Campus Watch June 29, 2023

Anti-Israel CUNY Law Commencement Speaker Says She Wouldn’t Change Anything About Her Speech: “I Would Say It Louder”

Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) activist Fatima Mousa Mohammed doubled down on the anti-Israel commencement speech she gave at the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law in May, telling Jewish Currents: “I would not change a single word of my speech — and I would say it louder.”

Mohammed’s interview, published on June 23, is the first interview she’s given since the speech. “For as long as Zionism has existed, it has wreaked violence and pain on the Palestinian people,” she said. “Our tax dollars are being used to fund this violence. I wanted to name that reality to remind myself and my colleagues of our responsibilities as future lawyers in the service of human needs.” Mohammed described the subsequent harassment she faced as being “overwhelming for me and my family” but that “the support” she has received over the speech “has kept me on my feet … There’s a student in California, Jana Abulaban, who is also right now being subjected to a smear campaign [for speaking about Palestine] … She told the New York Post she was inspired by my speech. It makes this whole thing worth it to know that censorship is not working anymore.” 

CUNY Faculty Union Endorses NYC Councilmember With History of Controversial Statements on Jews, Israel

The Professional Staff Congress (PSC-CUNY), the faculty union at CUNY, announced in a June 16 tweet that they are endorsing New York City Councilmember Charles Barron (D), who has a history of controversial statements about Israel and the Jews.

According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Barron’s prior statements include saying that “the Semites are black,” calling the Gaza Strip “a virtual death camp, the same kind of conditions the Nazis imposed on the Jews,” and expressing support for Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. In April, Barron said he voted against a resolution establishing “End Jew Hatred Day” because “leaders in the Jewish community even supported apartheid in racist South Africa and said nothing about African people dying,” the New York Post reported.

A spokesperson from PSC-CUNY declined to comment to the Forward on the matter, telling the outlet: “All these articles are the same.”

Education Dept. to Investigate Allegations of Anti-Palestinian Discrimination at FSU

The Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) will be investigating Florida State University (FSU) over allegations that the university failed to address anti-Palestinian discrimination against a student who was under fire for social media posts criticized as being antisemitic.

The Algemeiner reported that Palestine Legal, which filed a complaint in 2021 on behalf of Palestinian student Ahmad Daraldik, announced on June 22 that OCR will be investigating the matter. When Daraldik became president of the FSU Student Senate in 2020, old posts of his surfaced of him saying “F— Israel” and “stupid Jew” as well as comparing Israel to the Nazis; at the time, the university issued a statement denouncing these past comments as being antisemitic. Daraldik later apologized for his past comments. In the complaint, Daraldik alleges that he received derogatory messages such “deport him to Gaza” and “dumb a—monkey a—piece of s—” and that the university didn’t do anything to ameliorate the hostile campus environment against him. Daraldik said in a statement that he was smeared “for speaking about my life as a Palestinian growing up under Israel’s violent system of apartheid.”

Swastikas Found at Fla. School’s Summer Camp

An number of swastikas were drawn inside a Broward County, Florida school’s summer camp bathroom on June 21.

The South Florida Sun Sentinel reported that the camp was Western High School in Davie’s program for gifted students in 3rd-6th grade. The graffiti has since been removed.

“Anyone determined to be involved in these hateful acts may face disciplinary measures, which include being withdrawn from the summer camp,” Broward County Public Schools spokesperson Keyla Concepción told the Sun Sentinel. “It is crucial that we condemn and actively discourage any form of hate speech or offensive imagery in our schools, fostering an environment of inclusivity, respect, and empathy for all.”

CAMERA Education Institute Aims to Fight Antisemitism, Anti-Israel Content on Campus

The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting (CAMERA) announced on June 14 that they are launching a new website, CAMERA-Edu.org, to counter antisemitic and anti-Israel narratives in schools.

The CAMERA Education Institute’s website features a curriculum about the history of Israel and Zionism, explainers on issues like ethnic studies in K-12 schools and their latest news and commentary on what’s happening on college campuses.

“CAMERA has decades of experience in countering bias and falsehoods in educational materials, curricula, and syllabi and providing accurate alternatives,” CAMERA Executive Director Andrea Levin said. “This is an exciting expansion of that work and we’re finding enthusiastic interest across the country in what we offer.”