The Student Government Association passed “A Resolution Supporting Cleveland State University’s Student Population [A]ffected By the Ongoing Events in the Middle East,” during its latest senate meeting on Friday, Nov. 17.
Authored by Senator of The Edge Joseph Nappi and Public Policy Committee Co-Chair Cael Shaw, the resolution not only addressed the emotional toll the violence in Israel and Palestine has had on students, but also criticized university response to the violence, condemned discrimination, and called for a ceasefire and immediate humanitarian aid.
The resolution, sponsored by Senator for the College of Health Jayden Jackson, Senator of Student Organizations Hassan Shah, and At-Large Senator Lincoln Short, was brought before the senate in light of student concerns that have persisted in the last six weeks.
“As the world navigates through the complexity of ongoing events in the Middle East, it is crucial for us to recognize the unique challenges faced by our fellow students at Cleveland State,” Nappi shared during the meeting.
The resolution begins by establishing SGA’s “right to advocate for and represent Cleveland State University’s diverse campus community.”
Criticism of University Letter on Israel and Palestine
The resolution criticizes the University’s letter regarding Israel and Palestine, stating that it “did not reflect the perspective of the entire student body.”
Signed by President Laura Bloomberg and Board of Trustees Chair David Reynolds, the letter was released to the campus community on Friday, Oct. 13 and references a joint statement written by the United States and allied nations.
The joint statement condemns Hamas for “its appalling acts of terrorism” on Oct. 7 and shows support for Israel “in its efforts to defend itself and its people against such atrocities.”
Since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, which killed about 1,200 Israelis, Israel has vowed to inflict an “unprecedented price” against Hamas, launching a bombardment on Gaza that has now killed over 14,000 Palestinians.
The University’s letter received significant backlash from the Palestinian student community for its failure to address Palestinian casualties inflicted by Israel and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
“As such, it is our duty as representatives of the student body of Cleveland State University to represent their [student body] views,” added Nappi.
Student Well-being
The resolution, according to its co-authors, seeks to prioritize the physical, mental and academic well-being of students, referring to the negative impact of the violence.
SGA will work to connect students with additional mental health resources, call upon President Bloomberg to release a statement “recognizing the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Palestine,” and advise professors to exercise flexibility regarding academic obligations, as listed in the resolution.
“The escalating violence in Palestine and Israel has cast a dark shadow on the mental health, academic pursuits and overall well-being of our students here,” said Nappi. “We cannot turn a blind eye to the profound impact that this crisis has had on our Palestinian and Israeli students.”
The resolution also condemns antisemitism, Islamophobia and all other forms of discrimination and harassment at large and against the student community, deeming it “unacceptable” and a violation of CSU’s code of conduct.
Loss of Civilian Life
SGA’s resolution also states that “the intentional targeting of civilians is unacceptable and violates the International Criminal Court’s definition of War Crimes,” and calls for “an immediate ceasefire and release of hostages to protect civilians in Palestine and Israel.”
The International Criminal Court defines war crimes as “torture, mutilation, corporal punishment, hostage taking and acts of terrorism,” as well as “violations of human dignity such as rape and forced prostitution, looting and execution without trial.”
The resolution also urges the United States government to send additional humanitarian aid to civilians in Palestine and Israel, with Nappi saying, “we must use our vast resources as the most powerful nation on Earth and our voice as a representative body of this university to protect civilians.”
The Public Policy Committee will track its progress now that it’s in effect.
“As representatives of Cleveland State’s student body, we cannot stand idly by in the face of such atrocities and sit on our hands while students plead with us to say something and speak out,” concluded Nappi.
Clarification of Nonpartisanship
Shaw clarified that the resolution is not SGA making a formal stance.
“This is not SGA commenting on the war,” began Shaw. “This is SGA trying to help the students who have been affected by ongoing hostilities. This is about the people who are stuck in the fighting.”
Debate Among Senate
Senator of the Honors College Jack Whitman shared criticism of the resolution.
“Why do we not have a mention of condemning terrorism in here?” questioned Whitman. “Why do we not condemn Hamas and terrorist attacks?”
Speaker of the Senate Abigail Habegger addressed this question by saying that condemnation of Hamas is outside the scope of the resolution’s goal.
“Like Cael Shaw said, it’s not about commenting on the war as much as it is supporting our students, and this does focus on just providing those students with care,” said Habegger.
Whitman responded to Habegger asking, “Are you implying that a large portion of the student body supports terrorism and supports Hamas?” After Habegger reiterated SGA’s nonpartisanship, Nappi called to move to end the debate and proceed with voting procedures, for which the senate agreed on roll-call.
The entire senate voted yes, except for Senator of the Washkewicz College of Engineering Aaron Retych, who strongly voted no, and Whitman, who abstained.
Comment from President
While she was not directly involved in the language and drafting of these resolutions, President Kayland Morris expressed that she was “super happy about this resolution,” and even wished it was out sooner.
“It took us a lot of time to think about how we wanted to say–-how we wanted to portray it,” Morris shared.
On Monday, Nov. 6, the SGA Executive Board released a statement to the student body in support of students affected by “the tragedy occurring in Gaza” and being targeted on campus.
When asked why the statement was released nearly a month after the violence began to affect students, Morris said:
“During that month, we were gathering a lot of student concerns and student information. We did meet with multiple different people.”
Morris added that while the Public Policy Committee continued to draft the resolution, the executive board felt it necessary to release a statement in the meantime.
Additional Comment from Nappi
Nappi, thrilled about the resolution’s passage, shared his thoughts on the senators who didn’t vote yes on the resolution:
“I respect Senator Retych and I respect Senator Whitman. We’ve had a lot of very spirited debates in Public Policy. I don’t know their inner workings on why one of them abstained and one of them said no, but I always respect debate as long as it provides good input.”
Nappi co-authored another resolution enshrining nonpartisanship into SGA’s constitution that also passed through the senate during the meeting. When asked if passing a resolution on Palestine and Israel clashes with SGA’s nonpartisanship, Nappi said no.
“For me, personally–I can’t speak to what everyone else feels–what’s happening in Palestine and Israel is a human rights issue, not a partisan issue,” said Nappi.
Nappi went on to thank the students who were in attendance, among them being Fatima Abuabsa, president of CSU Students for Justice in Palestine—a student group outspoken in support for the Palestinian cause.
“And from a more personal level, I know a lot of people feel disheartened that our university has not made a better statement, I would say,” said Nappi. “And I hope that what we did today makes you feel heard, even if it’s just, ‘I am glad that SGA sees what we’re going through.’”
Temporary Ceasefire
Since the senate meeting, Israel and Hamas have negotiated a four-day ceasefire agreement that is allowing for the release of both Israeli and Palestinian hostages. This agreement went into effect on Friday after a delay, mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar.
The terms of the temporary ceasefire also allow for trucks of critical humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza.
Though it was set to end on Monday, Israel and Hamas agreed to extend the ceasefire in exchange for more hostages on both sides. So far, the temporary ceasefire has been extended an additional two days, for a potential end Wednesday morning.
Hamas has released over 81 hostages of the approximately 240 hostages taken. Israel has released 180 Palestinians.
However, local Palestinians are still calling for a definitive end to the violence. Israel is determined to resume.
The Last Seven Weeks
While Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack is described as “unprecedented,” many people have pushed back on that label, referring to the history of human rights violations committed by Israel against Palestinians, as outlined by UNICEF and other leading human rights organizations.
Several local Palestinians have said that Hamas’ attack was retaliation for “the cruel and brutal oppression and illegal occupation that the Palestinians have been enduring for decades from the Israeli apartheid state,” and continue to protest in the streets of Cleveland.
CSU Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) have pushed for the Palestinian cause in the last seven weeks, sharing in a public statement that while the group’s members “do not condone any acts of violence,” they “firmly stand with Palestine and its enduring struggle for justice, and freedom,” and “unyieldingly support the Palestinian resistance, which embodies the resilience and determination of a people striving for their rightful place in the world.”
The Cauldron reached out to Hillel at CSU and the Muslim Student Association in October for comment on the violence in Palestine and Israel, and has received no response.
Diana Schoder