by Ryan Cornell for Eastern Mennonite University and available here
The EMU President’s Office released a statement on Tuesday, March 19, condemning the violence in Israel and Palestine and calling for policymakers to take measures to prevent the further loss of civilian life.
The statement was sent to all EMU faculty, staff and students at the Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, campuses. The full text of the statement, titled “A Path Forward: EMU’s Statement on Peace and Justice in Israel-Palestine,” will be posted online at emu.edu/president.
In the statement, EMU President Dr. Susan Schultz Huxman, with support from the EMU Board of Trustees, urges Congress and the Presidential Administration to:
- Call for a significant humanitarian pause – including a cease-fire in Gaza – to save lives.
- Prioritize and protect all civilians, securing humanitarian aid into Gaza and working to secure the release of all hostages; and
- Urge all parties to fully respect international humanitarian law.
“The significant loss of life, as well as torture, abuse, and mass starvation occurring among innocents — mostly women and children — are war crimes,” the statement reads. “This is unconscionable. The United States cannot remain complicit in violating international law while, at the same time, calling itself the beacon of human rights and freedom.” […]
