Brandeis University announced on Monday that the school has banned Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) from campus.
The Brandeis SJP chapter echoed the announcement, confirming on its official Instagram page that it had been shut down by the university. (RELATED: Here Are University Donors Pulling Their Support After Schools Initially Failed To Condemn Hamas)
“With heavy hearts, we would like to announce that our chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine has been unjustly de-charted. This comes as a part of Brandeis University, an institution that values social justice, trying to silence us from speaking our truth,” Brandeis SJP posted. “We thank everyone who stood by us during this beautiful journey, and we encourage you to reach out to us if you need any kind of support.”
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In a letter to SJP announcing the decision, Brandeis — a Jewish-sponsored university in Waltham, Massachusetts — cited the group’s explicit support for Hamas terrorism, according to Jewish Insider.
“This decision was not made lightly, as Brandeis is dedicated to upholding free speech principles, which have been codified in Brandeis’ Principles of Free Speech and Free Expression,” the letter read. “However, those Principles note that ‘The freedom to debate and discuss ideas does not mean that individuals may say whatever they wish, wherever they wish, or however they wish,’ and that, ‘…the university may restrict expression…that constitutes a genuine threat or harassment…or that is otherwise directly incompatible with the functioning of the university.'”
The letter added that the SJP organization has called for violent retaliation against Israel and the Jewish people as a whole.
“The National SJP has called on its chapters to engage in conduct that supports Hamas in its call for the violent elimination of Israel and the Jewish people. These tactics are not protected by the University’s Principles. As a result, the University made the decision that the Brandeis chapter of the National SJP must be unrecognized and will no longer be eligible to receive funding, be permitted to conduct activities on campus, or use the Brandeis name and logo in promoting itself or its activities, including through social media channels,” the letter continued.
Universities across the nation have been rocked with protests in the month following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks against Israel. These on-campus demonstrations, which often openly endorse Hamas’ killing of civilians, have sparked significant backlash, with alumni and donors threatening to pull their support from multiple institutions.