In the days following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, invasion of Israel, the national leadership of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and many of the organization’s campus chapters have explicitly endorsed the actions of Hamas and their armed attacks on Israeli civilians and voiced an increasingly radical call for confronting and “dismantling” Zionism on U.S. college campuses.
SJP is planning a National Day of Resistance for its campus chapters for October 12, and at least six SJP chapters have announced campus events on that date, including: Arizona State University, University of Arizona, Butler University, University of Louisville, University of Binghamton and the University of Virginia. At least two other chapters are convening events at off-campus locations: Michigan State University and University of Mary Washington.
In a statement published after the October 7 invasion, SJP described Hamas’ massacres of Israelis as “a historic win for Palestinian resistance,” and called for “Not just slogans and rallies, but armed confrontation with the oppressors.” In its “Day of Resistance Toolkit,” SJP made clear that it advocates for Hamas or other Palestinian forces to militarily conquer all of Israel; it applauded the Hamas occupation of Israeli towns along the Gaza border and proclaimed that its goal is “complete liberation” of Israel and the full influx of Palestinians to Israeli land.
National SJP’s Day of Resistance Toolkit pledges to bring the spirit of resistance to U.S. college campuses. “We must continue to resist directly through dismantling Zionism, and wielding the political power that our organizes hold on our campuses and in our communities,” it reads. “Challenging Zionist hegemony and popularizing our resistance is a critical part of advancing our national movement!”
SJP encourages chapters to use tactics such as protests and demonstrations, or to use “a sit-in, disruption, or educational event.” Although these are all non-violent tactics, they raise the real possibility of creating a hostile environment for Jewish students, and the confrontational spirit that permeates the toolkit raises the concern that these actions could lead to acts of harassment or vandalism targeting Jewish students and organizations.
Numerous SJP chapters have released inflammatory statements since October 7, and many hold Israel responsible for the violence that Hamas perpetrated. Others explicitly endorse the use of violence, including against civilians, in support of Palestinians seizing control of Israeli land. These types of statements have been released by SJP chapters at Yale University, Harvard University, Northwestern University, Rutgers University, George Mason University, John Jay College, University of Washington and the University of California at Berkeley.
Some of the more radical comments from SJP chapters:
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SJP George Mason University: “We as Students for Justice in Palestine at George Mason call for a free Palestine, from the river to the sea, and support all forms of resistance which helps [sic] the Palestinian people inch closer to that reality. We call on all those who identify as ‘allies’ to the Palestinian liberation movement to take similar action. Peace cannot exist without justice, and justice for the Palestinian cannot prevail without action. With steadfastness and confrontation, GMU SJP.”
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PSA Hunter College: “…we demand ALL educational institutions and organizations to stand up against the occupation and actively support the Al-Aqsa Flood initiative. It is imperative that the education sector plays a pivotal role in mobilizing efforts to uphold the cause of justice and freedom in Palestine. Take your stance alongside us in this fight. As we closely monitor the situation in Palestine, let us remember this date as a pivotal moment. It is crucial to recognize that, once again, resistance is the only answer. The hour of liberation draws near, and it is imperative for all Palestinians to unite and work towards opening the doors to freedom.”
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Bear for Palestine, University of California at Berkeley: “Towfan Al-Aqsa [the name Hamas gave to its violent operation] now stands as a revolutionary moment in contemporary Palestinian resistance. We honor Palestinians who ‘are working on the ground on several axes of the so-called ‘Gaza envelope’ alongside our comrades in blood and arms, and what is coming is greater. Victory or martyrdom.’….Gaza is the cradle of our resistance and the lifeblood of our struggle. We echo the call to action for all Arabs and Palestinians in the diaspora to rise up to support the liberation of our occupied peoples. From the River to the Sea, we will continue to support resistance until we are able to return home to a unified Palestine. Glory to Palestine, glory to the resistance, and glory to our martyrs. Until Return and Liberation, Bears for Palestine at UC Berkeley.”
Some SJP chapters have issued pro-Hamas messaging and/or promoted violent anti-Israel messaging channels. The University of Illinois SJP chapter shared a video which shows what appears to be a Hamas terrorist who filmed himself from inside the home of an Israeli family during the attack. At least three chapters of SJP have referred readers to Resistance News Network (RNN), --part of an encrypted messaging application that shares violent images and videos of attacks on Israelis and disseminates Hamas propaganda -- since the Hamas attack, including chapters at: City University of New York and the University of California, Irvine, as well as SoCal SJP, a consortium of SJPs at Southern California schools.
Five others routinely shared RNN content even before October 7, 2023, including chapters at: Wellesley College; The University of Washington; Marquette University; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; and California State University, Northridge.