Jewish groups urge Boston-area universities to investigate Students for Justice in Palestine chapters for applauding Hamas after terrorist attacks in Israel

Jewish groups are calling on universities and colleges to take a close look at Students for Justice in Palestine campus chapters after SJP student groups applauded Hamas following the terrorist organization’s deadly attacks in Israel.

Tufts SJP was one of the student chapters that posted in support of the terrorists, who killed Israelis and took hostages earlier this month.

After many SJP student groups did the same in backing Hamas, the Anti-Defamation League and the Brandeis Center recently wrote a letter to the presidents of nearly 200 colleges and universities. The Jewish groups are urging the colleges and universities to investigate the activities of their SJP chapters — including for possibly violating the ban against materially supporting a foreign terrorist organization.

The Boston-area colleges and universities that received the letter include: Tufts University, Harvard University, MIT, Boston University, Boston College, Northeastern University and UMass Boston.

“SJP is a network of student groups across the U.S., which disseminate anti-Israel propaganda often laced with inflammatory and combative rhetoric,” ADL and the Brandeis Center wrote to the presidents. “In recent weeks, their rhetoric and activity has escalated significantly.

“Many of the organization’s campus chapters have explicitly endorsed the actions of Hamas and their armed attacks on Israeli civilians, voicing an increasingly radical call for confronting and ‘dismantling’ Zionism on U.S. college campuses,” they added. “Some SJP chapters have issued pro-Hamas messaging and/or promoted violent anti-Israel messaging channels. SJP chapters are not advocating for Palestinian rights; they are celebrating terrorism.”

Tufts SJP came under fire for their “obscene” comments in support of Hamas’ terrorist attacks. Tufts SJP’s remarks for Hamas came after dozens of Harvard student groups blamed Israel for Hamas’ terrorist attacks.

The Jewish groups are calling on the university leaders to investigate their campus SJP chapters regarding whether they have: improper funding sources, violated the school code of conduct, violated state or federal laws, and/or are providing material support to Hamas — a foreign terrorist organization designated by the U.S.

“If universities do not check the activities of their SJP chapters, they may be violating their Jewish students’ legal rights to be free of harassment and discrimination on campus,” ADL and the Brandeis Center wrote.

“We fully recognize and support students’ First Amendment rights to freedom of speech, even odious speech,” they added. “We remain committed, however, to calling out and speaking out against antisemitism and anti-Israel bias. And we certainly cannot sit idly by as a student organization provides vocal and potentially material support to Hamas, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.”