More than 1,200 political scientists, some of whom are the most prominent voices in this field, asked US President Joe Biden and other American politicians to press for an “immediate ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip and an end to the siege imposed by the Israeli occupation on the Strip.

The scholars said in an open letter that “an immediate ceasefire and the provision of aid are sufficient to prevent further catastrophic loss of civilian lives. The continuation of the conflict also threatens the hostages whose safe return depends on de-escalation of the clashes,” according to the American website Responsible Statecraft, November 21 2023.

The letter also stated, “The United States is Israel’s main sponsor and ally, and therefore bears a special responsibility for this crisis and has a special impact on it. The United States’ handling of the Gaza war so far has severely damaged its credibility and moral authority, and led to understandable skepticism about American statements about the rules-based international regime.”

The American website notes that the signatories to this letter, who also include prominent researchers in Middle East politics, join a growing list of academic and professional groups calling for a ceasefire, and saying that continued fighting will exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which has so far claimed many lives. At least 13 thousand dead and 31 thousand wounded.

While opinion polls show that the vast majority of Americans support a ceasefire, American politicians have rejected a permanent cessation of fighting, because President Joe Biden and many members of Congress claim that “this would be in the interest of Hamas.”

These efforts calling for a ceasefire, which “also condemn Hamas,” according to the American website, resemble an open letter issued in 2002 in which senior political scientists urged then-US President George W. Bush to stop the US invasion of Iraq.

The letters share some co-signatories, such as Professor John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago and Harvard Professor Stephen Walt, both non-resident scholars at the Quincy Institute.

Other notable signatories of the Ceasefire Letter include Margaret Levy, Jane Mansbridge, Lisa Martin, Rogers Smith, and Carole Pittman, all of whom previously served as president of the American Political Science Association, the leading professional group in the field.

Prominent scholars of non-state and peacekeeping movements have also supported this call, such as James Scott, Paige Fortna, and Melanie Cammet.

Lisa Weeden, a professor at the University of Chicago who helped organize the letter, said the broad support from the political science community stems in part from the letter's careful wording. “It offers a comprehensive perspective that allows important scholars with diverse viewpoints to strongly advocate for a ceasefire, she said. She added, that she was grateful to her colleagues who agreed to soften the tone of her wording to build a broader coalition.

The letter also said that its signatories “may disagree on the broad outlines” of resolving the conflict, but it says that “the crisis facing Gaza is very serious, and we demand that we put aside any disagreements about the conflict as a whole and end it, and we note the urgent need for a ceasefire and the entry of humanitarian aid.”

For their part, some of those who refused to sign the letter said that a “humanitarian truce” was more appropriate than a ceasefire, while others claimed that “the Israeli campaign, no matter how brutal, is necessary to ensure the safety of Israelis,” according to Weeden.

The American website says that Weeden is realistic about the possibility that the letter will have an impact on US policy, but she hopes that this initiative will strengthen pro-peace efforts by “expressing anger at the Israeli attack and strengthening political solidarity among other political scientists.”

Source: arabic Post