Jewish students react to Georgetown 'vigil' for Hamas 'martyrs'
Speakers at the vigil called those who were pro-Israel 'a vocal minority.'
'I'm down with Palestinian advocacy, but why is SJP doing this now?' wondered one Jewish student.
Georgetown University (GU) is the latest in a trend of schools holding “vigils” celebrating the “martyrs” of the “Palestinian resistance.”
On Thursday, the school’s Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter held a “Vigil for Our Martyrs” following last weekend’s attacks on Israeli civilians and Israeli military response. “Join us to mourn and honor the recent and ongoing massive loss of life, and to stand in solidarity with the struggle for Palestinian liberation,” the group announced on Instagram on Oct. 10.
The post invited students to “[b]ring signs, flags, flowers, and wear [their] keffiyehs to show support.”
Campus Reform was on the ground at the vigil, where students stood in a circle wearing masks and keffiyehs. A speaker read out the names of deceased Palestinians before addressing students, stating that those who are pro-Israel are “a vocal minority.”
“Thank you to everyone who came to grieve and support each other at our vigil today,” Georgetown University’s SJP chapter posted on their Instagram story following the event. “Never let go of that part of your humanity that winces at pain. At our core, we are all motivated by our love for each other, and none of us are alone.”
The post-vigil Instagram story post
Jewish students made their opinions known regarding the vigil, taping a Star of David with “chai” (Hebrew for “life”) inside to the walls of buildings. In addition, they taped up posters featuring the names and faces of kidnapped Israelis.
The names and faces of kidnapped Israelis
“My parents actually escaped from Iran when they were teenagers because they were Jewish,” one student explained. “They were born in the Middle East and they had to leave the country because they were killing all the Jews [...] I have a hard time calling anybody who willfully attacks civilians ‘martyrs.’”
“If Hamas put down their guns, there would be peace,” he continued. “If Israel put down their guns, every Jew within a hundred, a thousand miles would be dead.”
“I can’t speak on why these people are out here,” another student weighed in, “and I know people have experienced loss on both sides. I have Arab friends that are displaced; I have Israeli family that has been displaced.”
Despite his sympathy for both sides, this student was not in favor of the vigil. “It’s hard for me to see Hamas as anything but a Mediterranean ISIS,” he continued. “[This vigil] strikes me as an issue of time and place. I’m down with Palestinian advocacy, but why is SJP doing this now?”
“My brother’s birthday is 10/7, and it’s going to be remembered as an Israeli 9/11,” he continued. “When I see people wearing keffiyehs and organizing like this, as much as I want to be of a feather with these people, it’s hard to see this as anything but endorsement of something like ISIS.”
Campus Reform reached out to Georgetown University and an additional Jewish student for comment and will update the story accordingly.
