Dear Dean Veloso,

We are writing with grave concern on behalf of hundreds of signatories consisting of a multi-national group
of INSEAD alumni and students - including business leaders, IAA ExCo members and alumni donor
groups.

The impetus for this letter is your message addressing the recent horrors that took place in Israel on
Saturday, October 7. INSEAD has a long tradition of not shying away from addressing even the most
painful topics, and we echo your call to “firmly stand against terrorism, against violence, and against racist
narratives, including antisemitism”. We celebrate the empathy you have shown in your statement above,
which is part and parcel of INSEAD’s ethos.

However, one glaring omission in your statement is deafeningly silent: recognition and condemnation of
Palestinian suffering. In your 365-word statement, not once was this mentioned. We demand this not
because the people of Gaza are eagerly anticipating INSEAD’s acknowledgment of their pain; they are too
busy seeking refuge from the warplanes wiping out entire neighborhoods; too busy searching for food and
water because politicians decided they were no longer deserving of basic human rights. No, we demand
this because their erasure from public mention is the culmination of a pattern of dehumanization and
victimization that has directly led to the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza today.

Make no mistake; it is no longer “collateral damage” when the region’s most powerful army carpet bombs
one of the most densely populated areas on earth1, renders 1.1 million innocent bystanders homeless2,
and shuts off basic utilities to 2.3 million civilians as a form of collective punishment3. Already, more than
2,300 Palestinian civilians have been killed in indiscriminate retaliatory strikes4. Elected officials in Israel
and abroad are now confidently making calls to “raze Gaza to the ground” and create a “Second Nakba”5,
and public officials across the world are calling for an investigation into Israel’s actions for crimes against
humanity6. As a beacon of thought leadership, INSEAD must not be complicit in this genocide7.

What is also concerning is that this is not the first tragedy involving Israel and Gaza where INSEAD has
neglected the suffering of the Palestinian people. On May 15, 2021, during Israel's "Operation Guardian of
the Walls", the Dean of Students released a statement expressing concern for "those in and around Israel",
while completely ignoring the carnage taking place in Gaza8. It was only after loud outrage and
condemnation by INSEAD students and alumni that the Dean graciously extended an apology and issued
the following statement9:

1
Inside Gaza and Israel as rockets carpet-bomb the region and entire buildings blown apart - World News
- Mirror Online
2
Israel-Hamas war: Israel orders evacuation of 1 million in Gaza | AP News
3
Gaza's sole power plant shuts down due to shortage of fuel under Israeli blockade | CNN
4
UN says Gaza shelters 'not safe anymore' as water runs out for 2.3m people | The Business Standard
(tbsnews.net)
5
Israeli Knesset member calls for second ‘Nakba’ amid ongoing conflict with Hamas | Al Arabiya English
6
Commission of Inquiry collecting evidence of war crimes committed by all sides in Israel and Occupied
Palestinian Territories since 7 October 2023 | OHCHR
7
Israel Responds to Hamas Crimes by Ordering Mass War Crimes in Gaza (theintercept.com)
8
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“I apologize for my words in yesterday’s circular that have enraged students and alumni. I should have
stated more clearly that my thoughts go out to both Israelis and Palestinians affected by the conflict. I am
equally concerned by the civilian casualties on both sides and how this affects our INSEAD students and
alumni”.

This was followed by a petition and signature campaign sent to then-Dean Mihov and the entire EDI
committee of INSEAD10. In his official response to our letter11, Dean Mihov stated:

“I agree wholeheartedly that we could do a lot more to be part of the solution in this tragic conflict and in
promoting cooperation between Palestinians and Israelis. As you mention, INSEAD was founded to
promote peace and prosperity through business cooperation across borders. It will be incredibly rewarding
for the entire community if we could use our expertise, our knowledge, our passion to contribute in some
way to creating prosperity for Palestinians and supporting peace in the region.”

And so, for many of us in the INSEAD community, it is disheartening to see that we are again required to
wrest recognition of the Palestinian people's humanity and suffering from INSEAD at every outbreak of
violence. As a bare minimum, at The Business School for the World, this should be a given. Now, more
than ever, we retain hope that the current INSEAD leadership recognizes, much like its predecessors, that
being a “force for good in the world” requires consistency when engaging in solidarity and compassion.

Since INSEAD’s inception, diversity and inclusion have been its foundational values. It is what has
propelled INSEAD across the globe - with campuses in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North America.
These values are the reason INSEAD bears a unique responsibility to not merely address the problem
internally, but to leverage its considerable influence and reputation to set an example for other global
institutions to follow.

Therefore we, the undersigned, implore INSEAD to hold true to its core values by:

1- Acknowledging and condemning the loss of innocent Palestinian lives and rejecting the use of collective
punishment on a civilian population under any circumstance

2- Recognizing the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, national independence and
sovereignty in Palestine, as per United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3236 and Security Council
Resolution 1397

3- Committing to the development of a clear framework that governs how statements of solidarity and
condemnation are issued by INSEAD going forward, to ensure transparency, inclusivity and engagement
with all affected communities

4- Engaging with alumni to accelerate the existing constructive initiatives started in 2022 by Dean Mihov

10
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11
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5- Increasing representation of students and professors of Palestinian descent at INSEAD, by (a)
Recognizing members of the Palestinian diaspora and/or Palestinians living in Palestine or Israel and
granting them priority within INSEAD’s Admission Quota System; (b) Introducing new scholarships and
increasing existing scholarship amounts for Palestinians and Palestinian descent candidates; and (c)
Dedicating recruiting resources to attract top talent from Palestinian and Palestinian-Israeli citizen
communities

In this letter, we represent the fundamental principle that the right to life is universal and indivisible, and we
offer our time and support to help INSEAD make good on its promise to build bridges and make
meaningful change in the world. We look forward to your response and our collaboration on this topic.

Best regards,