Campus Antisemitism
The “Harvard Israel Initiative,” which has already garnered 905 signatures and counting, asserts Israel’s “right to self-defense” and the “right of the Jewish people to self-determination.”
The letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona cited hate-crime statistics from a 2019 FBI report indicating that Jew-hatred makes up for 63 percent of all religious-biased hate crimes in the United States.
“Even though I’ve read a lot on Israeli politics and history, never having been here until now, I didn’t fully understand how it all fits together,” says Conor Mullaney. “Being here has changed my life and the way I see the world.”
Each day in June, it offers student-led college tours, virtual information sessions with university admission offices and with Hillel professionals, who can share insights on Jewish and general campus life.
In response, members of the campus medical community penned an open letter calling the allegations “defamatory and libelous.” They also claimed that Israel is guilty of “war crimes,” “violent settler-colonialism” and “forced displacement.”
Roni Saponar was treated for internal bleeding and a concussion.
Bates Leftist Coalitions said it has “no knowledge of the circumstances by which this act occurred.”
A number of student organizations co-sponsored individual events, including Jewish Coalition for Peace.
Kristopher Pieper, 21, was charged with intimidation based on bigotry or bias and criminal mischief.
The university “is not immune to the disease of anti-Semitism,” noted the resolution, which cited a study of incidents on campus.
Responding to the bill, Pomona College management released a letter expressing “deep concern” that the “vote was held without representation from any student opposition.”
“We will not and do not tolerate bias and hateful behaviors and actions on our campus,” wrote College president Bryon Grigsby.
