Psychologists for Justice in Palestine (PJP) invites you to sign on to a petition urging the American Psychological Association (APA) refute its endorsement of statements that are present in APA 2007 Resolution on Antisemitic and Anti-Jewish Prejudice that conflate anti-Zionism with antisemitism and statements conflating criticism of the nation-state of Israel, including its genocidal actions and other violence towards Palestinians, with antisemitism.
Why this matters? APA’s resolution statement reflects the rationale from the IHRA definition of antisemitism that conflates criticism of Israel as antisemitic. The IHRA definition has been used to silence and punish Pro-Palestinian activism and speech critical of Israel and/or Zionism, enabling justification of anti-Palestinian racism (including genocide), conflating nation-states with people, and obscuring the very real instances of antisemitism that all people invested in social justice must recognize and resist.
APA’s use of rationale paralleling the IHRA definition contradicts the principles of the APA Ethics Code and related stances on human rights and justice. Psychologists are ethically required to oppose prejudice and discrimination for all people, including Palestinians. We encourage the APA to acknowledge that Palestinians and their allies uphold the core principles of the APA Ethics Code, emphasizing that achieving liberation for some should not entail the oppression of others.
Mindful participation. We know, and want you to know, that students and professionals have suffered consequences for signing petitions like this and standing up for justice and liberation for Palestine. Indeed, these consequences are a major reason for this petition, as we believe that people should not be punished or doxxed for advocating for justice. Because of this, we (PJP) have thought carefully about how to simultaneously advocate and care for each other, particularly folks who are vulnerable because of their career roles/status or identities. You have the option to sign this petition and have your name public, or to sign anonymously and simply have us count you as a signatory who felt they needed to remain anonymous. If anonymous, we will simply describe aggregated career levels and APA membership. This petition is created through Cryptpad, a secure, encrypted, and open-source platform.
You can access the petition HERE. If you have questions about this petition, please contact us through our contact form.