Anti-Semitism at George Washington University Exposed

Whenever Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) or other anti-Israel activists initiate a Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) campaign, Jewish students become fearful of the accompanying anti-Semitism. This is exactly what happened in April 2018, at George Washington University (GWU), Washington, D.C.

This Canary Mission report highlights the individuals behind an April 23rd-24th anti-Semitic BDS resolution that passed the GWU Student Association (SA), via secret ballot.

Activists with Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at GWU (SJP at GWU) led the BDS resolution campaign, titled “#DivestThisTime." The campaign was SJP at GWU’s second in two years; their 2017 resolution failed to pass.

This report includes the following 40 individuals:

• 13 SJP activists
• 8 SJP coordinating committee members, as indicated by SJP activist Abby Brook
• 4 SJP-allied group leaders
• 4 Co-sponsors of the 2018 resolution
• 11 Student senators who voted for the resolution to be held via secret ballot

Among the supporters of the 2018 resolution were SJP and BDS activists who made physical threats and used intimidation tactics. Examples in this report include:

• Morgan Richmeier who tweeted that she would “physically fight” Zionists.
• Henry Rosh who used the hashtag “#makezionistsafraid” on Instagram, after the resolution passed.

The April BDS resolution hearing was marked by a unique incident. The SA broke to hold a closed-door censure vote on student senator, Brady Forrest, who had earlier that month been removed from his position as Senate Pro-Tempore, following revelations of anti-Semitic Facebook posts.

Despite his explicit anti-Semitism, the SA failed to reach the two-thirds majority to censure Forrest. After the break, a number of Jewish students walked out [00:35:19] of the resolution hearing, protesting [00:33:21] the bill and the SA’s inaction to combat anti-Semitism within its own ranks.

During the rest of the hearing, many Jewish students spoke [01:09:05] about their concerns [01:24:45] of anti-Semitism related to the #DivestThisTime campaign.

One student spoke [00:50:40] about the Jewish community’s pain that the “hateful and divisive resolution was proposed over Passover." One Jewish Israeli-American student said [00:48:05] it “creates an environment where I am made to feel that my identity is taboo" at GWU.

SJP at GWU activists mocked [00:52:48] or dismissed [00:39:50] these concerns. Other resolution supporters voiced agreement [00:45:40] with the SJP at GWU activists, including one who claimed [01:04:13] that pro-Israel students were stoking “racial fears and sowing the divisions."

At least 18 SJP at GWU activists and affiliates addressed the SA to promote the resolution. Proponents of the resolution spread falsehoods, blood libels and anti-Semitic hatred within their presentations:

• Liz Burkemper spread the blood libel that Israeli Jews poison Palestinian water.
• Eden Vitoff, a resolution co-sponsor, implied that Israeli policy is to pollute Palestinian water and kill “children and other civilians.&rdquo
• Shaheera Jalil Albasit, a resolution co-sponsor, accused Israel of imposing “forced labor” on Palestinians and keeping them “segregated into ghettos.”
• Jeslyn Zakes characterized Israel’s defensive operations during the second Intifada and against Hamas as “random attacks” by Israel against Palestinians.