Jewish campus groups and parents are expressing their concerns over the University of Maryland’s decision to permit a pro-Palestinian group to hold a rally on campus on Oct. 7, the anniversary of the Hamas attacks in Israel.
The permit was granted to Students for Justice in Palestine, which has caused criticism from campus Hillel and Jewish Student Union. They took to Instagram to voice their disapproval of SJP’s choice of date for the event.
“October 7 is a day of tragedy for the Jewish and Israeli community worldwide. It is concerning to see that SJP has opted for this date, a day of Jewish mourning, to organize an event on campus,” the groups stated on Instagram Stories.
They further added, “While SJP followed university protocol in securing this reservation, it is still unacceptable that they did so.” The Jewish groups also mentioned that they were planning their own memorial event for Oct. 7.
The SJP chapter confirmed to the Washington Post that they are planning an action on McKeldin Mall on Oct. 7. The university did not comment on the matter by press time on Friday.
Rabbi Ari Israel, director of Maryland Hillel, expressed his concerns about the event to university leadership, as reported by The Daily Wire. Local Jewish leaders and parents fear that the rally may glorify the killing of 1,200 Israelis, a stance taken by other SJP chapters in the past year.
An open letter addressed to the school’s senior leadership, circulating among Jewish parents and faculty, warns against any celebration of the deaths of Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023. It emphasizes that such actions would be perceived as a direct threat to the safety of the Jewish community at UMD.
This week, the university’s SJP chapter mounted a flag display on campus to commemorate the victims of Israel’s war in Gaza. The event was attended by the school’s Jewish Voice for Peace chapter. However, the display’s claim of Israel killing upwards of 150,000 people in Gaza has been disputed.
The permit issued to SJP is part of a larger concern around student activism related to the war in Gaza. With the fall semester starting, there have been incidents of arrests and circulation of antisemitic material on various campuses.
The letter opposing the permit makes specific recommendations and highlights potential areas of activism that could lead to antisemitism. It calls for the university to adopt hate-speech guidelines similar to those introduced at New York University.
The letter clarifies that the opposition is not against SJP’s right to assemble but against any event that demonizes the Jewish community or calls for its destruction. It also outlines specific types of speech that would create a hostile environment for the Jewish community on campus.
Like many other schools, the University of Maryland has revised its speech policies in anticipation of increased protests during the semester. The revisions include stricter limitations on posting materials around campus and emphasize the need for student groups to follow formal procedures for scheduling activities.