Dear members of Freie Universität,

We have been in a state of shock since the horrific terrorist attack carried out against Israel on October 7, 2023, and all the suffering wrought in its wake. Because human rights and international law are unassailable, we are also deeply troubled by the escalating violence and its disastrous humanitarian consequences for the civilian population in Gaza. We mourn for the innocent victims of this conflict and wish to share our sincerest condolences with all those who have lost family members and friends and with those who continue to fear for the safety of their loved ones.

We have also been alarmed by flaring tensions in our society - as well as on our campus - that have been brought about by hate speech and incitements to hatred, whether that be antisemitism, conflation of Jews and Israelis with the actions of the state of Israel, racism against people from a Palestinian background, Islamophobia, or anti-Arab racism. We also wish to acknowledge the fears and anxieties harbored by our students and employees, who are directly impacted by this situation and its ripple effects.

In order to foster an atmosphere of trust and establish a feeling of security among the members of our community, we have taken it upon ourselves to make the quintessential principles of respectful, open, and responsible dialogue the bedrock of our words and deeds. To put it plainly, we will talk to each other, listen to each other, respect each other, and join together in the pursuit of ideas and solutions.

People from over 150 nations - and from many different origins and religious backgrounds - study, teach, and work at Freie Universität Berlin. We have a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of discrimination on the basis of nationality, ethnicity, religion, beliefs, or social background. With due sensitivity given to the role played by differences, such as power dynamics, and a deep appreciation of diversity, Freie Universität and its members are dedicated to promoting respectful and fair interactions at our university and beyond. This is how we ensure that the context in which all members teach, study, and work is one where they are treated with dignity and respected as complex human beings with a myriad of diverse personal characteristics and lived realities. It is how we create a campus where everyone can feel safe.

We are committed to our university remaining a place where hatred, violence, and discrimination do not take hold and are actively countered. As members of the Executive Board at Freie Universität Berlin, we thus wish to make the following clear:

- Antisemitism will not be tolerated on our campus. Statements, posters, symbols (on clothing for example), and actions that are antisemitic in nature will be reported to the police.

- Islamophobia as well as anti-Arab and anti-Muslim racism have no place at our university. Statements, posters, and actions that are Islamophobic in nature or discriminate against people who might be perceived as Arab or Palestinian will not be tolerated and, if they violate the law, will be reported to the police.

- As a university we serve as a forum for the exchange of different viewpoints through objective and constructive discussion against the background of an open and democratic discursive space characterized by mutual respect. The same rules that apply to democracy in the public sphere also apply to conduct on our campus, and we will not condone any challenges to these rules.

- We are setting up spaces for discussions and individual counseling sessions that will be open to all members of the university who have been experiencing pronounced and prolonged psychological stress due to ongoing current events. Freie Universität Berlin must be a place where all students and employees - no matter where they come from and what they believe in - feel safe at all times.

In line with our founding values, we take our sense of responsibility for wider society very seriously. That is because those very values - truth, justice, and freedom - are also the cornerstones of our society and democracy. As an academic institution we want to bring communities together and foster social cohesion in the face of growing polarization.

We, the members of the Executive Board of Freie Universität Berlin, are interested in engaging with you in conversations and dialogue.

Professor Günter M. Ziegler, President

Professor Verena Blechinger-Talcott, Executive Vice President (VP1)

Professor Georg Bertram, Vice President (VP2)

Professor Sven Chojnacki, Vice President (VP3)

Professor Petra Knaus, Vice President (VP4)

Andrea Güttner, Director of Administration and Finance (temporarily entrusted with the performance of official duties)