The situation in Palestine and Israel is top of mind for many people right now, especially your Jewish, Muslim, Palestinian, and Arab members, and many other fellow social workers.
We, the undersigned, are writing to express our deep disappointment regarding the recent statements made by the NASW[1] concerning the recent violence between Israel and Gaza.
We are social workers. Our profession is rooted in social justice[2], identifying oppression, and being courageous on behalf of the vulnerable. That’s why NASW released its Antiracism Statement[3] – not because it was easy, but because it was and is right. That’s why we center the dignity and worth of our clients[4] in the work that we do.
Today we need to find our courage again: to hold empathy for those who have lost their lives no matter which country or ethnicity they are part of, while also holding accountable those who are acting oppressively. Policies of supremacy and apartheid have and always will harm the oppressed, disadvantaged groups and those they claim to advantage. They separate us from the dignity and worth of every human and prevent us from building a better future.
When our profession is silent in the face of documented human rights violations and what Amnesty International has labeled apartheid[5], it calls into question our commitment to our stated values both on the international stage and among refugee, immigrant, Muslim, Arab, and other communities of color living in the United States. It also alienates our colleagues who hail from these groups and perpetuates the idea that social work as a profession is not inclusive of communities of color.
We call on all social work organizations to call for Israel to uphold international law by stopping the genocide of Palestinians and collective punishment of Gazans, and to call for immediate cessation of the siege and destruction of Gaza.
We call on all individual social workers to learn about the antecedents of the current wave of violence[6], the international law on this issue[7], and the growing violations of international law[8], as documented by Human Rights Watch. Culturally sensitive care is critical, and for those of you who work directly with refugee, immigrant, and diaspora communities who are impacted more directly by the ongoing violence, please take the time to read more deeply. Haymarket books has provided some options for your edification: https://www.haymarketbooks.org/blogs/495-free-ebooks-for-a-free-palestine and https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/subjects/33-palestine
[1]https://www.socialworkers.org/News/News-Releases/ID/2835/NASW-offers-its-support-to-those-who-lost-loved-ones-in-terrorist-attacks-in-Israel
[2] https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English
[3] https://www.socialworkers.org/News/News-Releases/ID/2403/NASW-Anti-Racism-Statement
[4] https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English
[5] https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde15/5141/2022/en/
[6] https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/08/28/west-bank-spike-israeli-killings-palestinian-children
[7] https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/10/09/questions-and-answers-october-2023-hostilities-between-israel-and-palestinian-armed
[8] https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/10/12/israel-white-phosphorus-used-gaza-lebanon
The Undersigned
2/12/24 @ 5:30 pm Eastern update: We received several requests to reopen the statement for signatures. Therefore we are honoring those requests. We have updated the form to gather explicit consent to send you updates about developments. If you previously signed but are not interested in updates, no action is needed. If you previously signed but WOULD like updates, please fill out the form below.
1,175 Social Workers have co-signed the above, representing 38 US states & territories, and 4 additional countries.
The statement was delivered to NASW Friday 10/20. After initial conversations with NASW that appeared productive, officials there have completely stopped responding to our emails despite several attempts in November, December, and January to continue the conversation.
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PLEASE NOTE: Due to heightened tensions, we did not include the list of names with the letter. We are using the information you provide to verify that your signature is authentic and will then add you to the total count. We will delete email addresses of signers who chose not to be contacted.
This statement was created by a grassroots group of social workers not officially affiliated with any one organization. If you want to continue advocacy on this issue, please contact Social Workers for Palestine.