Victory at AHA 2026!
On January 10, 2026, members of the American Historical Association (AHA), the largest membership association of historians in the world, voted overwhelmingly to condemn scholasticide in Gaza and to uphold core principles of academic freedom.
From the floor of the business meeting, AHA members representing a coalition of groups including Historians for Palestine, Historians for Peace and Democracy, and the Palestinian Historians Group submitted two resolutions to hold the Association accountable to its stated mission and its “Guiding Principles on Taking a Public Stance.” According to those principles, “the AHA has the responsibility to take public stands” in a variety of situations, including “when public or private authorities, in the United States or elsewhere, threaten the preservation of or free access to historical sources.”
This historic vote came after a slim majority of Council members voted to exclude similar resolutions from consideration at the annual meeting. They did so in violation of the AHA’s bylaws and by refusing to extend even the most basic principles of the Association to Palestinians facing an on-going genocide.
Nearly 80% of business meeting attendees voted to challenge the Council’s anti-democratic decision. They voted overwhelmingly to condemn Israel’s scholasticide in Gaza and assist in rebuilding Palestinian educational infrastructure, and—following a parallel resolution also passed yesterday in the Modern Languages Asssociation—to oppose attacks on academic freedom in the United States. The resolutions call on the AHA to hold true to its principles by taking action in the face of the annihilation of Palestine’s people, institutions, libraries, and archives, and by committing to stand against attacks on education that silence protest against U.S.-backed genocide in Gaza
This work was made possible by a diverse coalition of scholars and educators, including past AHA presidents, professors from a wide range of institutions, K-12 teachers, and graduate students. We are the AHA, and we urge Council members to respect the vote and adopt the resolutions. The resolutions not only fall well within the purview of the AHA’s chartered mission; they also will strengthen the Association in its effort to promote the primacy of history and education as a public good in these dark times.
Here’s What You Can Do:
- Contact us at historians4palestine@proton.me if you would like to be further involved in our work!