The University of Sheffield Palestine Society launched an email storm movement demanding the university to end complicity in Apartheid.
For the past two weeks, Gaza, Palestine, has been under attack by the Israeli military.
As an initiative to support victims of the attack, on May 17, the Palestine Society put up an Instagram post requesting students to take part in an email storm demanding the institute to end their complicity in the ethnic cleansing of Palestine.
Nuha Mukhtar, 19, and the Fundraising officer of PalSoc (Palestine Society), said: “The initiative is to basically send a collective email to our university’s Vice-Chancellor demanding them to cut ties with complicit companies.
“With the current situation in Gaza, and the increased awareness of the issue, we are more hopeful that through this we can make a change.
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The attacks began after the increasing tension in Palestinian occupied East Jerusalem led to Hamas firing rockets as Israel ignored their warning to withdraw from the site.
This caused the Israeli military to retaliate by launching a series of airstrikes in Gaza.
According to The Wall Street Journal: “At least 213 people, including 61 children, have been killed in Gaza.”
“More than 1,400 Palestinians have been injured and tens of thousands have been displaced from their homes.“
According to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the University of Sheffield has over £126 068 in HSBC who “invests over £830million in, and provides financial services worth up to £19billion for, companies arming Israel.”
Nuha Mukhtar
Miss Mukhtar said: “This whole initiative is fuelled by the feeling of responsibility and guilt.
“The fact that we are putting money into an institution that supports an Apartheid regime, killing of children and innocent people is extremely bad.
“We need to do something and that’s the whole drive behind this action.”
Appreciating the support by the student, soon to be President of PalSoc, Miss Mukhtar, adds: “We have been noticed by the SU President who has promised to bring up this topic during the meeting with the university which is a very good thing. “
The University has not commented or shared any post expressing their support in solidarity yet.
However, Miss Mukhtar continues to say: “With the pressure of the emails, we are are still hopeful to see change.”
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To support the initiative, reach out to the UoS Palestine Society or email this template to the university’s Vice-Chancellor Koen Lamberts.