Masked individuals hold banner outside OSU Hillel calling Israel ‘genocidal state’
Three masked individuals stood outside The Ohio State University Hillel in Columbus holding a banner that said “OSU Hillel invites you to visit a genocidal state” the evening of March Three masked individuals held a banner outside The Ohio State University Hillel in Columbus, Ohio, calling Israel a "genocidal state" during an informational session for an upcoming trip to Israel. The event, which was part of the event, was disrupted by several individuals intending to disrupt and disrupt the session. The group's CEO, Naomi Lamb, stated that the university administration should condemn the protest as an act of hate against the Jewish community and investigate whether the individuals violated the university's code of conduct. The incident was not the first incident involving anti-Israel threats in the past; two women were charged with ethnic intimidation, theft, criminal trespass and criminal mischief following an incident in Nov. 9, 2023.
Được phát hành : một tháng trước qua BECKY RASPE [email protected] trong
Three masked individuals stood outside The Ohio State University Hillel in Columbus holding a banner that said “OSU Hillel invites you to visit a genocidal state” the evening of March 27 as the organization prepared to host an informational session for an upcoming trip to Israel.
According to an email signed by OSU Hillel CEO Naomi Lamb, several people also came inside the building with the intent to “disrupt and protest the session,” she said in the email.
A police officer, who is always present in the OSU Hillel building during open hours, spoke with the protesters inside and outside the building. They all eventually left without incident, Lamb wrote. She added that Columbus Police were made aware in case more support was needed.
The event, which was serving as an informational session for a Fact Finders Israel Trip, was rescheduled, Lamb added. The trip provides OSU Hillel the opportunity to take 20 non-Jewish students and five Jewish students to Israel and the West Bank to learn about the Middle Eastern conflict and sects of Israeli society.
“OSU Hillel has proudly led this trip for many years and we have had great success building bridges with the non-Jewish community,” Lamb wrote. “We hoped this info session would allow us to meet students outside of the Jewish community, so we expected some new faces.”
Lamb also wrote that OSU Hillel is “urging” the university administration to condemn the protest as an act of hate against the Jewish community and to investigate whether the individuals violated the university’s code of conduct.
“The vast majority of Jews have a deep connection to Israel. Disrupting the ability to learn about a trip to Israel is antisemitic and makes Jewish students feel even more unsafe,” she wrote.
Lamb added that OSU Hillel believes every student should be able to express their Jewish identity and commitment to Israel “without fear of threats.”
“We are resilient in the face of such incidents, and our commitment to providing a place to celebrate Jewish life and Israel remains unwavering,” she wrote. “Our team is working to determine how to safely disseminate information about the trip, in partnership with our generous funders, Maccabee Task Force, and local security experts.”
Lamb also wrote that OSU Hillel staff remains available at all hours to support students.
This incident follows a Nov. 9, 2023, incident where two women vandalized Israeli flags in OSU Hillel’s lobby and shouted anti-Israel sentiments and threats. Charges were filed against Oumaima Amri, 21, and Lena Ahmad Shabaneh, 19, for misdemeanor ethnic intimidation, theft, criminal trespass and criminal mischief. Neither woman is a student at the university, according to previous Columbus Jewish News reports. The women accepted stay-away orders on Dec. 27, 2023, but the orders were lifted Feb. 16 upon invitation of OSU Hillel staff, according to the Franklin County Municipal Court docket. Their arraignment is set for April 29.
“If you need any support during this time, please reach out to me or any member of the OSU Hillel team,” Lamb wrote. “Our students’ well-being continues to be our top priority.”
Chủ đề: Oregon State University