Coalition of Jewish orgs calls for defunding of SJP following pro-Hamas demonstrations
The letter was circulated by the Israel on Campus Coalition, an advocacy group representing pro-Israel organizations at American colleges and universities.
'We therefore call for moral accountability and official punishment for SJP and its chapters for their campaign to glorify the Hamas attacks on Israel of October 7.'
A letter signed by dozens of Jewish organizations and hundreds of other signatories on Oct. 18 called for funding and recognition to be rescinded from chapters of the campus group, Students for Justice in Palestine, after its members celebrated the recent Hamas terror attacks in Israel.
The letter was circulated by the Israel on Campus Coalition, an advocacy group representing pro-Israel organizations at American colleges and universities.
The document accuses SJP chapters of various anti-Israel actions, including “National Day of Resistance” rallies in celebration of the terror attacks, the promotion of materials featuring Hamas fighters on paragliders, and calls for the total “liberation of Palestine.”
On Oct. 12, The Times of Israel reported that the attack resulted in Hamas killing 1,300 Israelis and wounding over 3,000 people, while taking 150 people hostage. The Hamas paraglider militants in particular were responsible for slaughtering 260 people at a rave, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
“Today, [Students for Justice in Palestine] has hundreds of chapters across the country, often recognized on campus alongside other student groups and funded through student fees and university funds,” the Israel on Campus Coalition statement reads.
“We therefore call for moral accountability and official punishment for SJP and its chapters for their campaign to glorify the Hamas attacks on Israel of October 7,” it continues.
Signatories of the letter include the Anti-Defamation League, Christians United for Israel, and Hillel International, as well as dozens of campus chapters, community organizations, and elected officials.
According to the National Students for Justice in Palestine website, the organization “seeks to empower, unify, and support student organizers as they push forward demands for Palestinian liberation & self-determination on their campuses.”
Campus Reform has extensively documented the recent rallies, demonstrations, statements, and other actions by SJP groups on campuses across the U.S.
For example, the University of Virginia SJP chapter defended Hamas’s attack and celebrated their efforts in the name of “Palestinian liberation,” while the University of California, San Diego chapter of SJP published a statement attacking the school’s chancellor for supporting Israel and condemning Hamas.
SJP chapters also hosted vigils lionizing Hamas “martyrs” at George Washington University and Georgetown.
Students also celebrated Hamas at rallies organized by SJP on campuses like the University of Wisconsin and CSU Long Beach. Similarly, a recent UCLA rally featured students chanting “Intifada.”
Campus Reform contacted Students for Justice in Palestine for comment. This story will be updated accordingly.
