The leadership of the country's largest group of professional historians on Friday vetoed a member-approved resolution condemning “academic murder” in Gaza, saying the measure went beyond the organization's mission. Announced.
The resolution, introduced at the American Historical Association's annual meeting this month, states that the Israeli military's response to the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023 destroyed much of the enclave's educational infrastructure and threatened Gazans' “freedom.” He argued that the right to live in the country had been compromised. Teach and learn about their past. ” After some heated debate, it was approved 428-88.
“We deplore the deliberate destruction of Palestinian educational institutions, libraries, universities and archives in Gaza,” the group's executive committee said in a carefully worded statement Friday, adding that the destruction was intentional. It did not take any position as to whether it had happened or not.
However, the group said the bill passed by its member groups did not comply with the group's constitution and bylaws.
“It falls outside the scope of the Society’s mission and purpose, which is defined in its constitution as “to promote historical research through research, education, and the encouragement of publication.'' Collection and preservation of historical documents and artifacts. Dissemination of historical records and information. expansion of historical knowledge among the general public; And we will pursue the activities of our tribe for the sake of history.”
The group's executive director, James Grossman, said the council voted 11 in favor of the veto, four against and one abstention.
The resolution, introduced by the Historians for Peace and Democracy group, is the first in a series of measures condemning Israel proposed for approval by member states over the past decade. The vote was open to all 4,000 members present at the annual meeting, and several members said the resolution was supported by a noticeably younger and more diverse crowd.
On Friday, Margaret Power, co-chair of Historians of Peace and Democracy and a former professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology, said the group was considering a response to the veto.
“We are extremely disappointed and shocked by the council's decision, especially given the landslide victory of the resolution against academic killings in Gaza,” she said.
Historians for Peace and Democracy said in the resolution that Israel had “virtually destroyed Gaza's education system,” destroying 80% of its schools, all 12 higher education institutions, and numerous libraries, archives, and cultural facilities. He said he did. As the basis for the accusation, it cited a statement by United Nations experts in April 2024 that said Israel's “pattern of attacks” amounted to “academic murder.”
The Israeli government disputed the report, saying it did not contain a “doctrine aimed at causing maximum damage to civilian infrastructure.” He blamed Hamas's “exploitation of civilian buildings for terrorist purposes” for the destruction of schools in the Gaza Strip.
At the Historical Society, the debate surrounding this measure was as much about the proper role of the organization as it was about events in Gaza. The organization, which has about 10,000 members, has stepped up its advocacy efforts in Washington in recent years, playing an important role in opposing state laws that limit education on race, sexuality and other subjects.
Some supporters of the Gaza resolution have pointed to the council's full-throated statement, especially in the days after Russia's invasion of Ukraine began, and accused the organization's leadership of double standards. I'm blaming.
Grossman said the statement was tailored to highlight historical claims made by Russian President Vladimir V. Putin to justify the invasion. “That historical story was considered false by nearly every professional historian in that region of the United States,” he said.
“Our criticism was based on his misuse of history to justify the invasion,” Grossman said. “A similar consensus does not exist among American historians on the historical issues at issue here.”
Grossman said the veto of the Gaza resolution does not reflect a steadfast reluctance to take a position related to the highly combustible issue of Israelis and Palestinians that has upended many college campuses. said.
“When our membership is deeply divided, we are less likely to take a stand,” Grossman said. But he reiterated that the issue here was what he described as a fixation on the group's proper “narrow” mission.
“Our ordinance requires us to focus on history,” he said.
