hesburgh, who said in his address to the 1973 Pacem in Terris conference: “Opus justitiae, pax. Peace is the work of justice.”
We believe Notre Dame’s actions and ongoing silence undermine its Catholic commitment to human dignity and justice. As U.S.-funded Israeli attacks render a complete collapse of Gaza’s health sector, displace nearly 85% of its population and inflict death on thousands of children, we cannot remain silent.
We call for action on the following demands:
- In line with Pope Francis and the United Nations, Notre Dame must issue a statement publicly condemning mass atrocities by all parties and calling for an immediate, permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages.
- Notre Dame must end relations and divest from all companies complicit in war crimes and military occupation. This includes ending such companies’ participation in career fairs and presence in departments on campus. These companies include but are not limited to: Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Raytheon.
- In the long term, Notre Dame must use its institutional influence and leverage its ties with political leaders to push for an end to Israeli occupation and an end to unconditional U.S. military aid to Israel.
Our demands are made with the knowledge that Notre Dame has historically used its influence to address injustice. In 2022, Notre Dame demonstrated unequivocal solidarity with Ukraine following Russia’s invasion, hosting over 25 events covering the context and updates in Ukraine and extending institutional and political support to the Ukrainian Catholic Church. Notre Dame has also not been afraid to use a “Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions” method where necessary. For example, in 2011, Notre Dame chose to “take a stand against unethical labor practices” by forbidding merchandise produced in China to bear the school’s trademarks.
Yet, when it comes to Palestine and Israel, Notre Dame has not spoken a single word about the 56 years of Israeli apartheid and occupation and 16 years of military siege in Gaza, opting instead to ignore 80 years of historical context altogether in its last and only statement endorsing the violence following the events of Oct. 7. Meanwhile, Notre Dame benefits from a presence in the region, whether it be Notre Dame’s Jerusalem Global Gateway which hosts study abroad programs or the Tantur Eccumenical Institute on land owned by the Vatican, which hosts continuing education programs. This also includes its partnership with Tel Aviv University, an institution that continually withholds the stolen dead bodies of Palestinians as part of a larger policy of necro-violence and collective punishment.
Outside of its involvement in the Holy Land, Notre Dame also maintains partnerships and investments with arms-manufacturing companies, the most recent being Lockheed Martin, whose weapons have advanced the climbing death toll of over 18,900 Palestinians (44% of which are children). This comes in contradiction with the U.S. Council of Bishops (USCCB) Investment Guidelines which states, “From a Catholic perspective, ethical and socially responsible investing … requires us to evaluate specific investments in terms of how those companies or entities protect life, promote human dignity, act justly, enhance the common good and provide care for the environment.” The Guidelines stress the importance of “divesting” from companies that do not meet these standards. As the USCCB’s pastoral letter ”Economic Justice for All” advises, with each investment we must ask, “How will my economic decisions to invest serve human dignity and the common good?”
The situation in Palestine is clear. There is a massacre — which numerous reputable organizations and scholars are calling a genocide — taking place against the Palestinians living in Gaza. As journalists, scholars and healthcare workers are assassinated and academic institutions, churches, hospitals and schools are destroyed, Notre Dame’s refusal to divest from war and its ongoing silence indicates its complicity in genocide. We affirm our demands and ask that Notre Dame act in accordance with the Holy See in “support for a just, comprehensive and peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine, in all its aspects, in accordance with international law and all relevant United Nations resolutions, as well as for an independent, sovereign, democratic and viable State of Palestine.”
Dec. 17
The views expressed in this Letter to the Editor are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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