Smith College president responds to anti-Semitic incidents by denouncing 'Islamophobia,' announcing possible Israeli divestment
The president of Smith College responded to anti-Jewish hate by emailing the campus about the problems of both anti-Semitism and 'Islamophobia.'
One of the items included on her response agenda is to review a 'divestment request' that was previously made by pro-Palestine students.
In response to recent anti-Semitic activity on campus like the appearances of swastika graffiti, the president of Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts emailed faculty and staff to condemn “Islamophobia” as well as anti-Semitism and announced that the school is “considering a divestment request” in regard to Israel.
Screenshots of the email were posted to X by Daily Wire reporter Kassy Akiva (Dillon) on Mar. 5.
NEW: Mezuzahs were stolen from door frames and swastika graffiti has appeared near Smith College’s campus.
In response, the school’s president felt the need to condemn Islamophobia and have an advisory committee consider divesting from companies doing business with the IDF. pic.twitter.com/cPYmc8VGEI— Kassy Akiva (@KassyDillon) March 5, 2024
“In recent days, we have learned of mezuzahs stolen from door frames and of swastika graffiti in the public rights of way near campus; we have witnessed protests and flyers born of pain and frustration; and we have heard from students who feel they cannot speak candidly about their beliefs,” President Sarah Willie-LeBreton emailed the college community.
“The execrable, demoralizing, and dispiriting events a world away are brought home to us with such force that some have let entirely understandable anger tilt their actions away from community and coalition,” she continued. “We are disheartened by these unsettling events, and reiterate in the strongest terms that there is no place for antisemitism, Islamophobia, or any form of hate at Smith College.
Willie-LeBreton announced in her statement that the college would take “a number of actions” to address the acts, including “activating” the “Bias Response Team.”
One of the items included on the agenda is to review a “divestment request” that was previously made by pro-Palestine students at Smith College.
“The Advisory Committee on Investor Responsibility is considering a divestment request request [sic] and the office of finance is considering the best time to offer a session on the endowment,” President Willie-LeBreton’s email explained.
Smith College’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine has been pushing for divestment from Israel since at least December 2023, including by hosting “die-in” protests, according to Mass Live.
Jewish Journal editor-in-chief David Suissa posted in response to Akiva’s post, “another curse of DEI-- even when you condemn you have to include everyone.”
another curse of DEI-- even when you condemn you have to include everyone.
— David Suissa (@DavidSuissaJJ) March 5, 2024
David E. Bernstein, a law professor at the George Mason University School of Law, posted on X that responding to “a specifically antisemitic incident” by condemning both anti-Semitism and “Islamophobia” exacerbates “the original antisemitism by not taking seriously what happened, and instead placating antisemites who think that addressing antisemitism as such is problematic.”
“But this one is even worse than usual, by noting that Smith is considering a request to divest from Israel, as if that’s somehow a proper response to an antisemitic incident as opposed to encouraging antisemitism,” Bernstein concluded.
I think it’s time to say that when you respond to a specifically antisemitic incident by condemning antisemitismandislamaphobia, you have exacerbated the original antisemitism by not taking seriously what happened, and instead placating antisemites who think that addressing… https://t.co/a5fELYYQJ4
— David Bernstein (@ProfDBernstein) March 5, 2024
[RELATED: Students across country aware of ‘hostile environment toward Jews’ on campus: study]
According to her biography on the college’s website, Willie-LeBreton is an “[a]ccomplished scholar, sociologist, and educator who studies social inequality and race and ethnicity.” She has written such as Acting Black: College, Identity, and the Performance of Race and Transforming the Academy: Faculty Perspectives on Diversity and Pedagogy.
Campus Reform has contacted Smith College for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
