Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Arizona is horrified and disturbed by the letter released by President Robert Robbins last night that baselessly and inaccurately conflated our organization chapter with "antisemitic hatred", as well as the endorsement of Hamas' actions in Israel. Over the course of the past week leading up to the president's letter, our chapter had already received notification of concerns of possible violence, whether physical or structural against our support for the Palestinian people's right to self-determination.

Organizing an event on campus in this environment to show support for our Palestinian community and mourn the civilian lives lost in Gaza as a direct result of the ongoing Israeli siege has taken a toll on not only SJP members, but the Palestinian community at large. Robbins' letter fully displays the blatant hostility and discrimination we have faced in our attempts to uplift Palestinians and call for an end to war, apartheid, and illegal occupation.

Several of our members were subject to verbal harassment while tabling at an event on the UA Mall this past Monday and the Middle Eastern North African Student Association announced in a recent statement that their members, while also tabling on the Mall yesterday, were racially profiled and harassed by multiple students. These incidents, while occurring prior to the release of Robbins' statement, reflect the pre-existing vulnerability of Palestinian and pro-Palestine students and organizations on campus. In the wake of the president's statement, we were forced to postpone our rally planned for October 12 out of fear for the safety of our members and Palestinian fellow students.

In regard to the mention of the social media post by SJP National in Robbins' letter, we have made it clear throughout the years that our organization is independently run and led specifically by students at the University of Arizona. Associating our chapter with any and all claims made by other SJP affiliates is a gross misrepresentation of our values, clearly designed to misalign our goals and demonize our presence on campus. Members of our Palestinian community at the UA have lost family members and loved ones in the bombings of the Gaza Strip this week, and the goal of our demonstration was to express the pain caused by these terrible losses, as well as to call on the University to investigate its complicity in the actions of the Israeli military against civilians in Gaza that constitute war crimes and violations of human rights.

We will not be intimidated by unfounded labels of antisemitism or fabricated accusations of support for terrorism. This letter is yet another one of the extremely dangerous and defamatory statements made by Robbins against predominantly BIPOC student groups trying to exercise their right to free speech and right to mourn; it is the responsibility of the University administration to rescind these claims and work with the pro-Palestinian community to mitigate the damage caused by Robbins' statement. SJPUA will continue to organize according to our mission on behalf of the Palestinians both at the University and abroad, and we extend our unwavering solidarity with the men, women, and children of Gaza who are still suffering under siege.