The CSU Student Government Association’s executive board reported to The Cauldron on the status of the senate’s latest resolution on Israel and Palestine—specifically, on the administration’s lack of initiative.
Bloomberg’s Refusal to Respond
Since its nearly unanimous passage in November 2023, “A Resolution Supporting Cleveland State University’s Student Population [A]ffected By the Ongoing Events in the Middle East,” was brought before the faculty senate at its last meeting of the fall semester. Faculty Senate President Anup Kumar praised the resolution as well-written, according to SGA President Kayland Morris.
However, not only did Kumar and the faculty senate express no plans in sending out a formal response, but the SGA executive board also lacks hope in CSU President Bloomberg listening to the resolution. Morris reported that Bloomberg has outright rejected the prong of the resolution that calls for her to release a statement recognizing “the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza.”
“As you know, in the resolution, it calls for President Bloomberg to make a response, and when asked about that, she said she was not going to make a response,” shared Morris about the meeting she had with the president during finals week in December.
In fact, Morris added that neither this resolution nor the resolution acknowledging on-campus Wi-Fi issues have received direct responses from administration since being sent out. They currently sit in faculty senate subcommittees, but several months later, no progress appears to be made.
The resolution not only criticizes the University’s original response for “not reflect[ing] the perspective of the entire student body,” but also calls for a ceasefire and immediate release of hostages, all while condemning discrimination and asking CSU faculty and staff to take it easy academically on students who are suffering emotionally as a result of the conflict.
Morris did not have a clear answer as to why Bloomberg rejected releasing a statement:
“There wasn’t any clarification as to why a further statement would most likely not be released. In terms of the other parts of the resolution, she made it clear that herself and other administrators have read the resolution.”
What Morris can say for sure is that Bloomberg “had good things to say regarding students being active in producing these resolutions and expressed empathy for the world events that are impacting the campus community.”
Morris believes that, at the very least, University administration should send out “a statement regarding campus resources,” as students have previously sought out campus resources through several administrative outlets and received no response, according to Morris.
SGA Vice President Alysha Syed called the administration’s response–rather, lack thereof– “disheartening.”
“To have things we [SGA] want to happen on campus be unacknowledged and unheard, even though we’ve tried our absolute best, is not only disheartening for us, but just as much as it is for the students.”
Senator for The Edge Joseph Nappi, co-author of the resolution, called Bloomberg’s decision not to act on the resolution “a mistake.”
“We had students who gave very personal stories about how their lives have been affected by what’s happening in Gaza and Israel, and we used their input to write the resolution,” began Nappi. “I respect Dr. Bloomberg, but I believe not acting on our resolution is a mistake and is a disservice to the student body.”
Morris shared that she plans on meeting with Bloomberg again to further discuss the resolution and its future.
Response from Students for Justice in Palestine
CSU Students for Justice in Palestine, a student organization that has been an active and impassioned collective voice for the Palestinian cause, expressed disappointment in a statement to The Cauldron:
“It is profoundly disappointing to witness the University administration’s and Bloomberg’s failure to respond and support the Palestinian community in a situation where their leadership and guidance are crucial,” began Zana Rida, president of CSU SJP. “Their silence or inadequate actions, at a time when their voices could have made a significant impact, are not just disheartening but also undermine the faith and respect we have for this institution.”
Rida highlighted persistent concerns for safety that Palestinian and Muslim student communities have felt, in light of both the events in Israel and Palestine, and what she believes to be a poor university response:
“Bloomberg’s refusal to address the issues of what is happening in Palestine and refusal to address SJP concerns, in accordance with the rise of hate crimes to the Middle Eastern community and the Muslim community. Multiple students have been concerned with their safety on campus, President Bloomberg’s failure to respond effectively is a missed opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to societal progress and responsibility. Their inaction or inadequate responses in critical moments reflect a disconnect between their proclaimed values and their actions.”
Palestinian students feeling unsafe on campus dates back prior to October 2023, with the notorious presence of pro-Israel activist Alec Popivker last year, primarily for his anti-Palestinian hate speech. He has since been banned from CSU grounds but is frequently spotted on public sidewalks and streets nearby.
The Cauldron has previously reached out to Hillel at CSU and the Muslim Student Association at CSU for comment on the violence in Israel and Palestine, with no response.
Comment from Bloomberg
The Cauldron reached out to Bloomberg asking her to confirm or deny what SGA has shared about her plan to not release a statement in accordance with the resolution, as well as for details on how the University plans to respond to the resolution at large.
The Cauldron has received no answers prior to publication.
The Last 10 Weeks in Israel and Palestine
Since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel that killed 1,200 Israelis, Israel has vowed to inflict an “unprecedented price” against Hamas, launching a mass barrage of bombings and militant force on the Gaza Strip that has killed over 25,000 Palestinians.
These numbers come from the Gaza Health Ministry and have been reported by several mainstream western news outlets, including AP News and the New York Times.
Almost 120 days have passed since the initial attack, and Gaza remains plunged in a major humanitarian catastrophe, including starvation, dehydration, severe injury and risk of infection, insecure shelter and safe zones, and collapsed healthcare and telecommunications systems. This crisis is outlined by several United Nations (UN) agencies, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the UN Health Agency (WHO).
“UN humanitarians repeated dire concerns for civilians caught up in the war in Gaza on Tuesday, amid reports of continued Israeli bombardment of the southern towns of Deir al Balah, Khan Younis and Rafah, direct clashes on the ground and the firing of rockets overnight by Palestinian armed groups into Israel,” reads a United Nations headline from Jan. 2.
Just in mid-January, Israel stood trial before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the highest court in the UN, as South Africa brought several allegations of genocide before the state in a landmark case. In the case, South Africa called on the ICJ “to order an immediate halt to Israeli military operations in Gaza.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanhayu deemed the fact that the ICJ considered this case at all a “mark of shame that will not be erased for generations” and condemned South Africa.
In the end, the ICJ stopped short of calling for a ceasefire, but “ordered Israel to do all it can to prevent death, destruction and any acts of genocide in Gaza.” Netanyahu pushed back against the ruling, saying, “we will continue to do what is necessary to defend our country and defend our people.”
CSU Community’s Activism
In the midst of seemingly never-ending violence and death in the Middle East, the CSU community has remained active and impassioned. From social media advocacy to local protest, the presence of the persistent violence overseas is potent here on campus, despite it being 6,000 miles away.
Since October 2023, students and alumni alike have stepped to the local forefront, taking to public comment at city council meetings and protesting outside the door of local events to voice their demands for local government officials to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
“It is so beyond me that this council and mayor have sat on their high horses for weeks while we have come time and time again to demand that you call for a ceasefire, and rather than even actively listening, you have shown that you couldn’t care less,” Summer Hussein, CSU alumna and former president of CSU SJP, shared during public comment at a city council meeting Jan. 8.
However, Cleveland City Council President Blaine Griffin effectively squashed any possibility of a ceasefire resolution with a statement on Monday, Jan. 29, as reported by Signal Cleveland:
“Cleveland City Council does not feel we are in a position to issue a fair and unbiased ceasefire resolution…” reads Griffin’s statement. “Cleveland has one of the largest and most engaged Palestinian and Jewish communities in Ohio. We will not alienate people we call friends with a one-sided, quickly-worded resolution…To expect Cleveland City Council to get this ancient conflict “right” is unfair and misplaced.”
Still, Griffin’s statement didn’t seem to silence local community members, who maintained their high public comment turnout that evening at City Hall to, once again, demand a call for a ceasefire. In fact, during the meeting, the city council’s lone Jewish council member, Rebecca Maurer, pushed back on his statement and called for a ceasefire.
Diana Schoder