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PETITION BYU: STOP FUNDING ISRAEL

Hold BYU to its ethical commitments as an “institution that is unequivocally true to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Read About BYU Israel Ties

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What You Can Do

1. Sign a Petition

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2. Flood Socials

Leave respectful comments on latest posts or DM with a personal message.

BYU X BYU Instagram President Reese's Instagram

3. Write to BYU

Be respectful and always ask for a response on their position and how they plan to act.

BYU President Shane Reese's Direct Emails

Office of the President

Below is a template that could be used when writing your emails. Here are also some points highlighted in the article above:

  1. BYU must disclose its investments to allow for greater transparency and public accountability.
  2. BYU must divest from Israeli companies; companies materially supporting Israeli occupation and apartheid, such as Intel, Google, and AirBnB; and weapons manufacturers supplying Israel, such as Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and RTX. This mirrors the demands of students from Columbia, Cornell, and the University of Utah.
  3. BYU must acknowledge that the Jerusalem Center sits upon stolen land by canceling its Study Abroad and Travel Study programs to the Center indefinitely, as it did between 2001 and 2006, and either terminating its lease with the Israel Land Authority prematurely or refusing to renew its lease in 2037.
  4. BYU must end its silence and release a public statement that calls for an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza and urges government officials to do so too.

Template

Hi President Reese,

I urge the university to take meaningful action in response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and BYU’s complicity through silence and investments. In alignment with the moral values BYU seeks to uphold, I respectfully request the following:

  1. Transparency: BYU must disclose its financial investments to allow for public accountability and ensure our resources are not used to support systems of oppression.
  2. Divestment: BYU must divest from:
    • Israeli companies
    • Corporations materially supporting Israeli occupation and apartheid, such as Intel, Google, and AirBnB;
    • Weapons manufacturers supplying the Israeli military, including Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and RTX.These demands reflect those raised by students across the country, including at Columbia, Cornell, and the University of Utah.
  3. Jerusalem Center Accountability: BYU must acknowledge that the BYU Jerusalem Center sits on land taken from Palestinians. This includes:
    • Canceling its Study Abroad and Travel Study programs to the Center indefinitely, as it did from 2001–2006;
    • Either terminating its lease with the Israel Land Authority early, or refusing to renew it upon expiration in 2037.
  4. Moral Leadership: BYU must end its silence and release a public statement calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, and urge government officials to do the same.

Please respond as I’d like to know your position and how you plan to act. My true hope is that BYU will lead with integrity and compassion.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]