January 24, 2024
Condemning Jew-Hatred and Fighting Holocaust Denial
Key Takeaways
Over the last decade and particularly since the October 7 massacre in Israel, Jew-Hatred has skyrocketed on American college campuses. Manifestations of antisemitism in higher education include physical assault, bullying, and intimidation. Holocaust denial and calls for the elimination of Israel and slaughter of Jews have also become commonplace on elite campuses.
Jew-Hatred has found a home on college campuses, in part, because school administrators have not upheld their responsibilities under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act (1964), which forbids discrimination and harassment based on national origin—including Jewish ancestry—at schools receiving federal funds.
Student groups are a powerful campus constituency. They can urge university administrators to do more to build a welcoming environment for Jewish students by asking the student government association to pass a resolution that condemns antisemitism while reaffirming the university’s commitment to free expression and wide-ranging debate.
Introduction
AFPI’s model resolution, “Condemning Jew-Hatred and Fighting Holocaust Denial,” is designed to be adapted by student senators for their respective universities. The resolution’s purpose is to draw attention to the abject failure of many university administrations to condemn rampant antisemitism on their own campuses. University leaders also have an obligation under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act (1964) to ensure that no student is denied equal access to university programs or opportunities due to discrimination or harassment based on race, sex, or national origin. The resolution urges university leaders to live up to that obligation in the case of Jewish students and to establish scholarly and balanced educational programs to improve all students’ understanding of the Holocaust and Israel’s history. It affirms the centrality of wide-ranging deliberation on campus and recognizes that criticism of Israeli policies is rightly protected by the First Amendment and norms of academic freedom and debate.
Student Government Association Resolution No. X
Condemning Jew-Hatred and Fighting Holocaust Denial at [University]
Primary Sponsor
First Last (Student Senator)
Cosponsors
First Last (Student Senator), First Last (Student Senator), First Last (Student Senator), First Last (Student Senator)
WHEREAS, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 provides that “No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance"; and
WHEREAS, the Biden-Harris Administration’s U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism embraces Executive Order 13899, Combating Antisemitism (2019), and specifies that “national origin” within Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 includes groups with “shared ancestry,” specifically “Jewish ancestry”;[1] and
WHEREAS, the [University] 2023 Statement on [Student Rights and Responsibilities or similar] makes clear that [Quote from university explicitly stating that unlawful discrimination on grounds of religion and/or ethnicity is prohibited on campus];[2] and
WHEREAS, the Antidefamation League has reported a 360 percent increase in antisemitic incidents recorded from the October 7 massacre to January 10, 2024, compared to the same period a year prior— 3,283 incidents in all, including 60 incidents of physical assault, 553 incidents of vandalism, and 1,353 incidents of verbal or written harassment;[3] and
WHEREAS, in the aftermath of the October 7 massacre against Israeli civilians and the ensuing war in Gaza, antisemitic attacks and harassment across the United States have skyrocketed, including:
- Protests from New York City to Los Angeles featuring antisemitic chants, including “From New York to Gaza, globalize the intifada,” “Intifada, intifada. Long live the intifada,” and “We don’t want no two states, we want 48”—all of which are clear calls for violence targeting Jews and the return of the intifadas of the early 2000s, in which Israeli Jews were indiscriminately killed;[4]
- Hundreds of bomb threats at American synagogues, which create a climate of fear among congregants, force the cancelation of prayer services, and drive Jewish life underground;[5]
- Calls to “gas the Jews!” including at an incident in Washington, D.C., where a man sprayed a foul-smelling substance at a Jewish prayer group in front of a synagogue;[6] and
- An altercation between a Jewish man and a pro-Palestine protester at a protest in Los Angeles, California, that left the Jewish man dead, his death judged a homicide;[7] and
WHEREAS, since the October 7 massacre, the number of assaults and instances of harassment and vandalism have skyrocketed on college campuses around the country, including:[8]
- A group of students who projected slogans glorifying the murderers of innocent Jewish civilians, such as “glory to our martyrs,” at The George Washington University;[9]
- A group of pro-Palestine protesters who menaced a Jewish student while yelling “shame!” at Harvard University;[10]
- A group of pro-Palestine protesters at the University of Pennsylvania who menaced a Jewish student, shouting “you are a dirty Jew, don’t look at us,” “you know what you’ve done wrong,” and “keep walking you dirty little Jew”;[11] and
WHEREAS, Jews make up only 2.4 percent of the U.S. population but are the targets of 54.9 percent of all religion-based hate crimes in the United States, according to data from 2022;[12] and
WHEREAS, we recognize that roughly two-thirds of antisemitic incidents since the October 7 massacre are directly related to the Israel-Hamas war;[13] and
WHEREAS, shifting attitudes among young people raise serious concerns that America may grow less welcoming to Jews in the future, an alarming trend documented by:
- A Harvard University/Harris poll finding that 67 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds believe that “Jews as a class are oppressors and should be treated as oppressors”;[14] and
- An Economist/YouGov survey finding that 20 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds believe the Holocaust is a myth, while 0 percent of respondents above the age of 65 deny the Holocaust;[15] and
WHEREAS, we recognize that criticisms of Israeli policies can veer into antisemitism when such criticism demonizes Israel, applies double standards to Israel, or delegitimizes the state of Israel —for example, when protestors liken Israeli Defense Forces operations in Gaza to Nazi behavior at Auschwitz or call for Israel’s destruction and the ethnic cleansing of Israeli Jews; and
WHEREAS, we recognize that one can vehemently criticize Israeli policies without veering into antisemitism and affirm that it is of utmost importance that universities protect students’ rights to engage in wide-ranging deliberation about controversial topics; and
WHEREAS, campus organizations with a range of missions, including several that build Jewish community, have co-signed this resolution to emphasize the urgency of combating antisemitism at [University];
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Student Government Association of [University] condemns violent antisemitic attacks on our campus, including instances of bullying and harassment, and calls for the university administration to fulfill its obligation under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to establish an environment in which Jews are not denied equal access to educational programs and benefits on campus due to discrimination and harassment; and
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Student Government Association stands with our university’s Jewish community and Jews everywhere and condemns antisemitic chants calling for the murder of Jews and the destruction of the Israeli state, including “Globalize the Intifada,” “gas the Jews,” and “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”; and
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Student Government Association affirms the centrality of free expression on a campus dedicated to truth-seeking, including criticisms of Israeli policies; and
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Student Government Association urges the university administration and faculty to aspire to balance and academic integrity in programs of study designed to educate the student body about the Holocaust and the modern state of Israel, including the history of Palestinians in Israel; and
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Student Government Association of [University] instructs [President of the Student Government Association] to transmit a copy of Resolution No. X to [University President], [University Provost], [Chairperson of the Faculty Senate] and [University Dean of Students].
To learn more about this resolution, or to request a copy of the resolution in a Microsoft Word document, please contact Matthew Lobel at [email protected].
To learn more about the education policy priorities of the America First Policy Institute, please visit the Center for Education Opportunity, Center for 1776, and Higher Education Reform Initiative.
[1] The White House. (2023, May 25). FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Releases First-Ever U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/05/25/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-releases-first-ever-u-s-national-strategy-to-counter-antisemitism/
[2] This footnote is a reference to a university-specific policy. [University Name. (Year, Month Day). Name of Document for University Statement on Students Rights and Responsibilities or similar. URL]
[3] Antidefamation League. (2024, January 17). U.S. Antisemitic Incidents Skyrocketed 360% in Aftermath of Attack in Israel, according to Latest ADL Data. https://www.adl.org/resources/press-release/us-antisemitic-incidents-skyrocketed-360-aftermath-attack-israel-according
[4] Donlevy, K., Vago, S., & Land, O. (2023, November 17). Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters — including A-list actress — shout ‘Long live the Intifada!’, pass out maps of pro-Israel locations to target in NYC. The New York Post.
[5] Secure Community Network. (n.d.). Secure Community Network News Releases. https://www.securecommunitynetwork.org/about/news
[6] Lybrand, H. (2023, December 17). A man was arrested in Washington DC after allegedly spraying a substance at 2 people and yelling an antisemitic phrase. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/17/us/washington-dc-man-arrest-anti-semitic-phrase/index.html
[7] Cowan, J., & Hubler, S. (2023, November 6). Jewish Man’s Death After California Protest Clash Is Under Investigation. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/06/us/california-jewish-man-paul-kessler-israel-protests.html
[8] Antidefamation League. (2024, January 17). U.S. Antisemitic Incidents Skyrocketed 360% in Aftermath of Attack in Israel, according to Latest ADL Data. https://www.adl.org/resources/press-release/us-antisemitic-incidents-skyrocketed-360-aftermath-attack-israel-according
[9] World Jewish Congress. (n.d.). Jewish Life on Campus During the Israel Hamas War. https://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/campus-life-israel-hamas-war
[10] World Jewish Congress. (n.d.). Jewish Life on Campus During the Israel Hamas War. https://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/campus-life-israel-hamas-war
[11] Lynch, J., & Sung, C. (2023, December 8). Two students claim the University of Pennsylvania has violated the Civil Rights Act by not protecting Jewish students from antisemitism on campus. CNN Business. https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/08/business/students-claim-university-of-pennsylvania-civil-rights-antisemitism-on-campus/index.html
[12] Antidefamation League. (2023, October 16). ADL: FBI Data Reflects Deeply Alarming Record-High Number of Reported Hate Crime Incidents in the U.S. in 2022. https://www.adl.org/resources/press-release/adl-fbi-data-reflects-deeply-alarming-record-high-number-reported-hate
[13] Antidefamation League. (2024, January 17). U.S. Antisemitic Incidents Skyrocketed 360% in Aftermath of Attack in Israel, according to Latest ADL Data. https://www.adl.org/resources/press-release/us-antisemitic-incidents-skyrocketed-360-aftermath-attack-israel-according
[14] The Harvard University and Harris Poll. (2023, December 14). Harvard CAPS (Center for American Political Studies) Harris Poll. https://harvardharrispoll.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/HHP_Dec23_KeyResults.pdf
[15] One in five young Americans thinks the Holocaust is a myth. (2023, December 7). The Economist. https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/12/07/one-in-five-young-americans-thinks-the-holocaust-is-a-myth