Pro-Palestine protests not a threat to Jewish student, Jewish Council says

‘We should be proud of all of the students, who are speaking out against this unfolding genocide,’ the Executive Director of the Jewish Council of Australia says

The Jewish Council of Australia has vehemently dismissed allegations suggesting that university encampments, in solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel’s recent actions in the Gaza Strip, pose a danger to Jewish students and staff.

In a statement released on Sunday, the council highlighted the establishment of encampments by Australian students in support of Palestinians last week, aligning with similar actions taken in the United States and various other locations globally.

Addressing the solidarity displayed by students, the statement emphasized their call for institutions to sever ties with arms manufacturers facilitating Israeli actions deemed as war crimes.

The council also underlined the students’ appeals for governmental sanctions against Israel and the cessation of military connections.

Viewing it as anti-Semitic violates free speech

“The Jewish Council of Australia strongly rejects the claims that these protests are a threat to Jewish students and staff,” the statement asserted.

Furthermore, the council cautioned against attempts to suppress or misrepresent such protests as anti-Semitic, warning that such actions could undermine free speech on campuses.

Elizabeth Strakosch, executive director of the Jewish Council of Australia, defended the students’ right to peaceful protest as a fundamental democratic freedom.

‘We should be proud students speaking out against genocide’

“We should be proud of all of the students, many of whom are Jewish, who are speaking out against this unfolding genocide,” Strakosch remarked. “The student protests against the unfolding genocide in Gaza are legitimate expressions of political speech and human rights advocacy.”

Notably, the movement gained traction globally, with students at Columbia University inspiring counterparts worldwide to organize sit-ins protesting financial investments in companies supporting conflict in Gaza.

Pro-Palestinian student demonstrations have since spread to other leading U.S. universities, including California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt; University of California, Berkeley; University of Southern California; University of Texas at Austin; Yale University; University of Minnesota – Twin Cities; Swarthmore College and University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania; University of Rochester in New York; Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); Tufts University; and Emerson College; Emory University; and University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Demonstrations in solidarity with Palestine have emerged across multiple nations, including the United States, Australia, France, and Egypt.

Source: Newsroom