Dr. Michael J. Garanzini
President
Loyola University Chicago

Dear President Garanzini,

My organization, “JewHatredonCampus.org,” has published a list of the 10 Most Anti-Semitic college campuses, which includes Loyola University Chicago. Our list has been published on websites that reach more than 100 million viewers.

The specific events meriting the inclusion of Loyola on this list include:

The holding of a Palestine Awareness Week that was designed to portray Israel, the only liberal democracy in the Middle East, as an apartheid state. This event is part of an international genocidal campaign to delegitimize and destroy the state of Israel.

The introduction and passage of a “Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions” (BDS) resolution targeting Israel in Loyola’s student government.  The BDS movement is an anti-Semitic campaign – described as such by former Harvard president Larry Summers - whose purpose is to destroy the Jewish state.

The deliberate harassment of Jewish students manning a table for Birthright Israel by members of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).  SJP members asked the Jewish students, “How does it feel to be an occupier?” They also asked, “How does it feel to be guilty of ethnic cleansing?” SJP students later blocked the table, holding signs that read, “My family is from the ethnically cleansed village of [name] BUT I DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO RETURN.” SJP faced only relatively minor sanctions for this incident.

A panel discussion on “Greenwashing” the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “Greenwashing” is a term used by anti-Israel activists to claim that Israel’s eco-friendly technology is publicized to hide the pollution of Palestinian lands and mistreatment of the Palestinian people.

A campus screening of the anti-Israel film “5 Broken Cameras” which demonizes the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) while obscuring the violent actions of Palestinian protestors.

A panel discussion on “Pinkwashing” the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “Pinkwashing” is a term used by anti-Israel activists to claim that pro-Israel forces highlight Israel’s strong support of gay rights—Israel is the only nation in the Middle East which fully protects the rights of gays and women— in order to obscure their mistreatment of the Palestinians.

An event featuring Sa’ed Atshan, an anti-Israel activist who has served for five years as a lecturer in “Peace and Justice Studies” at Tufts University. Atshan has demanded that Israel be “decolonized” for its racist policies and has said, “We all know Israel is an apartheid state and should be boycotted.”  
 

These events violate Loyola University Chicago’s “Student Code of Conduct” which states:

As members of the Loyola University Chicago community, all students, student groups and organizations, and other student communities are expected to adhere to the highest standards of civility and respect in their conduct towards one other. As living representatives of the values and mission of the University, students should constantly strive to exemplify the values of service, justice, learning, and faith. All Loyola University Chicago students are expected to adhere to all University policies including but not limited to those outlined in this Community Standards document, as well as all local, state, and federal laws. The Student Code of Conduct (hereinafter “the Code”) provides a baseline guide for acceptable student conduct to which all students, student organizations, guests, and visitors are expected to adhere.

These events and activities also violate Loyola’s policy on “Bias-Motivated Discrimination and Misconduct” which states:

It is prohibited to discriminate or otherwise engage in misconduct against any person or group of people based on one’s actual or perceived: race, color, national origin, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, age, socio-economic class, citizenship status, military or veteran status, pregnancy, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Discrimination is the unjust or preferential treatment of another wholly or partially because of the subject’s protected characteristic(s). Bias-motivated misconduct is any other offense under the Code against another where the subject was selected wholly or partially because of protected characteristic(s). Incidents involving discrimination or bias-motivated misconduct threaten to disrupt the environment of care and mutual respect that is central to Loyola’s educational mission. Such incidents will be promptly investigated and may result in serious or escalated sanctions. Common sanctions include: residence hall or University probation, suspension, or dismissal.

Reference: https://www.luc.edu/media/lucedu/osccr/pdfs/LUC%20COMMUNITY%20STANDARDS%202014-2015_updated%20Spring%202015.pdf

Evidently, in the eyes of the Loyola administration, Jewish students are not protected under these policies. This is the primary reason for Loyola’s inclusion in the list of the 10 Most Anti-Semitic campuses, and one we would like you to remedy.

These actions, which have been led by Students for Justice in Palestine on your campus, violate Loyola’s anti-discrimination policy and create a hostile environment for Jewish and pro-Israel students on your campus. Why is Students for Justice in Palestine receiving funding and other campus privileges from Loyola University Chicago, when its very purpose violates Loyola policy?

As an organization dedicated to combating campus anti-Semitism, we offer our assistance in rectifying this disturbing situation on your campus and ensuring that Jewish students at Loyola University Chicago can live and study in an environment free from fear and harassment.

I would recommend that your first step be to conduct an immediate inquiry into whether the organization Students for Justice in Palestine, which is responsible for these actions, is violating your Student Code of Conduct and policy on Bias-Motivated Discrimination and Misconduct. If you conclude this is the case, then you should remove their campus privileges and funding. This will send a strong message that harassment and intimidation of any minority, including Jews, will not be tolerated at Loyola University Chicago.

Please contact me at the address below to let me know your plan of action, or if there is any way we can assist you to ensure that Loyola University Chicago once again becomes a safe and welcoming environment for Jewish students.

Respectfully,

David Horowitz
www.jewhatredoncampus.org