All colleges should be banning Students for Justice in Palestine

Since Hamas’ brutal massacre of 1,400 Israelis and 23 Americans on October 7th, pro-Hamas demonstrations at many prominent universities have shocked Americans.

The sudden campus protests erupted after the nationwide Students for Justice in Palestine announced that October 12th would be a “day of resistance” on campuses across the country. The SJP public called the Hamas attack “a historic victory for Palestinian resistance,” and many of SJP’s 200 chapter organizations praised Hamas’ brutal terrorist attacks, condemned Israel, called for its destruction, and called for the U.S. Organized protests against aid.

The University of Minnesota chapter of SJP declared on Instagram, “The resistance incident that occurred on Saturday, October 7th is the result of a brutal settler-colonial nation-state.” [Israel]” On October 12, a bake sale was held “in loving memory of the Palestinian martyrs.” On October 21, he led 8,000 pro-Hamas protesters at the state capitol. University Campus Marxists (Students of the Socialist Revolution) also participated, and SJP UMN held an “emergency public meeting” on campus.

It “unequivocally called for a communist movement here to defeat U.S. imperialism. Intifada until victory!” In a November 1 post, SJP UMN boasted:[o]ver 4,000 people marched through downtown…as war criminal Joe Biden visited the state. ”

Despite clearly promoting violence and the overthrow of the U.S. government, SJP UMN remains officially recognizedA student organization supported by the university.

Hamas’ first attack on Israel occurred on October 7, while SJP’s Columbia University branch was still underway. called Students were asked to gather on campus before heading to the “All Out For Palestine” demonstration in Times Square on Oct. 8. On October 11, a 24-year-old Israeli student was physically assaulted by a 19-year-old boy while handling objects. By distributing flyers on campus, Columbia University urged campus closures on October 12, SJP’s self-proclaimed national “day of resistance.”

Harvard University’s Palestine Solidarity Group organized masked student demonstrations chanting “Intifada!” Intifada! Intifada! From the river to the sea Palestine will be free! ” “has been held.dieHolding up a placard that read, “Hold Harvard University Accountable for Supporting Genocide.” After the physical assault of an Israeli Harvard Business School student, Harvard University’s president spoke of embracing freedom of expression, but Harvard University is committed to protecting against terrorism, Jews, Muslims, and all others based on faith or national origin. He said he rejects hatred against groups.

At the SJP chapter at Stanford University, students chanted “2, 4, 6, 8!” Crush the Zionist settler state! ” In response, the school’s president issued a letter acknowledging the “expression of concern” for the safety of Jewish students. Stanford’s chancellor wrote that he was saddened by the “horrific violence and suffering in Israel and Gaza” and by Stanford’s unwavering commitment to ensuring “freedom of expression.”

October 9th, Binghamton University SJP Chapter accused Israel declares war through brutality against Palestinians in “the world’s largest open-air prison” and calls Israel’s presence “over 75 years of ethnic cleansing, settler colonialism, and pogroms in Palestinian towns and villages.” is.

George Washington University’s SJP chapter declared:[a] “Settlers are invaders, soldiers, and occupiers, even if they are relaxing on occupied beaches.” image The words “GLORY TO OUR MARTYRS” were projected onto the side of GWU’s Germanic Library. He then issued a statement supporting “the liberation of the homeland and the right of the people to resist the violent colonization of their homeland by any means necessary.”

The SJP chapter of the New York City School of Law similarly said, “If you support Palestine, please understand that you must support our right to defend ourselves and liberate our homeland by any means necessary.” Threatened me.

In contrast, few universities have taken appropriate and clear action in the face of SJP’s on-campus threats against Jewish students, threats to destroy Israel and the U.S. government.

On October 24, the chancellor of the Florida State University System cited SJP’s “malign support for terrorist groups,” instructed All public universities in Florida will “deactivate” SJP chapters on their Florida campuses. On November 6, Brandeis University banned the SJP Brandeis chapter, which advocates violence against Jews and the destruction of Israel, from operating on campus.Fordham University for a long time Banned SJP will cease activities on campus.Columbia SJP was banned from campus. Last Thursday.

University administrators have a duty to protect academic freedom and the free expression of controversial views, but that duty does not apply when a student body openly threatens, physically assaults, and advocates the destruction of the nation. Must be finished.

In the face of the violence openly advocated by SJP and its affiliates, why does our great university not explicitly protect the right of all students and faculty to be free from fear of violence and intimidation? Profit may be a factor.

In 2020, the Ministry of Education report that “[b]Since 2009, the flow of foreign money has [to universities]Particularly by means of the governments of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and China, universities have grown significantly while financial and operational partnerships between universities and these governments have expanded exponentially. Qatari money also funds the activities of Hamas, which was designated a terrorist organization by the US government in 1997.

Americans may wonder whether university administrators are reluctant to anger their key financial supporters, even if those supporters also fund Hamas.

All university administrators now have important choices to make. Will banning campus operations from SJP, which has repeatedly called for violence to achieve its goals, protect the safety and fundamental freedoms of all students, faculty and staff? We need to do more than this to protect free speech and expression on American campuses.

Paul R. Moore is a former assistant U.S. attorney and chief investigative advisor for the U.S. Department of Education..