Tufts University recently announced that the suspension of its chapter of the controversial student group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) will continue until January 2027.
Previously, the university administration had suspended the group due to its violations of university policies, including advocating that students “Join the Student Intifada” following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack against Israel. Now, it is extending the suspension for more than two years.
Tufts’ SJP chapter called the extension “an attempt to fracture the strength of our movement” and announced “formal break and disaffiliation from tufts university.”
“As the zionist genocide of Palestine and Lebanon has escalated over the past year, tufts in turn has sought to repress our solidarity movement,” the group stated. “We are done justifying our action against this university’s role in the genocide of the Palestinian people. We will not apologize.”
“On Nov. 6, the university suspended Students for Justice in Palestine at Tufts through January 2027 for multiple and repeated violations of university policy and failure to complete sanctions assigned as a result of previous violations,” Tufts University spokesman Patrick Collins told Campus Reform in a statement.
“The suspension also follows multiple attempts over the last year by the university’s student life staff and other administrators to work and communicate with SJP and its leaders, who have rejected these efforts,” Collins continued.
According to a recent study published by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), incidents of anti-Israel behavior on college campuses significantly increased during the 2023–2024 school year and were statistically linked to the presence of groups including Students for Justice in Palestine.
Overall, the study found 2,087 anti-Israel acts including “assault, vandalism, harassment, protests/actions and divestment resolutions,” which represented a “staggering 477% increase in those categories compared to the same period in 2022-2023.”
“This marks the highest number ever documented by ADL,” the report found. “These incidents included both blatant acts of antisemitism, as well as anti-Israel activity, which is not always antisemitic.”
“Campus groups responsible for much of the recorded anti-Israel activity in this report include Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) and Dissenters,” the report continued.
Campus Reform has contacted Tufts University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
This article was originally published at campusreform.org
