To Sam Hawgood, Chancellor, University of California San Francisco, and Michael Drake, President, University of California:
Recently, several alarmingly hateful, Zionist and anti-Palestinian statements have been made on social media by members of the U.S. medical profession (here). In response, Dr. Rupa Marya (here), a South Asian woman and Professor of Medicine at University of California San Francisco, tweeted:
"The presence of Zionism in US medicine should be examined as a structural impediment to health equity. Zionism is a supremacist, racist ideology and we see Zionist doctors justifying the genocide of Palestinians. How does their outlook/position impact priorities in US medicine? Zionism in US medicine -- coupled with the Israeli government's operations to discredit and destroy the careers of any critics, funded by the large donors who support US academic medicine -- is why US medical institutions have said nothing while Gaza's hospitals are bombed."
Clearly, Dr. Marya is a person of excellent character and moral courage who is guided by a strong ethical compass. Her tweeted statement thoughtfully raises the issue of Zionism in U.S. medicine, and encourages questioning why the system would permit violent hate speech against any human - in this case, Palestinians.
In her tweet, Dr. Marya does not suggest even the merest hint of perpetrating violence against any person or persons. Instead, she issues a call to investigate how much influence a political ideology (Zionism) has, or should have, on academic medicine in the U.S.
Why is UC San Francisco choosing not to support Dr. Marya? Why is UCSF playing a political game (see this tweet), instead of engaging in even the most basic of academic discourses? Why is UCSF telling faculty and staff not to wear Keffiyeh because it’s an alleged dress code violation?
I am not an academic, and I identify as Christian, not Jewish, so I have neither the credentials to argue about, nor strong cultural ties to, the concept of Zionism. Yet even I was able to do a tiny bit of online research to learn that both the legitimacy and purpose of the Zionist movement is hotly contested today, even among Jewish people.
According to Jewish Voice for Peace, Zionism is
“…a form of Jewish nationalism, and is the primary ideology that drove the establishment of Israel.
People who consider themselves Zionist have different interpretations of what that label means in the present political moment, to them personally, and historically. But when people refer to ‘Zionism’ today, political Zionism is often what they mean.” (FAQ - JVP, jewishvoiceforpeace.org)
Calling out Zionism for its political, ideological and systemic problems is not anti-semitic. It’s academic. And, like all debated ideologies, institutions of higher education are an ideal place for the necessary academic discussions to take place.
Refusing to discuss Zionism for fear of offending political actors is short-sighted and small-minded.
Institutions of higher education, such as the University of California, have an obligation to treat all topics, easy or difficult, with academic rigor and thoughtful consideration. While the study and practice of politics certainly plays a role in academic life, particularly in the U.S., academic administrators always have a choice to rise above baseless fears and biases-du-jour.
UCSF has an opportunity to courageously engage with Dr. Marya in academic discourse on the issues of Zionism and Palestinian heritage, and perhaps even begin to dismantle some of the biased systems that are causing discrimination and harm to your faculty and staff.
Or, UCSF can continue to react with haste and cowardice, from a place of political fear and ignorant discrimination.
These days, there is no shortage of information about the complexities of and political agenda behind Zionism. And so, there is no excuse good enough to persecute Dr. Marya and her colleagues, who are simply standing against oppression and on the side of human rights for the besieged Palestinian people.
Respectfully submitted on January 11, 2024 (a day which will go down in history as the day South Africa proudly stood up in front of the world, in defense of Palestinians in a brilliant effort to halt the genocide being committed against them in Gaza),
Kay Coughlin
Very well said and great call for accountability from UCSF. Support to this article in solidarity with Dr. Rupa Marya✨️
phew! this is so very powerful! Well said, Kay!!