JHU SGA Israel-Palestine Discussion
Statement on Behalf of SGA: The Johns Hopkins undergraduate SGA will only release neutral communications on behalf of the student body. As a representative organization representing all student opinions, at this time, we will not take a partisan stance on the events in the middle east. This being said, the Johns Hopkins University Student Government Association unequivocally condemns any and all harassment directed towards students expressing their views and opinions regarding the tensions in the middle east. We support the free and peaceful expression of all students. In the spirit of academic freedom, we call on Johns Hopkins University to support and protect its students in all cases where they choose to speak out on world events.
The moderator of this discussion, President of the Senate Dalhart Dobbs, is an African American and White non-religious individual with no ethnic or religious ties to any groups involved in this conflict. He will be as neutral as possible in his moderation, ensuring adherence to the rules below.
This discussion will have the following rules, enforced impartially at the discretion of the chair and President of the Senate Dalhart Dobbs. These rules were also communicated to members of the public who will be representing the identities on campus affected by these conflicts.
- This discussion is meant to voice student concerns about events/actions on campus pertaining to the conflict in the middle east, so we are expecting testimony regarding specific instances of discrimination and/or violence that students might have faced.
- This discussion will not be a back and forth debate regarding who is on the “right” side of the conflict.
- This discussion will be factually based (I am aware there will still be disagreements), showcasing current events in a light that does not neglect/ignore any opposing viewpoints.
- This discussion will be cordial, there will be no raised voices, no name calling, and absolutely no inflammatory or discriminatory language.
- This discussion will not frame events using adjectives to belittle the loss of life on both sides – ex. 75 [insert group here] people were brutally murdered in the streets vs. 75 [insert group here] died.
If you break any of these rules, you will lose speaking privileges to ensure a productive discussion.
The discussion will begin with Dalhart reading statements written by each group followed by a joint statement: Muslim Statement, Jewish Statement, Joint Statement
We will then have a 30 minute moderated discussion in closed session on the impacts that this conflict has had on the student body and what SGA can do to ensure safety and equity regarding responses to these issues.
A press release will go out from SGA with an overview of the discussion done in closed session.