On October 20, an article in The Maroon ran titled, “Emotions Run High on Quad as UChicago Jewish Student Groups and SJP Stage Opposing Protests.” 

This portrayal is wrong, and it’s this type of reporting that pushes forward the myth that the ongoing conflict is a matter of Israel versus Palestine. 

The UChicago Jewish community planned a gathering—not a protest—in support of Israel on October 19. They reserved the main quad circle through student services and had no intention of telling SJP to leave the space it has been occupying every day in the center quad. Instead, they informed SJP of a peaceful gathering at noon and were given assurance that SJP wouldn’t interfere with the event. The Jewish organizers also reached out to the Director of Student Centers to ensure that the reservation would be enforced, given the possibility of SJP trying to demonstrate in the same space. 

Even so, SJP led a protest within the reserved space, chanting so loud that we struggled to hear our own speakers. Regardless of how you feel about what’s happening in the Middle East, that is wrong. To undermine a peaceful gathering is wrong. If any other group did this on campus, University policy would be enforced. Instead, we were told by the Deans on Call that the University couldn’t enforce their own reservation policy. That is wrong, not to mention entirely irresponsible to let these two groups be so close to each other. You don’t have to take a side to see any of that. 

Now, the harder point to accept is that just because there are two groups on the quad does not mean each is going against the other. You can support Palestinians and support Israel. That’s what Jewish speakers were saying—if you were able to hear them. 

However, following a trend of free Palestine movements at elite universities, that’s not what SJP is saying. They don’t want Israel to exist. On UChicago’s campus, the message is loud and clear. “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” means to wipe Israel off the map and potentially remove its Jewish population. It’s a slogan used by anti-Israel terrorist groups, including Hamas and Hezbollah. 

SJP is not asking for peace. The national Students for Justice in Palestine called the attack on October 7, “a historic win for the Palestinian resistance: across land, air, and sea, our people have broken down the artificial barriers of the Zionist entity.” In guidance to campus chapters, they wrote, “This is what it means to Free Palestine: not just slogans and rallies, but armed confrontation with the oppressors.” 

I’m not intending to imply that everyone who attends an SJP rally thinks like this or hates Jews. I don’t believe that. But calling a terrorist attack a “historic win” doesn’t look very good. Chanting for the destruction of Israel to disrupt a group of Jewish students coming together after a terrorist attack doesn’t look very good. Using slogans invented or taken up by terrorist organizations doesn’t look very good. Jewish people and Israel cannot be uncoupled from one another. Saying Israel’s existence is the problem is saying that Jewish people are the problem. 

Your Jewish classmates have to listen to this every day. It’s isolating. Israel was attacked, and then instead of rallying against a terrorist group that is hurting both Israelis and Palestinians, some of you have decided to blame Israel. No Jewish person I know is saying that Palestine shouldn’t exist. They know everyone deserves to exist, but we’re witnessing groups that don’t feel that way about us. 

To Jewish people, it looks like people are cheering, celebrating, and asking for more. That is wrong, regardless of how you feel or what you think you know about the history of occupation. 

I went to the SJP table and asked why they haven’t condemned Hamas. They told me not condemning Hamas wasn’t the same thing as supporting them. I was also told that Hamas does a “lot of good.” 

“They aren’t just a terrorist organization,” one girl told me. 

This is an organization whose original charter says, “O Muslim, O servant of God, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him.” No matter what you think about the history of occupation, Hamas is a terrorist organization. There is no rationalization for what they do. 

I understand a lot of people are trying to decide what side to take and find a place to land. But don’t let one group tell you the only option is Israel versus Palestine. Jewish students haven’t been calling for violence against Palestinians or protesting their right to exit. Most of us think Palestine should be independent. We want Hamas gone for everyone’s sake, and we know Hamas doesn’t represent Palestinians in the region. 

You are not supporting Palestinians in Gaza when you support Hamas. You are not supporting Palestinians in Gaza when you undermine Jewish students gathering after a terrorist attack. 

Nothing is perfectly revelatory, but if you are in the middle and you don’t know where to go, if you want to support Palestine and support Israel, and support a solution, placing terrorism in a gray area and calling for the destruction of Israel is not the way to do it. Just know what you’re really supporting when you hold up a sign.