Palestinian advocacy misunderstood: Objections

Letter to the editor:

Commentary writer Gary Bauer wrongly conflates student advocacy for Palestinians living under Israeli occupation with anti-Jewish sentiments. Bauer claims that today, "groups like Students for Justice in Palestine and the Muslim Student Association, along with vehemently anti-Israel professors, contribute to a culture that can make Jewish students and supporters of Israel feel unwelcome" ("Bauer: Rid U.S. campuses of anti-Semitism").

Bauer's analysis lacks a fundamental understanding of the roots of our protest; the rise in campus activism directly correlates with Israel's brutal policies toward the Palestinian people. Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) does not attack Jewish students but discriminatory Israeli policies, including human rights abuses that deny Palestinians self-determination.

SJP is a student movement dedicated to raising awareness of the Palestinian people by actively building bridges with other student groups and movements promoting social justice.

Bauer's mischaracterizations come as no surprise as he has a history of holding religiously based anti-Palestinian bias: "God granted the land of Israel to the Jewish people, and there is an absolute ban on giving it away to another people," Bauer told an American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference several years ago. Bauer's commentary exposes his ignorance of how SJP organizes and further contributes to the silencing and repression of students within SJP.

Andrew Dalack; New York City
Bayan Founas; Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
National Students for Justice in Palestine