01/25/2021
J Street U at JHU Statement on Recent Anti-Zionist Incident
As J Street U, the pro-Israel, pro-Palestine, anti-Occupation, and pro-peace group at JHU, we work to fight antisemitism, to promote Israeli-Palestinian peace and a better future for both peoples, and to uplift the often-ignored voices of Palestinian students on our campus. Our values call us to address the recent allegations of antisemitism against a Palestinian TA and the Jewish community’s response to these allegations.
We believe that the TA’s actions were irresponsible, discriminatory, and in violation of University policy for proper conduct by TAs. OIE is already working with the TA and other individuals involved in the incident to ensure that any harm done to students is rectified. We respect this process and trust that OIE will take appropriate action if its investigation concludes that the TA did engage in misconduct.
While we condemn the TA’s statements, we are not comfortable with automatically labeling them as antisemitic, as some have done. Though many Jews feel strongly that Zionism is a key part of their Judaism, not all criticism of Israel or opposition to Zionism amounts to antisemitism, and whether particular instances of anti-Zionism may constitute antisemitism depends on many contextual factors.
In our case, these contextual factors suggest that the TA is not antisemitic. The TA is a well-known Palestinian activist at JHU, and their critical positions on Zionism appear to stem from the negative experiences of their family and people. Their statements do not show explicit animosity towards Jews. As an organization that supports equal rights and treatment for all, we have a responsibility to push back against overly simplistic narratives branding the TA as an antisemite. In this case, conflating anti-Zionism with antisemitism obscures the true nature of the incident and makes it harder to redress the harm done.
Additionally, conflating anti-Zionism with antisemitism conveys a false message about the threats facing Jewish students on campus. On January 6th, we watched armed insurrectionists, some wearing t-shirts claiming “6MWE” (six million dead Jews wasn’t enough), storm the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. We have seen far-right white supremacists murder Jews in Pittsburgh and in Poway. When the Jewish community describes a series of tweets as a major threat to Jews’ safety instead of focusing on these wider threats, we do a disservice to ourselves and others.
As a group that works to combat misinformation and bigotry in the Jewish community, we have been dismayed by some Jewish students’ and organizations’ reactions to this incident. Statements from institutions that claim to uphold inclusivity and nuanced dialogue — including Johns Hopkins Hillel, the Baltimore Jewish Council, and the University administration — have conflated anti-Zionism and antisemitism without acknowledgment of the TA’s Palestinian identity or the harms committed by Israel against the Palestinian people. For instance, the Baltimore Jewish Council issued a statement calling the TA’s actions an “outrageous act of antisemitism” and arguing that because of the TA, “Jewish students … face the threat of academic punishment due to their religion.” While not every student or organizational body has acted in these ways, we feel that much of the Jewish community has mischaracterized the potential threat to Jewish students and has made sweeping judgments about the TA’s beliefs with insufficient context.
As this incident is being investigated and resolved by the University administration, we urge members of the JHU community to reflect upon their responses to what has happened. It is imperative that in addition to learning about antisemitism, students educate themselves about Israeli and Palestinian history and Israeli/Palestinian relations, develop stronger relationships with Palestinian, Muslim, and Jewish students on campus, and engage with people who have different understandings of Zionism. It is imperative that we reject oversimplified narratives about Israelis and Palestinians, Zionists and anti-Zionists. By doing so, we can all help ensure that all people on our campus are treated with understanding, decency, and respect.
