Dr Branwen Spector

Palestinian academics, particularly those in and from Gaza, are capable of producing high-quality scholarly work and research on Gaza and other subjects. However, their engagement in such projects is hindered because many are being killed, while others are trying to stop this violence. Now is not the time for standard academic exercises concerning Gaza. While many may have excellent ideas for books, journal articles, etc., it's important to save these ideas for later. The current priority is to stop the genocide. The book I co-edited on Gaza has been downloaded over 45,000 times, and 10,000 physical copies have been sold. Despite this, the last thing on my mind is considering "the next project" when my family, including my disabled brother, is in immediate danger. Academics, who hold positions of power and create the language that helps us understand the world, bear the responsibility to use language, discourse, research, and analysis to 1) educate and hold Israel and its allies accountable through positions that are courageous and bold; and 2) join advocacy efforts, like everyone else, to call for an end to the genocide. This is especially urgent as hundreds of Palestinian academics have been murdered, many have been displaced, and nearly all universities, colleges, academic institutions, and archives in Gaza have been destroyed.