Sonali Perera

Overview

Sonali Perera [Sonali Perara] is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) and has defended anti-Israel activism on campus.  

As of January 2020, Perera was a Professor of English at Hunter College (Hunter).

Supporting BDS

In 2015, Perera signed an open letter calling for the academic boycott of Israel.

The open letter was addressed to the Modern Language Association (MLA), “calling on the association to pass a resolution endorsing the boycott of Israeli academic institutions.”

In January 2017, the MLA Delegate Assembly approved a resolution (2017-1) acknowledging “the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel contradicts the MLA’s purpose” and conflicted with another resolution (2002-1), that condemned boycotts against scholars. Therefore, the Assembly “resolved that the MLA refrain from endorsing the boycott.”  

Supporting Anti-Israel Activism on Campus

In September 2014, Perera signed an open letter to the administration of the City University of New York (CUNY) in support of that school’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). The purpose of the letter was to condemn the administration for not “respecting their right to organize events and activities.”

The letter suggested that the university’s treatment of SJP derived from “pressure from groups and individuals, both inside and outside the university, who have an interest in preventing open and honest discussions of issues related to Israel and Palestine.”

Signatories concluded by stating: “we will be watching closely to make sure that the CUNY administration—at the level of both campuses and the Central Office—respects the right of SJP to organize at CUNY without further administrative hindrance or harassment.”

Social Media and Weblinks

University Website: http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/english/sonali-perera/sonali-perera
Sonali Perera
Status:
Professor
University:
Hunter
Organizations:
BDS

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Last Modified:
05/04/2026

Photos & Screenshots

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