Temple University President Condemns Anti-Israel Activists Who Targeted Hillel
Temple University President Richard Englert issued a statement on Aug. 29 condemning anti-Israel protesters who targeted the university’s Hillel earlier in the day.
“While the protest began at the Charles Library, some of the demonstrators migrated to The Rosen Center, the home of the Temple chapter of Hillel… While there, the demonstrators used megaphones to chant directly at the occupants within the building,” Englert said. “We are deeply saddened and concerned by these events. Targeting a group of individuals because of their Jewish identity is not acceptable and intimidation and harassment tactics like those seen today will not be tolerated.” He also said in the statement that both students and non-students were involved in the protest and that the university is investigating the matter.
According to Jewish Telegraphic Agency, the university’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter, who organized the rally, issued a statement denying that they engaged in intimidation, harassment and antisemitism.
Ritchie Torres Urges NY Colleges to Adopt NYU’s Policy That Targeting Zionists Is Discrimination
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) issued a letter to various New York colleges and universities on Aug. 26 urging them to adopt New York University’s (NYU) policy that targeting Zionists is a form of discrimination and thus violates university policy.
The letter, obtained by Jewish Insider, was addressed to Columbia University, the State University of New York (SUNY) system, Cornell University, the City University of New York (CUNY) and Fordham University. Torres directly cited NYU’s policy stating that Zionist can be a “code word” because “for many people, Zionism is a part of their Jewish identity.” “Anti-Zionism and antisemitism are indeed intersectional and cannot be so easily compartmentalized in the real world as they can be in academic papers,” Torres wrote. “The lived experience of many Jewish students tells us that this is so.”
He added: “The substitution of the word ‘Zionist’ for ‘Jew’ is the modus operandi of the new antisemitism. Colleges must make it clear that word games will fool no one.” Torres concluded his letter by “calling on every college and university to follow NYU’s example and modernize their non-discrimination and non-harassment policies. Jewish students are entitled by law to institutions that are dedicated to their safety as an essential element of their education.”
Four Arrested During Anti-Israel “Die-In” at UMich’s Student Fair
Four people arrested were arrested on Aug. 28 after anti-Israel activists held a “die-in” during Festifall, University of Michigan’s student organization fair.
Colleen Mastony, the university’s assistant vice president for public affairs, announced the arrests in an Aug. 29 statement. “For more than an hour, a group of approximately 50 individuals lay on the [Central Campus] Diag in an attempt to disrupt the event,” Mastony said. “They were given multiple warnings that they were blocking pedestrian traffic and violating university policy. They had come to the Diag to pressure the university to divest from companies linked to Israel. Most eventually dispersed, although some refused to leave and, as a result, four people were arrested and taken into custody. All individuals arrested have been released, and charges are under review.” Mastony also said that only one of the arrested individuals was affiliated with the university, a temporary employee. None of those arrested are students.
The Michigan Daily described the anti-Israel protest as “die-in.”
UVA Bans Encampments, Requires Mask-Wearers to Identify Themselves
The University of Virginia (UVA) announced on Aug. 26 that they have issued new policies banning encampments and requiring those wearing face masks to identify themselves.
The policies state that “camping, with or without a tent, is prohibited in outdoor University facilities and on outdoor University property, and sleeping outdoors is prohibited between midnight and 6 a.m.” and that using outdoor tents at all requires permission from the university beforehand; even then, the tent can’t remain up for longer than 18 hours or between the hours 12 am to 6 am. “Any individual wearing a mask or other face covering on University property must present an identification document or otherwise establish their identity if requested by an authorized University official,” the policies also state. “Virginia law prohibits anyone over 16 from wearing a face covering with the intent of concealing their identity.”
Harvard Law Brings on Former UPenn President Liz Magill
The Harvard Law School’s Center on the Legal Profession has appointed Liz Magill, who resigned from her position as president of the University of Pennsylvania following her much-criticized testimony on campus antisemitism, as a visiting senior fellow.
The Harvard Crimson reported that Magill’s curriculum vitae has been updated to mention that she will be a visiting fellow at the school in the fall and the position will be temporary and unpaid. “A spokesperson for the Law School did not comment for this article,” the Crimson reported. “A representative for Magill did not immediately respond to a request for comment.”
Magill resigned in Dec. 2023 after saying in congressional testimony that it would depend on the context on if calls for genocide against Jews violate university policy.
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