Hundreds of students participate in anti-Israel rally at UW

An anti-Israel rally at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle drew hundreds of students to the center of campus Wednesday.

“U Dub! U Dub! You can’t hide. We charge you with genocide,” was just one of the chants during the group’s march.

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The students demanded the university cut all ties with Israel and condemn what they call attacks on pro-Palestinian UW students and staff.

“Student members of the Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return at UW were doxxed and threatened online for holding a rally, UW President Ana Mari Cauce used her platform to condemn the rally and the Palestinian resistance,” an unidentified rally organizer said.

Cauce said in a statement the school permits protected speech, but did not condone or support this rally or a previous one at UW on Oct. 12, just days after the initial Hamas attack on Israel.

“We understand the fear the Jewish community is feeling during this very difficult time,” Cauce’s spokesperson told The Jason Rantz Show on KTTH. “We are aware of events such as today’s walk-out, which are not condoned or otherwise supported by the university. The UW’s Division of Campus Community Safety staff are working to ensure safety for the campus community.

“This has been and will likely continue to be a difficult academic year in ways none of us could have foreseen before October 7,” Cauce’s spokesperson continued. “We are dedicated to the safety of our Jewish community members and to maintaining UW as a place where every student knows that they are welcome and supported.”

UW graduate Hayim Katsman, Ph.D., was one of the Americans found dead after Hamas attacked Be’eri, Israel on Oct. 7. He received his Ph.D. from the UW’s Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies in 2021. Hayim’s mother told ABC News he was born in the U.S. and had been living on a kibbutz in Israel doing research. Katsman’s research focused on the “interrelations of religion and politics in the Middle East, focusing on Israel/Palestine,” according to UW’s website.

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The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) conducted a study to investigate the increase in anti-Israel activity on campuses across the country. ADL tallied 665 campus anti-Israel incidents during the 2022-2023 academic year: Zero instances of physical assault, nine instances of vandalism, 24 instances of harassment, 303 events, 326 protests/actions and three boycott, divestment and sanctions resolutions.

During the summer of 2022, a social media channel and website called Jisr Collective became increasingly popular among anti-Zionist activists on campus and was promoted by some Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapters, including at UW.

“Jisr Collective (now dormant after being banned from Twitter in November 2022) explicitly asserted opposition to Israel’s existence; conveyed support for all forms of ‘armed resistance’ to Israel, including from terror groups Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and PFLP; and often expressed fierce opposition to ‘normalization,’ which they defined as: ‘The endorsing or collaborating with an individual, ideology, or entity that carries, represents, or invokes ‘Israeli’ aspirations or sentiments,” ADL wrote in its study.