NEW FROM ADL: PFLP 'Charity' Arm Samidoun Has Long Played a Role in Anti-Israel Movement on U.S. Campuses. ADL’s latest report exposes the troubling influence of Samidoun as a front for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), in spreading extreme anti-Israel rhetoric on college campuses. Despite being designated by the U.S. as an “entity who commits, or poses a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism,” the anti-Zionist group has been featured as a “pro-Palestinian” resource on websites for students of universities like CUNY and the California Institute of the Arts and has sponsored events where hate and harassment have targeted Jewish students.

DEEPER: Campus-based support for terrorist organizations is just one of the trends ADL is actively tracking in the campus anti-Israel movement. For more information on this, and on other trends, read our Six Trends blog.

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Mental Health. Exploring whether the tense campus climate is increasing mental health challenges for students, Penn State’s Center for Collegiate Mental Health examined data from nearly 100 counseling centers at U.S. colleges. The findings were startling. Ahead of 10/7, Jewish and Muslim students were already reporting the highest rates of religious discrimination to those counseling centers. After 10/7 “students who identified as Muslim and Jewish continued to report the highest rates of religious discrimination, and the gap between these two identities and the other religious groups significantly grew.” Rates for Muslim students grew slightly, and for Jewish students, it more than doubled.

(Source: Penn State Center for Collegiate Mental Health)

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Northeastern. A noisy demonstration shadowed a pro-Israel group at Northeastern University when it hosted two IDF soldiers to talk about their experiences. The group, Northeastern Mishelanu, shifted their gathering from a bakery to off-campus housing, so the protesters followed and shouted anti-Israel slogans at the apartment where the group was meeting, and at counter-protesters. Mishelanu said that some students at the event faced harassment, including being followed and subjected to antisemitic comments. However, despite the disruptions, the group feels the the event was a “success” and gave students at the Boston-area school the opportunity to “gain insight into Israeli culture.”

(Source: The Huntington News)

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Colorado. The University of Colorado Boulder has publicly condemned pro-Hamas and anti-Israel graffiti that appeared across campus on Friday, sparking alarm among Jewish students and campus groups. Messages like “Hamas is Resistance” and vulgar remarks accusing Israel of committing atrocities were spray-painted near central locations. CU Boulder Hillel said that such hate and intimidation have no place at the university. University officials echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that “this type of conduct is not a productive way to address the difficult conversations facing our society today.” Campus police have yet to identify suspects.

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Wesleyan. Eight Wesleyan University students were recently disciplined following their participation in an anti-Israel protest at the Connecticut school on September 20; four face suspension or expulsion for their roles in occupying a campus office to demand that the university divest from companies connected to Israel. Wesleyan administrators said at the time of the protest that the activists “understood that they were in violation of the university’s rules,” and “refused to comply with reasonable time and place restrictions on their protest.” In the past, Wesleyan president Michael Roth has expressed support for protesters, despite acknowledging their rule violations.

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Manchester (UK). A British appeals tribunal restored the visa of Dana Abu Qamar, a student at the University of Manchester and leader of its Friends of Palestine Society, after it had been revoked by the Home Office. Abu Qamar is a citizen of Jordan and Canada; her visa was initially canceled due to a December interview on the Sky News network in which she celebrated the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, saying “We are really, really full of joy of what happened.” The tribunal ruled that the Home Office failed to prove that her presence was “not conducive to public good.”

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Stanford. Stanford University has introduced stricter free speech guidelines in response to campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war. The rules require advance registration for large events, limit protest locations and enforce ID and masking policies. As professor Russell Berman noted, the policies are “in part reactive and in part wisely proactive” to ensure that daily activities on campus aren't disrupted. Activists argue the new policies stifle expression and protect the administration, not the students. Stanford’s focus on balancing free expression with a safe learning environment is crucial, especially given the hostile and aggressive anti-Israel demonstrations last spring.

Joyfully Jewish. As one point of light pushing back against the challenges Jewish students are facing on campus, the Chabad on Campus “Let Here Be Light” tour took Chabad rabbinical students 11,000 miles from the University of South Florida to the University of Alberta, bringing a mobile festival including music, booths and of course, Kosher food to the students. As ‘David,’ a student at the University of Alberta, described the event to Chabad, “You shone a beacon of Jewish pride onto our city and allowed us to prove that a small community can still be strong, united, and stand against darkness.”

DEEPER: Chabad on Campus partners with ADL in a joint initiative to combat antisemitism on campus, with ADL providing Chabad campus directors and students with resources and workshops to help create a safer environment for students.

(Source: Chabad on Campus)

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Marley and ADL. Flash back to Tulane University in October 2023 and you will find a worried freshman named Marley, seeing the angry gatherings and anti-Israel chants at her school. Feeling threatened for the first time as a Jewish college student, she knew that something had to be done. Enter ADL. Marley remembered the positive experience she had as a teen mentor with our organization and knew this was the right time to reconnect. She became an ADL intern, learning how to counter antisemitism. Fast forward to her sophomore year back on campus, and she is equipped to speak out for the Jewish community on campus. “Especially at times like this, it makes people want to be stronger together.”

Biblical Botanicals. In an archaeological dig in the Israeli desert decades ago, an ancient seed was discovered. Now, despite being perhaps a thousand years old, the seed has been planted and grown into a tree. Scientists still need to wait for more evidence when the tree produces flowers or fruit, but as of now, they believe that it may be an extinct species used in biblical times for medicinal purposes. As a scientist noted about the unlikely achievement of bringing this long-lost seed to life, “What’s surprising in this story is it was just a single seed and to be able to have one chance for that to germinate is extremely lucky.”

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Not Going Anywhere. The resilient spirit of Kiryat Shmona remains unbroken, even as the city, once bustling with life, now stands largely evacuated and battered by Hezbollah’s relentless rocket fire. Despite the danger and devastation, however, some locals like David Strul refuse to abandon their homes. “Nobody can force us out of here,” says Strul. Israeli police officers in the city, too, remain steadfast, prepared to defend the northern border. "We will not bow to terrorism," declares Police Spokesperson Dean Elsdunne, emphasizing their duty to protect against threats of violence and invasion.

• Students — how to take action, deal with antisemitism, and organize your community.
• Alumni — how to organize a sign-on letter, answer a fundraising request, or write a letter to a university president.
• Parents — write a letter about commencement, organize a dial day, or get help selecting a college for your student.
• Faculty and Staff — support for impacted faculty and staff, and guidance on how to discuss what constitutes antisemitism and anti-Zionism, and how to provide help to students and colleagues.
• Glossary of Commonly Used Antisemitic Phrases Heard at Protests.
• Campus Antisemitism Report Card — see the grade a college earned in this first-ever report card.
• Report an Antisemitic Incident.
• Are you a student or know one who needs legal help? Contact our Campus Antisemitism Legal Line (CALL), run by ADL, Hillel, the Brandeis Center, and Gibson Dunn. Hundreds of incidents have been reported. You are not alone!

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