New York, NY, July 8, 2016 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today said it was highly disturbed over a statement by the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), which ascribed responsibility to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and its tactics for the recent shootings of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota.
On July 7 via Facebook, SJP’s local chapter at New York University falsely linked the “total number of black people lynched by cops in 2016” with a call to “remember that many US police departments train with the #IsraeliDefenseForces.” The group also stated that “The same forces behind the genocide of black people in America are behind the genocide of Palestinians.”
“The Students for Justice in Palestine once again offends, completely warps, and exploits racial justice challenges facing this country by attacking the State of Israel,” said Evan R. Bernstein, ADL New York Regional Director. “Their attempts to capitalize on the tragic deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile are beyond the pale and demonstrate a complete lack of understanding of both issues. SJP’s continued demonization of Israel and efforts to use legitimate domestic social justice issues to undermine Israel are tremendously disingenuous and manipulative.”
“Yesterday’s statement by SJP underscores that the student group is not an entity that promotes moderate dialogue,” Mr. Bernstein said. “Their choice words illustrate that they are not a legitimate player in the realm of positive and productive discourse surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and we continue to be concerned about the tenor on college campuses across the country.”
In 2014, ADL expressed concern over mock eviction notices that were slid under students’ doors in a residence hall at NYU in an attempt to silence and intimidate pro-Israel advocates.
Examples of campus groups exploiting domestic social issues to attack Israel from the 2015-16 academic year are available on the Access ADL Blog.
The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world’s leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry. Follow us on Twitter: @ADL_NY