The Students’ Association (SA) passed on Nov. 20, a resolution to in part drop all charges against the students accused of hanging ‘wanted’ posters targeting University faculty by a vote of 12-1.
These posters targeted both Jewish and non-Jewish faculty, with blatant lies being spread about those on the posters, such as accusations of “genocide” or “ethnic cleansing.” I think it’s pretty clear to everyone that the ‘wanted’ posters are a message to go after, arrest, or even harm those on them, and accusing faculty members of such acts is despicable.
The resolution passed by the SA claims that they “stand against antisemitism” and “any form of intimidation,” while they simultaneously let students who threatened certain faculty members, on the basis of ethnicity, off the hook. To further defend these students, the resolution goes on to claim that the action to charge students is “intentional, extreme and dangerous,” despite their actions putting the safety of faculty members at great risk.
To further gaslight us, the SA stated, “We strongly condemn the defamation of Jewish students, faculty, and administrators. We equally condemn the defamation of Arab and Palestinian students, staff, faculty, and administrators.” Not only do they perpetuate the image that they want to stand with Jewish students, but they see it fit to condemn defamation of Arab and Palestinian members of the University community. Let me be clear — if anyone puts up posters harassing and threatening Jewish, Arabs, whites, Blacks, Asians and so forth, they should be arrested and face the full force of the law, but the supposed defamation of Arab University members has been nonexistent when compared to that faced by Jewish members.
This SA resolution is simply another way to follow the masses by expressing their dismay for Israel and standing in solidarity with the radical Palestinian people. These types of actions will continue to occur until this war is finally over, and it is the University’s job to stand firmly against such antisemitic acts.
Jewish members of the University community have had to endure protest after protest, calling for the destruction of Israel, posters targeting Jewish faculty and encampments against Israel. There have been no pro-Israel protests on campus, no pro-Israel encampments, and no posters harrassing Arabs. This doesn’t include what Jews are facing across the world, including being hunted around cities, such as a recent soccer match in Amsterdam and even being told to hide their identities when in areas with large Arab populations in Berlin.
It’s disappointing to see that UR has joined other notable institutions, like Columbia and Harvard, in gaining national attention for being plagued by antisemitic activity, and it’s all supposedly in the name of the Palestinian people.
Jewish Voices for Peace, the student organization that frequently uses antisemitic slogans such as “From the river to the sea Palestine will be free,” portrayed these posters as a way to “shed light” on the Israeli military’s supposed genocidal actions in Gaza.
The claims made by Jewish Voice for Peace and the posters that there is somehow a genocide occurring in Gaza are absurd. As of Dec. 6, using the casualty numbers of the terrorist group Hamas, which states that approximately 41,418 people have died, which includes the Israeli military’s figure of 13,000 terrorists killed, that would make the terrorist to civilian death ratio 1:1.38, a historically low number compared to the UN estimated historical wartime average of 1:9 combatants to civilians.
The State of Israel has been kicked around by countries across the world since its establishment in 1948, whether that’s decades long rocket fire from terrorist organizations, wars prompted by neighboring countries, hundreds of terrorist attacks, and now, privileged university students across the U.S. cheering for Israel’s demise.
To root out antisemitism from campus, UR must stand firmly against the students who put up the posters, the ones who chant antisemitic slogans in their protests, and the ones who set up encampments to trespass on University property. And whether it’s suspensions, expulsions, or criminal charges, these students should face consequences that are necessary to weed out antisemitism from the University campus.
