A.S. Government Resources

A Resolution on Palestine: The Mokat Act

WHEREAS, the Associated Students of San Diego State University (A.S. SDSU) is committed to upholding the principles of free speech, equity, and the full expression of student identity and political belief according to AS Bylaws under Article 6, Governance, Section 18¹; and

WHEREAS, A.S. SDSU has previously demonstrated a commitment to student voices by supporting student expression regarding the Russia-Ukraine war², it must ensure that it exercises
the same solidarity for Palestinian students in advocating for their political causes without fear of censorship; and

WHEREAS, A.S. leadership has taken steps to support Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) students, including initiatives such as the 2025 (SWANA) climate survey, and therefore strongly encourages SDSU administration to continue its efforts toward establishing a physical SWANA Resource Center on campus; and

WHEREAS, CSU Fullerton has passed a resolution condemning anti-Palestinian racism, and Sacramento State, through sustained student organizing, divested approximately $4.5 million In direct investments from Israel due to human rights violations, thereby setting a precedent for such action; and

WHEREAS, the California State Student Association (CSSA) and A.S. SDSU have previously passed resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and the West Bank and reaffirming students’ rights to free speech and advocacy (CSSA Resolution #2024-016; A.S. SDSU Resolution #UCBS24-017); and

WHEREAS, SDSU Academic Senate passed Senate Resolution Condemning anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab, and anti-Muslim Racism³ in 2024, reaffirming students’ rights to advocacy and expression; and

WHEREAS, as presented in Senate Resolution Condemning anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab, and anti-Muslim Racism, SDSU has experienced a rise in anti-Palestinian, anti-SWANA, and anti-Muslim hate incidents, harassment, and discrimination including: an assault of a student who was targeted for wearing a hijab; harassment of students for wearing a kuffiyeh; doxing, including death threats, of student organization members on their social media account for posting content in support of Palestine; harassment from staff and faculty members targeting Muslim and Palestinian students; and targeting students for holding the Palestinian flag; and

WHEREAS, on April 29, 2025, a Palestinian student leader, and a member of the A.S. Board of Directors, Mohamed Erekat, reported receiving written feedback from A.S. requesting revisions to a personal statement for a SWANA Heritage Month Instagram post on the A.S. Instagram account, including changes to the use of the term “genocide”; and

WHEREAS, after declining to make the requested revisions, the student’s A.S. social media post was not published, with staff indicating it was considered a political statement, raising concerns about A.S.’s role in suppressing student identity and expression without a clear or consistent process; and

WHEREAS, Mohamed Erekat felt he submitted a personal identity statement at the request of A.S., not as an official statement on behalf of the organization, and was not informed of applicable agenda deadlines that would have allowed him the opportunity to present his case to the Board of Directors; and

WHEREAS, the term "genocide" cannot be subverted as “political opinion.” The term as defined by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) was found plausible in an ongoing case abiding by the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention Charter and has been repeatedly invoked by international entities, such as the United Nations⁴, to describe the atrocities in Gaza; and

WHEREAS, international human rights bodies, such as Amnesty International, have identified Israel’s actions in Gaza, including mass civilian killings, forced starvation and famine⁵, bombardment of hospitals and schools, development of camps⁶, and the systematic targeting of journalists, as amounting to genocide and crimes against humanity; and

WHEREAS, a July 2024 correspondence published in The Lancet stated that, when indirect deaths from causes such as disease, malnutrition, and the destruction of health infrastructure are included, up to 186,000 or more deaths could be attributable to the genocide in Gaza; and

WHEREAS, as of January 2026, the Israeli government has imposed severe restrictions and officially deregistered 37 international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) from operating in or entering the Gaza Strip⁷, significantly limiting independent monitoring and making an accurate assessment of conditions and casualties difficult, and raising concerns about whether basic humanitarian standards are being upheld during the ceasefire; and

WHEREAS, evidence from news outlets such as The Guardian and Al Jazeera have documented Israel's repeated attacks on hospitals, including a double-tap strike on Nasser Hospital in August 2025, killing medics, civilians, and at least five Palestinian journalists⁸; and

WHEREAS, this genocide, perpetrated by the Israeli government, has been the most documented and deliberate mass killing in modern history, which has resulted in the systematic killing of journalists, reflecting a broader pattern of silencing Palestinian voices while enabling ongoing atrocities; and

WHEREAS, we formally criticize the presence of former Israeli diplomat Ido Aharoni, a visiting professor at SDSU brought by the Murray Galinson San Diego-Israel Initiative (MGSDII), despite his documented political affiliations that were immensely harmful to Palestinian, Arab, SWANA, and Muslim students. The university is expected to practice ethical, neutral practices in faculty hiring and instructional design that align with its principles of academic integrity for all students. This extends to guest speakers and presenters at campus-wide events.

Therefore, 

BE IT RESOLVED, given the undeniable evidence in this resolution, A.S. SDSU hereby recognizes the 'Israel-Hamas war' as "the genocide against the people of Palestine." By formally adopting this position, A.S. commits to reviewing and improving its processes to ensure alignment with its mission, values, and responsibility to protect student expression, including addressing concerns regarding past instances where student speech was restricted or not published; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution does not intend to target or antagonize Jewish faith or people, but instead calls for accountability from the Israeli government and affirms a commitment to condemning antisemitism in all forms; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the urgency of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is due to the Israeli government’s active role in perpetuating violence via illegal occupation and militarization; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that AS leadership brought MGSDII to the attention of University Senate and Student Affairs & Campus Diversity and the harm its presence brought to Palestinian, Arab, SWANA, and Muslim students on this campus. Furthermore, SDSU's division of Student Affairs and Campus Diversity and University Senate must collaborate with A.S.'s University Council to incorporate a presentation detailing selection processes on guest faculty and speakers brought to this campus; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that A.S. SDSU urges the university to adopt policies that promote transparency in donor and partnership agreements, including safeguards to ensure that external organizations do not unduly influence curriculum or faculty hiring; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that A.S. SDSU supports the continued development of a SWANA Resource Center, including the allocation of funding and a designated campus space to provide support and foster a sense of belonging for SWANA students, in alignment with the university’s commitment to serving diverse cultural communities; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that A.S. SDSU shall implement an ethical travel disclosure process for students receiving scholarships for international travel to countries with documented human rights concerns, thereby ensuring transparency, alignment with A.S. values, and the opportunity for students to make informed decisions regarding their participation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that A.S. urges SDSU to divest from all future investments in technology and services used by any nation state actively, or plausibly, committing crimes against humanity, such as but not limited to apartheid and genocide; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that A.S. necessitate the SDSU administration, including a direct acknowledgment from President Adela De la Torre, to issue an immediate statement affirming institutional support for all students, especially those who have historically been neglected, ignored and suppressed, including Palestinian, Arab, SWANA, and Muslim students, committing to their safety, inclusion, and academic freedom; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that this resolution be distributed to SDSU President Adela de la Torre, the CSU Chancellor’s Office, the California State Student Association, and student governments across the CSU system.