The Pomona College senior class president issued an apology on June 23 for sharing a post calling Zionists racist.
The post in question was an Instagram story shared over the weekend that featured the words, “once again, zionist-Israel-birthright-vacation-stuck-on-comparing-holocaust-to-racism-WW2-worshipping b—–s, this should be right up ur alley. Oh wait u hate brown ppl.”
The Claremont Independent, a student-run newspaper at the Claremont Consortium of Colleges, obtained the apology posted to the senior class president’s now-private Instagram account. The apology acknowledged that the comment about Zionists was anti-Semitic and that she didn’t see those words when she shared it on her Instagram story.
“When I wrote that my friend ‘put into words what I was thinking,’ I was referring to the original tweet highlighting the lack of global responses to the atrocities in Yemen,” the apology states. “In hindsight, I now realize that my friend didn’t write the tweet, but rather the anti-semetic [sic] below. In my haste to repost the story, I truly didn’t mean to amplify those hurtful comments.”
She added that the comment about Zionists “erases the real trauma and hurt the Holocaust caused. I deeply regret associating myself with that language and will be vigilant moving forward to ensure my voice only amplifies my true values and beliefs.” She also pledged to help bring together Jewish and pro-Palestinian students as senior class president.
The Claremont Israel Progressive Alliance, which had initially launched a petition calling on the senior class president to either apologize or step down over the social media post, praised the apology.
“We have received a timely and gracious apology from the Pomona Senior Class President which acknowledged her role in spreading anti-Semitic content on social media,” the student group wrote. “We accept her apology and hope this can be a teaching moment for all.”
https://www.facebook.com/ClaremontIsrael/posts/3101437229914136
Additionally, a spokesperson from Pomona College said in a statement to the Journal, “We condemn anti-Semitism in all its forms, and we seek to foster an atmosphere of respect for all members of our community. In this case, the student government representative has apologized and reached out to support cross-cultural dialogue, which we encourage.”
StandWithUs co-founder and CEO Roz Rothstein tweeted, “This is an opportunity for education.”
