U of Wisconsin Denounce “Zionism is genocide” Graffiti as Antisemitic

The University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW) issued a statement on September condemning graffiti on campus calling Zionism “genocide” as antisemitic, Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported.

Rabbi Mendel Matusof, who heads the campus Chabad, told 27 News that the graffiti, scrawled in chalk on campus sidewalks, “said something along the lines of, ‘Zionism is genocide and racism, there are 5 Zionist orgs at UW, blood is on their hands’ and listed off all the Jewish groups on campus.” Yuval Lerman, who heads Badgers Alliance for Israel, told The Daily Cardinal: “We have no reason to believe that this was a large group of people that were responsible for these incidents, these intimidation threats. We believe it was probably a small group of people that were acting alone.”

“These labels are antisemitic: they attribute broad actions or beliefs to Jewish student groups,” the university said in their statement. The university then apologized to Jewish students over the graffiti, stating it goes against the university’s aim for an “inclusive” campus environment.

The American Jewish Committee lauded the university’s “swift condemnation of the antisemitic and anti-Israel graffiti awaiting students on their first day of classes. Speaking out against hate is essential in keeping campus a welcoming place for Jewish and pro-Israel students.”

We applaud @UWMadison‘s swift condemnation of the antisemitic and anti-Israel graffiti awaiting students on their first day of classes.

Speaking out against hate is essential in keeping campus a welcoming place for Jewish and pro-Israel students. https://t.co/cgQXfqm4A4

— American Jewish Committee (@AJCGlobal) September 9, 2022

However, UW Hillel Board of Directors member Amanda Peterson told the Cardinal “that she felt the university response could have been better with a call to action and a goal to stop these incidents from happening again.” The Simon Wiesenthal Center similarly tweeted: “What’s missing from @UWMadison statement is any commitment to hold anti-Semites accountable for their hate. If they had drawn a noose or denigrated any other minority would the University react differently? Yes!”

What’s missing from @UWMadison statement is any commitment to hold anti-Semites accountable for their hate. If they had drawn a noose or denigrated any other minority would the University react differently? Yes!https://t.co/iQ9lNKUTDQ via @uwmadison

— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) September 9, 2022