To: UCF President Alexander Cartwright

As students and alumni of the University of Central Florida (UCF), we are deeply affected by the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Since October 7th, more than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed, over 75,000 injured, and more than 7,000 are missing. This devastating assault has been confirmed to meet the definition of ethnic cleansing and genocide by genocide experts.

The University of Central Florida is complicit in these crimes by their continuous relationship with organizations directly involved in the mass killings of the Palestinian people. Students and Alums stand together in demanding that the University of Central Florida President Alexander Cartwright

1. Break His Silence: UCF President Cartwright must make a statement calling for a PERMANENT ceasefire in Palestine. UCF President Cartwright sent a statement to students on October 10, 2023 standing with Israel and calling the events on October 7th “acts of violence and terrorism” yet after 7 months of ongoing genocide in Gaza has not called for a ceasefire or even acknowledged the ongoing slaughter of Palestinian civilians-half of whom are children.

2. Decolonization: UCF must recognize Palestine as a state and sever all ties with organizations directly funding the colonization of Palestine via birthright trips, study abroad in Israel, and ties to real estate companies developing on stolen Palestinian land.

Why is this important?

Every hour that passes without a call for ceasefire results in the loss of 15 lives - six being children. Additionally, every hour sees an average of 35 people injured, with an alarming rate of destruction as evidenced by approximately 42 bombs dropped and twelve buildings destroyed.

The threat that Israel sees to justify their war crimes: innocent Palestinian children. The average age in Gaza is 18 years old because of the continuous torture and onslaught of the Palestinian people since their occupation in 1948.

This onslaught has been continuous for the last 7 months. On May 5, 1.6 million refugees including 610,000 children were told to evacuate Rafah, the last designated “safe zone”. They were told to move to locations uninhabitable for human life. The Rafah and Karm Abu Salem crossings, the only area that allowed for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, have been closed. 

Less than 24 hours later, with no time for civilians to evacuate, Israel began carpet bombing Rafah. Israel, with UCF's help, is bombing, starving, and torturing the people of Palestine for greed and profit. UCF is known for their partnerships with organizations such as Lockheed Martin, often encouraging students to intern and work for Lockheed Martin. Students who eventually go into the weapons sector, helping this organization produce weapons responsible for killing millions.

These are not just numbers- they are people with hopes, dreams, friends, and families. We cannot stand idle while this humanitarian crisis unfolds. We demand that UCF make a public statement calling for an immediate ceasefire. Furthermore, we urge UCF to divest from any organization or entity that supports or conducts business with Israel, including Lockheed Martin, until it respects international law and human rights norms.

This is not just about politics; this is about human lives - our fellow humans who are suffering immensely under these conditions. Palestinians deserve the right to live peacefully on their own land. Ceasefire now. End the Occupation. Free Palestine.

Join the UCF Divest Coalition in urging UCF to take a stand against these atrocities by signing this petition today!