An act of violence reportedly occurred during a protest in response to the StandWithUs Brazil Director Andre Lajst speaking at the Federal University of Amazonas in Manaus on August 10.
Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) reported that Lajst was discussing the benefits that Israeli technology could provide to the Amazon; StandWithUs Brazil further explained in a statement posted to social media that Lajst was one of four speakers during a symposium “on various topics related to entrepreneurship, development and sustainability in the Amazon.” The protests occurred outside of the auditorium at which Lajst was speaking, where an advisor to the university rector suffered a broken nose while trying to protect her daughter. Additionally, protesters inside the auditorium harassed attendees and Lajst had to be escorted out by security.
We stand with the @StandwithusBr team, who endured a violent protest led by anti-#Israel harassers during a presentation about #Israeli technologies. According to news reports, the university advisor was injured and left with a broken nose while protecting her daughter, students… pic.twitter.com/oxMDHDDi6g
— StandWithUs (@StandWithUs) August 17, 2023
One protester was arrested for allegedly pushing a police officer but was later released, per JTA.
Before the event, the Palestinian Arab Federation of Brazil (FEPAL) posted to social media accusing Lajst of attempting “to misinform Brazilian society about the crimes of ‘Israel’” against the Palestinians. The public university cannot be the stage for sanitizing the apartheid of ‘Israel.’” Protesters similarly accused Lajst of being a “defender of Israel’s apartheid regime,” per JTA. Lajst served in the Israeli air force from 2011-13.
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Additionally, StandWithUs Brazil accused the university’s Central Student Directory of supporting and instigating the protests, noting that the Central Student Directory posted a manifesto to social media before the event that “included words such as ‘genocide’ and ‘apartheid,’ utterly false and absurd accusations against Israel.”
StandWithUs Brazil further alleged that “some protesters came to the height of calling André, who is a Jew and the grandson of a survivor of the Sobibor extermination camp, a ‘Nazi.’”
“The academic environment should be an open and democratic space for respectful debates between different sides on political issues,” StandWithUs Brazil added. “Criticizing Israel (or any country in the world) can and should be made, however, calling for its destruction, attributing Israel to crimes against humanity that have never occurred, and … accusing a person of being a ‘defender of these crimes’ is hate speech and defamation. Even more when the lecture was not about Israeli politics or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but about sustainable development of the Amazon region through the example of Israeli innovation and development.”
The pro-Israel education group continued: “We regret that, due to the escalation of violence perpetrated by protesters, there has been a need by the university rector for the presence of federal police on site. It is absurd and frightening that a speaker needs police protection at an academic event, in a federal university, just because he is Jewish and Israeli citizen.”
StandWithUs CEO and Co-Founder Roz Rothstein tweeted, “These days you must be heroic to voice your opinion if [you’re] pro #Israel Shout out to the police who helped!”
OUTRAGEOUS: StandWithUs Brazil Director Andre Lajst spoke at Federal U of Amazonas. A mob shows up to shout him down. Got ugly. Andre still spoke. These days you must be heroic to voice your opinion if your pro #Israel Shout out to the police who helped! https://t.co/N6SwgY8CS2
— Roz Rothstein (@RozRothstein) August 16, 2023
The Brazilian Israelite Confederation said in a statement, per JTA: “We repudiate the violence and lament the lack of democratic spirit and civic behavior. Universities must be a place for freedom of expression and pluralism of ideas, and not violence and intolerance.”
The university said in a statement that they regret “the events that occurred on August 10th” and will be investigating the matter. They added that they are committed “to the safety and well-being of its entire academic community and emphasizes the importance of ensuring a safe and respectful environment for all.”
The university’s Central Student Directory did not respond to the Journal’s requests for comment.
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