SCHOLASTICIDE IN GAZA!
Every year historians from the U.S. and abroad gather for the annual meeting of the American Historical Association. In January of 2025 Historians for Peace and Democracy asked their colleagues to join with us to pass a resolution condemning the ongoing Israeli destruction of the Palestinian education system, and the killing of its staff and students.
Our colleagues responded with overwhelming support, voting 428 to 88 in favor of the resolution. This was the culmination of a lot of work by H-PAD members and many others outraged by the destruction of the education system in Gaza, and the death of thousands of its teachers and students. Since the passage of the resolution there has been coverage in Haaretz, in The New York Times, Inside Higher Education, on Democracy Now!, and elsewhere. If you support the resolution but weren’t able to attend the meeting, we urge you to help us prepare for what comes next.
Click here for more information on the resolution and why H-PAD members support it!
Active Since October 2023
The Israel-Palestine Working Group
Ceasefire Now!
The Israel Palestine Working Group of H-PAD has been working since October 2023 to promote a ceasefire and humanitarian aid to Gaza. We also oppose U.S. military aid to Israel, which only serves to prolong the war and increase the suffering of Palestinians and the destruction of Gaza.
- H-PAD Statement on Escalation of Violence in Israel and Palestine (joint statement with other organizations, October 15, 2023)
- Statement from H-PAD Co-chairs on Escalation of Israeli Violence in Gaza (October 12, 2023)
Recommended Reading
- H-PAD Recommended Reading on Palestine and Israel (October 17, 2023)
We have collected a sampling of some of the best English-language analysis from progressive and anti-imperialist voices that have appeared since October 7th.
We know that no amount of analysis or contextualization can soothe the pain that many people on every side are feeling. But we believe these voices can help inform our efforts to demand an immediate ceasefire to prevent the further escalation of the U.S.-backed Israeli war in Gaza, while also addressing the root causes of the violence, supporting non-terrorist means of resistance to the occupation, and forging a future in which Palestinians and Jews can both live with dignity and security.
Ongoing Action
We have written letters to elected legislators, to the editors of the Chicago Tribune, the Orlando Sentinel, and the Daytona Beach News-Journal, and published articles in The Nation and El Espectador (Bogota, Colombia).
We have also produced a series of short videos on various aspects of the crisis. You can view them on youtube or our other social media channels, and are designed to be shared.
We hope you will join us in our work! If you think you can contribute, please contact Margaret Power at cochairs@historiansforpeace.org.
Statement, January 6, 2024
In Defense of the Right to Learn
A Resolution Passed by members of the American Historical Association at the Annual Meeting, January 6, 2024
The American Historical Association (AHA) will continue to vigorously:
- uphold accuracy in history teaching;
- intervene where appropriate and encourage members to organize against attacks on history and the work of historians;
- defend academic freedom and job security for history teachers at every level;
- write editorials and letters-to-the-editor defending teachers, librarians, and school board members; and
- testify before legislative bodies and school boards about the right to learn.
The Association welcomes support from its members for such activities.
January 3-6, 2025 in New York City
H-PAD at the AHA
In January of 2024 H-PAD held a radical history mini-conference within the larger AHA annual meeting in San Francisco. We sponsored 17 radical history sessions, held a vigil for the people of Gaza, and we proposed a resolution at the AHA business meeting calling on historians to oppose the suppression of academic freedom and honest education; it was approved unanimously.
We will be doing this again at the AHA Annual Meeting for 2025 in New York City.
Last Updated December 2023
Culture Wars Against Education Archive
Historians for Peace and Democracy has compiled an archive of materials on the past and present of the culture wars and responses to them. We hope this archive will help teachers and students on all levels educate themselves about the current crisis and find constructive ways to respond to it. The archive provides a variety of resources that will be useful as well for journalists, commentators, politicians, and the general public. Contents will be updated regularly.
Get Involved in H-PAD
How Historians Can Support Our Efforts
Support educators
Join Historians on Call
Historians-on-Call connects historians with local struggles and opportunities to support educators. To date, more than 90 historians have signed up from Arizona, California, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and other states.
If you are a professional historian, we invite you to join Historians on Call. Visit our Current Activities page to learn more.
Become a member
Join H-PAD as an Active or Supporting Member
Consider becoming a member of Historians for Peace and Democracy. We have two types of membership to reflect our members’ different capacities: “Supporting members” receive communications from us about our activities and possible actions they might consider taking, while “Active members” are asked to indicate areas on which they would be interested in working. These currently include Historians on Call, the Culture Wars against Education Archive, the Legislative Action Working group, and the Israel-Palestine Working Group.
See our Current Activities for more information…
Contribute
Make a Donation
We have no member dues at this time. Instead, we rely on donations so that our network can continue to grow. Please consider committing to make a small monthly donation–our monthly “sustainers” make what we do possible.
Every dollar that you contribute goes directly to amplifying the voices of historians who support pro-democracy and anti-militarist movements at home and abroad.
Thank you for contributing to our work
Contact H-PAD
To donate by check, make it out to Historians for Peace & Democracy and mail it to:
Historians for Peace and Democracy
PO Box 108
Canal Street Station
New York NY 10013
United States of America
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