Statement of support for Divestment:

I want to begin by commending students at Stanford as well as other Universities and colleges around the country for raising the level of discussion on the issue of Palestine and bringing this resolution to a vote.

It is time to recognize that since the establishment of the state of Israel Palestinians have been denationalized, marginalized and prevented from exercising their rights as a people to live peacefully on their land and to have a state of their own. This even though for decades Palestinians have demonstrated their willingness to recognize Israel and to live beside it in peace.

Israel has systematically and intentionally caused the displacement of Palestinians and to this day prevents them from returning to their homes. Israel holds thousands of Palestinians as political prisoners in its jails in violation of international law.

Israel uses its army and other arms of its security apparatus to terrorize Palestinian civilians within Israel, those who reside in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as well as Palestinians living in refugee camps around the Middle East.

Israeli bureaucracy imposes restrictions and demands upon Palestinians that are far beyond unreasonable and are designed to make life unbearable for Palestinians.

Finally Israel has committed unspeakable crimes by killing scores of innocent people during its assaults on refugee camps in Lebanon, the Gaza Strip and countless cities and communities in the West Bank.

Israeli security forces regularly terrorize Palestinian protests an peaceful marches and harasses their leaders and their families.

There must be consequences for regimes and states that choose policies of violence and discrimination. The divestment resolution is the right thing to do and those who vote for it will always remember that they stood for justice and for what is right.

I encourage you to pass this resolution and to align yourself with the great men like Desmond Tutu, and women like Mairead Maguire who support it.

Most sincerely yours,

Miko Peled

March 4, 2013

Miko Peled is an Israeli peace activist.