Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine Attacked by University President During COVID-19 Crisis

Members of Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine promote #EndTheDeadlyExchange at a community demonstration (Credit: Tufts SJP)

Palestine Legal calls on Tufts University President Anthony Monaco to revoke his April 24 statement “disapproving” of a recent award given to Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and falsely accusing the group of antisemitism over its support for boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) campaigns for Palestinian freedom. 

“It is disappointing to see not only the efforts of our members and club diminished, but also to see the work of twenty other student groups disparaged by our administration,” said Tufts SJP in a statement calling for supporters to write to the university.

“Especially now, it is shameful that the university has focused on condemning a justice-driven club when the university has not adequately supported our community during this pandemic,” the statement continued.

On April 22, Tufts SJP announced it was honored with the Collaboration Award by the Office for Campus Life for its work in “breaking down barriers between diverse student populations and fostering greater communication between different organizations on campus.”

The group has spent the past two years engaging over 20 diverse student organizations in a campaign to #EndTheDeadlyExchange of security tactics between campus police and the Israeli military. The campaign was sparked after the campus police chief attended a “counter-terrorism seminar” in Israel, which students argue represents a larger pattern of campus police militarization and mistreatment of people of color on campus.

Two days later, in Tufts’ first non-COVID-related statement since February, the president, provost, and three university deans expressed their disapproval of SJP’s policy positions and stated that the award “should not have happened.” The university stated it would review its award process “to ensure proper oversight going forward.” 

Pro-Israel advocacy groups, including the ADL, condemned the award, and some called on Tufts to rescind the honor.

“The domineering of Tufts officials here reflects the growing rift between campus support for Palestinian freedom and removed college bureaucrats,” said Michael Ratner Justice Fellow Amira Mattar. “It is patently absurd that high-level administrators are micromanaging those on the ground who see the day-to-day efforts of these students.”

Tufts President Monaco is the third university president to issue a statement condemning campus support for BDS in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic and massive university closures.

In March, on the eve of shutting down the university, Columbia University President Lee Bollinger issued a statement condemning a student referendum calling on Columbia to divest from companies complicit in Israeli human rights violations. Bollinger’s statement, which also falsely equated support for Palestinian rights with antisemitism, is the only statement not relating to COVID-19 or administrative operations he has issued since February.

In April, the president of Point Park University published an op-ed claiming that BDS “has no place at Point Park University” and that support for BDS was a form of antisemitism. Since March, Point Park University news has mainly been about COVID-19 and highlighting student/alumni profiles and successes. 

All of Tufts' statements have been related to the pandemic since late February, with the exception of condemning SJP's award.

The swift condemnation of Tufts SJP’s award mirrors the reaction to New York University SJP receiving the President's Service Award last year. The president shirked attending the award ceremony and rebuked SJP in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. 

TAKE ACTION

Tufts SJP has issued its own statement signed by nearly 40 student organizations and is calling on supporters to take action by emailing campus administrators.  

Palestine Legal expresses our full support for Tufts SJP.