By World BEYOND War, April 30, 2024
Since Monday morning, Madison for a World BEYOND War and many others have been on Library Mall supporting the student action “Protest for Divestment & Rally for Gaza.” World BEYOND War is a global movement to end all wars. The group calls on the U.S. government to stop sending weapons to Israel, and to stop all wars, which are organized mass murder.
Madison for a World BEYOND War supports the UW-Madison student encampment and its call on the university to:
1. Divest from occupation, borders, and prisons from Palestine to Teejop, by divesting from all companies on the AFSC list.
2. Disclose all of UW Foundation’s investments.
3. Cut all ties with Israeli institutions, including the Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund, Mosse Graduate Exchange Fellowship, and study abroad programs in Israel.
4. Call for an immediate & permanent ceasefire to end the ongoing genocide, and an end to the siege on Gaza.
5. Cops off Campus.
6. Stop the land grabs, cease expansion, house our community.
Janet Parker, co-coordinator of Madison for a World BEYOND War, explained, “We at Madison for a World BEYOND War endorse and support the student encampment on Library Mall. We revere the students who are speaking up to stop the genocide in Gaza.”
Stefania Sani, also from Madison for World BEYOND War, continues, “Our humanity demands that we uncover the real goals of war which are never the protection of people or the planet. Conflicts can and must be resolved by non-violent means. First, we must debunk the myths that wars are inevitable and that people are naturally greedy.”
Last week, Congress approved $95 billion more funding for wars, including $15 billion for weapons and military “assistance” for Israel while Israel commits genocide in Gaza. Bernie Sanders was one of the 18 senators who voted against the funding, and he described the vote as a “dark day in the US Senate.”
Eminent journalist Chris Hedges published an editorial on Thursday titled “Revolt in the Universities.” He wrote:
“University students across the country, facing mass arrests, suspensions, evictions and expulsions are our last, best hope to halt the genocide in Gaza. …
“There are many shameful periods in American history. The genocide we carried out against indigenous peoples. Slavery. The violent suppression of the labor movement that saw hundreds of workers killed. Lynching. Jim and Jane Crow. Vietnam. Iraq. Afghanistan. Libya.
“The genocide in Gaza, which we fund and support, is of such monstrous proportions that it will achieve a prominent place in this pantheon of crimes.
“History will not be kind to most of us. But it will bless and revere these students.”
A recent Gallup poll shows 74% of Democrats disapprove of Israel’s handling of the war on Palestine, and 55% of all Americans disapprove. Another poll shows more than one-third of Americans (poll here) believe Israel is committing genocide. Almost half of those surveyed aged 18-29, 49%, say Israel is committing genocide. An Israel Palestine ceasefire resolution now stands before the Wisconsin legislature, Resolution 92. Madison City Council unanimously passed a ceasefire resolution in December.
Madison for World BEYOND War agrees with the students’ demands and recognizes the history and the realities behind the demands. Asking people to be orderly and to respect laws is hypocritical when governments around the world – and the US government first and foremost – shamelessly break national and international laws on a daily basis. We humans need to reappropriate our instincts of cooperation with, mutual help for, and recognition of each other as individuals and as nations. Wars benefit only political schemers, weapon makers, and resource exploiters. Our taxes should be spent on human and environmental needs, not weapons to kill and maim people.
