Princeton University’s 500 Jewish students make up 10% of the undergraduate student body and 250 Jewish graduate students make up 8% of the graduate student population. Princeton has the Center for Jewish Life (which houses the campus Hillel) and a Chabad.

What’s Happening On Campus?

Princeton has a recent history of anti-Israel activism on campus and the school has hosted antisemitic speakers. In February 2023, the university hosted Palestinian writer and poet Mohammed El-Kurd, who called Jewish organizations “agents of apartheid” and expressed support for Hamas’ actions on October 7. A 2019 guest speaker told a student veteran of the Israel Defense Forces that he should “feel shame” for his role as a “concentration camp guard.”

In 2022, a BDS referendum was proposed on campus asking for Princeton to disassociate from the Caterpillar construction company because of its business with Israel, but ultimately failed to receive support from a majority of the student body.

More recently, pro-Palestinian protests, walk-outs, and vigil events, including those organized by SJP, have devolved into comparing Israeli politicians to Adolf Hitler and "long live the Intifada" chants.

In January 2023, the University received a threatening antisemitic email. In October 2023, a chalk drawing of the Israeli flag located outside a student’s dorm room was crossed out and drawn over. That same month, anti-Zionist and pro-terror rhetoric was present at an anti-Israel rally on campus. In December 2023, cannons outside of two eating clubs were vandalized with the words “Free Gaza” and “F**k Israel”.

In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights opened a Title VI investigation into Princeton.

In April 2024, anti-Israel protestors established an encampment on campus. A series of incidents were recorded, including two protestors reportedly yelling that “Hamas are freedom fighters,” Hezbollah flags being flown, calls for intifada, and a professor reportedly promoting an antisemitic poem.

University Policies and Responsive Action

University students published a letter to administrators in November, signed by more than 1,700 students and alumni, calling on the school to release a statement of support for the campus Jewish community and to create a task force to monitor and to address antisemitism on campus. The letter seemingly received no public response from the University.

The University has been in regular contact with Hillel, supporting Hillel’s ongoing workshops for students on understanding and responding to antisemitism. Princeton’s Rose Castle Society brings together student activists, including Pro-Israeli and Pro-Palestinian students, to learn how individuals with differing viewpoints can interact productively across these differences.

While the student government failed to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism in 2022, it passed a measure calling for the school to increase antisemitism trainings that use the definition. The University administration has declined to support BDS, most recently in 2022.

In January 2024, Princeton amended its no-contact order policy following concerns that had been raised by ADL and others about the improper use of non-contact orders to censor student journalists covering anti-Israel demonstrations on campus. 

Protestors cleared the encampment in May 2024, following calls from the administration for the protestors to disband. President Eisgruber also announced that a Council of the Princeton University Community (CPUC) Resources Committee meeting will be held to discuss divestment from Israel.

*On April 11, 2024, Princeton University was graded an "F"; in light of new information or events, the grade was changed to a "D" on April 15, 2024.