Ray Rodrigues, chancellor of the State University System of Florida, has told public institutions in the state to shutter Students for Justice in Palestine chapters on their campuses, noting that it is a felony under Florida law to “knowingly provide material support” to designated terrorist organizations.
National Students for Justice in Palestine had released a “toolkit” leading up to a Day of Resistance,” in which it “refers to ‘Operation Al-Aqsa Flood’ as ‘the resistance’ and unequivocally states: ‘Palestinian students in exile are part of this movement, not in solidarity with this movement,” Rodrigues wrote.
Hamas called its Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on Israel “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.”
There are at least two SJP chapters in the state—at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville and at Florida State University in Tallahassee—per the memorandum.
“These two student chapters may form another organization that complies with Florida state statutes and university policies,” Rodrigues wrote. “The two institutions should grant these two chapters a waiver for the fall deadlines, should reapplication take place.”
The memorandum comes in response to a push to the same effect by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican who is running for president.