Palestine is one of the most important social justice issues of our time and one that resonates with people from all over the world and all over our campus. As such, Students for Justice in Palestine welcomes active members from all walks of life; our current board is made up of students of Palestinian, Mexican, Russian, Chinese, Syrian, Bengali, Pakistani and Sicilian descent, who claim varying sexualities, creeds and ideologies. Previous boards have long reflected such diversity.
Every week, we gather together to share food, jokes and Snapchats, and work towards one of the things we all share in common – our passion for social justice in Palestine.
Yet it turns out that there are a number of myths about SJP that portray us as a group of mob-like, hate-motivated bullies. Sadly, many of these myths are rooted in racially charged, Islamophobic stereotypes commonly used against Arabs and Muslims.
But every time someone actually takes the time to meet one of us, they tell us how surprised they are to find how different we are from those myths and how similar we are to any other student on campus – our lives revolve around exams, essays and little sleep, but with the added component of spending late nights organizing in solidarity with Palestine. What puzzles us the most about all these myths is that, rather than having an agenda of “hate,” SJP’s work is based on a positive vision for the future. We believe that ending the violation of Palestinian rights – the military occupation of the Palestinian West Bank and Gaza Strip, second-class citizenship for Palestinians inside Israel and discriminatory policies that prevent refugees from returning to their country – will actually be liberating for both Palestinians and Israelis.
We believe the tactics of boycotts, divestment and sanctions to be the best, most peaceful means to achieve these ends. These time-honored tactics were used when farm workers called for grape boycotts in California, when civil rights activists and those in solidarity with their cause boycotted segregated buses in Alabama, and when the University of California divested from apartheid in South Africa. So there is every reason to believe that divestment will help achieve justice in Palestine. Although it may take many years for justice to prevail, we know that investing in companies that enable the occupation is not the answer.
So why is the discourse of fear being used against SJP? And why is it so effective?
Sowing fear about SJP and its members is a way to discourage people from listening to our arguments and judging them on their merits. When we came to student government with our divestment resolution last year, we asked our councilmembers, “Why should we continue to invest in violence against Palestinians?” Throughout our campaign and during the hearing itself, we never heard a coherent answer to this question. Instead of strong arguments that would convince people to support investments in violence, what we have seen is an effort to short-circuit the debate by cultivating fear about SJP.
Efforts to demonize SJP work well because of the broader climate of dehumanization that affects how people see and understand Palestinians. Rarely, if ever, are Palestinians portrayed as regular human beings who have the same basic aspirations as everyone else. Rarely, if ever, are their lives and experiences covered in the news outside of a context of violence, and rarely, if ever, are they given a platform to speak about their lives and desires on their own terms. As Anthony Bourdain remarked about the outpouring of thanks and positivity after his travel and cooking show “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” visited Gaza and the West Bank, “We … show regular people doing everyday things – cooking and enjoying meals … It is a measure, I guess, of how twisted and shallow our depiction of (the Palestinian) people is that these images come as a shock to so many. The world has visited many terrible things on the Palestinian people, none more shameful than robbing them of their basic humanity.”
Palestinians, like any of us, deserve, at the very least, their humanity. By the same token, those working to support Palestinian rights deserve to be heard out. On behalf of SJP, we invite students, particularly those who have only heard negative things about us, to get to know us.
Come to a meeting, visit our office, get to know SJP members and judge us by our words and deeds. Come out to our Palestine Awareness Week during Week 5.
Howlader is a fifth-year electrical engineering student and vice president of SJP.
Huang is a third-year microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics student and the finance director of SJP.
Tahir is a fifth-year biochemistry and gender studies student and the education and resources director of SJP.
I can think of other reasons people think of SJP “as a group of mob-like, hate-motivated bullies.”
– SJP unleashed a flurry of hateful, false statements about Israel and Israelis at the divestment hearing and other events, including the week-long event formerly known as Israel Apartheid Week, now rebranded as “Palestine Awareness Week.”
– SJP engaged in smear campaigns against several divestment opponents (in particular Avinoam Baral), tarring them as “Islamophobic” even though those opponents had repeatedly condemned Islamophobia and encouraged dialogue.
– SJP posted several items on its Tumblr openly mocking “Zionists” and student groups on campus, including the Olive Tree Initiative.
– SJP pressured people running for student government positions to sign a McCarthy-like “ethics pledge” not to accept trips from several pro-Israel groups (but only pro-Israel groups, mind you!) after the divestment vote failed.
– SJP also filed trumped-up charges against Sunny Singh and Lauren Rodgers with USAC’s judicial board after the divestment vote failed. Thankfully, the board saw the charges for what they were.
In other words, “efforts to demonize SJP work well” because they use the SJP’s own actions as evidence.
– “false statements about Israel” – You mean they did not toe the Hasbara line.
– “smear campaigns” – You mean some of its members questioned Baral’s association with a racist and Islamophobic organization. Like as if pro-Israeli organization don’t use the same tactic.
– “mocking “Zionists”” – Ever seen the crap put out by birthright organizations ?
– “pressured people” – Best not commented for the joke this is.
– “trumped up charges” – You mean like those phony “not safe on campus” complaints ?
“smear campaigns” – You mean some of its members questioned Baral’s association with a racist and Islamophobic organization. Like as if pro-Israeli organization don’t use the same tactic.
Yes, very good. I see you are acquainted with smear campaigns. That is exactly what SJP did. Try to make Baral guilty by association.
The same “smear” tactic used by pro-Israeli organizations. Thanks for acknowledging that.
They aren’t guilty by association. SJP is the hate-filled bully in question.
Why. Oh wait, because you stated it. Thanks for the update.
No, because of their actions. See below.
Just like pro-Israeli organizations.
What pro-Israel organization has ever brought baseless charges to the Judicial Committee for political gain?
Why limit to the Judicial Committee. Oh wait, because they filed a bogus complaint with the Justice Department, which was thrown out !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I notice you don’t want to elaborate on your purported incident or address why you think SJP was in the right in their fake case against Singh.
Even if you thought Hillel also abused the Justice System in some way, the answer would not be to support SJP for doing it. They are bullies, and their behavior shows it.
https://www.usac.ucla.edu/jboard/cases/14-3%20Opinion.pdf
I never commented on SJP. I pointed out that these were age old pro-Israeli tactics. And shocker. You complain of bullying.
I don’t complain of it. They whined in the editorial that they are perceived as a ” a group of mob-like, hate-motivated bullies”. Well that is true. They are. Because they are “a group of mob-like, hate-motivated bullies”
You are commenting on their press release. Every comment here is addressing them and their editorial. Perhaps, in your zeal to hate Israel, you forgot the point of this discussion.
No worries. Pro-Israeli groups do plenty of whining that they feel “unsafe” on campuses. Except the Justice Department told them to take a walk.
Done smearing anyone who questions Israel ?
I am not smearing anyone who questions Israel. I am smearing the SJP for their unconscionable actions. I am smearing you, who chooses to hide behind anonymity and prevents people from seeing your prior comments, so the world will not realize you are actually affiliated with them. I am smearing you and your unbacked allegations and whinging. I am smearing your ludicrous tactics to pretend this article is about Israel and vague illusions to their supporter and not the specific SJP at UCLA, which very clearly deserves the reputation its members complain about.
Hmm, this came out yesterday. It would be helpful to see a detailed response to understand the difference between the claims above and SJP’s own internal documents which seem to clearly contradict this article:
“A foundational document of the SJP group at Binghamton University, entitled “Declaration of Principles and Strategies,” recently came to our attention. The document is extremely troubling in that it outlines a clear strategy for targeting, ostracizing, harassing, and silencing students on campus who oppose the boycott of Israel or who support or simply attend a program or event with which the SJP disagrees.
In a section entitled “With Regards to SJP’s Interaction with Zionist Student Organizations,” the document prohibits SJP leaders and members from collaborating or cooperating with specifically-named Jewish and pro-Israel student organizations, as well as with any group that has “aided and abetted Zionist student organizations.” Although a student organization is certainly free to choose its partners for collaboration and cooperation, the SJP group’s a priori rejection of any interaction with Jewish and pro-Israel student groups – or with any other group that is deemed to have “collaborated” with them – bespeaks of prejudice, bigotry, and a lack of tolerance and civility, behavior that should not be tolerated from a student group on any campus.
Far more troubling, however, is the section of the document entitled “With Regards to Tactics and Strategies Used to Counter Zionist Normalization,” which spells out a strategy for not only protesting certain student events, but also for actually disrupting them, simply because the SJP disagrees with the views that might be expressed there. In calling for the disruption of other student groups’ events, the SJP group is advocating behavior that violates Binghamton’s Student Code of Conduct, and may well be inciting criminal conduct in violation of New York State law prohibiting the disturbance of a lawful meeting or event.”
Full report here: http://www.amchainitiative.org/amcha-reveals-internal-sjp-doc-calling-for-illegal-action/
No link to the original document. Why repost propaganda ?
http://www.amchainitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/SJP-Binghamton-DeclarationofPrinciplesandStrategies.pdf
Name one of these tactics that have not been used by the Hillel across campuses.
I cannot remember one time Hillel brought fake charges against someone. Nor did they ever try to start a riot in someone else’s event. They are also far more willing to co sponsor than you. And if you complain about “Closed Hillel”, well “Open BDS” would be an oxymoron, so it does nothing to help your case. Hillel’s responsibility is to help Jewish UCLA students. Yours is to drag the campus into an extremist position on a complicated conflict across the world.
“fake charges” – Did you contact the District Attorney ? Cause after all lying in a legal document is against the law. Oh wait. Never mind.
“riot” – Did you call the police. Oh wait. Never mind.
There was NOT ONE SINGLE MEMBER of the Judicial Committee who thought the charges were substantial. Did you read their judgement summary? They did not consider ONE SINGLE POINT you guys made. More importantly, they pointed out right on the first page that Sunny wasn’t even on the council when he was awarded the trip, SO THE ENTIRE PREMISE THAT HE WAS AWARDED A TRIP AS AN INDUCEMENT TO VOTE WAS UNTRUE. The SJP knew exactly when he was awarded the trip and deliberately suppressed this fact in their complaint and in their slander against him. Your only saving grace is that the police would not get involved in this matter, because it is not a legal document but an internal UCLA one. Had this been an actual political office and the District Court, absolutely the SJP would be facing charges of perjury, contempt, conspiracy, and abuse. Whatever prosecutor they found to take their case would be fired. You must know this.
Sunny could have filed a civil suit, but it probably wouldn’t be worth it. It would be hard to prove monetary damage.
– It was not a unanimous vote. But thanks for not pointing it out.
– The boards response included – “The conflict of interest clause was drafted in order to make clear one of these many ethical obligations, but it is shown
through this case the its text and interpretation is ambiguous. ”
– I’m sure Sunny would have had plenty of “sponsors” for his civil litigation. Except that in America its not illegal to file a complaint.
4-0, with two abstentions. Was certainly unanimous. No one supported you. Not one.
That line is clearly to prevent SJP from trying the same tactic in the future. The whole opinion is how wrong and bone-headed SJP are.
– Unanimous is when EVERYONE votes on the same side.
– That line shows the limitation of the conflict of interest clause.
EVERYONE did vote on the same side. The fact two people didn’t vote doesn’t mean they supported the other side. It means they didn’t vote.
Aaron Lerner, I am so interested in this news that just came out about you hiring a PR firm to deal with BDS on our campus? Would love to hear your side about this. Why do you plan to portray SJP as “isolated graduate students?” It seems to me they are mostly undergraduates ?
They are mostly graduates. Look at their officers and guys who write most of the editorials.
They don’t have PR firms to do their work !
Fair enough, but Rabbi Lerner is portraying them that way because it is true.
SJP is a joke of an organization. If these students cared at all about human rights, they would spend their time demonstrating against Hamas’s use of civilians as human shields, use of hospitals and schools as military operations centers, and censorship of the media. Oh, but wait, that wouldn’t further their agenda of delegitimizing the State of Israel. Remember, Israel is the only country in the Middle East that gives full citizenship rights to homosexuals, women and ethnic and religious minorities. I have no problem with students wanting to criticize Israel’s policies and actions (that happens every day in the Israeli and world press, after all), but SJP goes well beyond that by making Nazi/Holocaust analogies and repeating “Israel lobby” conspiracies that are rooted in anti-semitism.
“Israel is the only country in the Middle East that gives full citizenship rights to homosexuals, women and ethnic and religious minorities.”
Did you forget Palestinians in that list ? Oh wait, you’re doing Pinkwashing but pooh poohing about demographically inconsequential rights, while ignoring the lack of rights for millions of Palestinians.
And we have to hear from you “anti-semitism” when you can’t tell the basic truth about Israel and Palestinians rights. Fabricate much ?