Controversial “Students for Justice In Palestine” arrives at UT Tyler

By MATEUS FERRIERA/Staff Writer

Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) is a student movement founded in 1993 that aims to get students involved in pro-Palestinian activism. There are over 350 chapters in the U.S. and Canada. According to the National SJP’s website, its purpose is “to elevate the student movement to a higher level of political engagement. We aim to develop a connected, disciplined movement equipped with the tools necessary to contribute to the fight for Palestine.”

Its views on the Israel-Hamas conflict have tested the boundaries of freedom of speech for many. According to The Hill, in response to the comments of specific chapters, Columbia University, George Washington University and Brandeis University have suspended or completely banned SJP chapters.

What SJP Tyler will do on Campus

The Patriot Talon asked SJP Tyler President Jenna Rogers and Vice President Brandi Danea what a chapter of SJP on campus would mean for the University of Texas at Tyler.

Although SJP is almost synonymous with protests, they said this chapter will mainly focus on hosting educational, social and fundraising events with academic guest speakers.

”Because we’re in East Texas and because this is a conservative area, we want to focus more on education, and we’re just kind of getting the word out,” Rogers explained.

However, protests are not off the table.

On Oct. 22, chapter officers hosted a lecture inviting students to learn about the historical and contemporary context of the current crisis. They outlined three main goals for SJP Tyler: the inclusion of the Palestinian flag, the protection of free speech on campus and the end of “silence on the genocide in Palestine.”

In that lecture, they expounded on their beliefs that the United States is “complicit in Palestinian genocide,” and that — although the SJP is against antisemitism — it rejects Zionism. They defined Israel as an “apartheid ethno-state” that is partaking in ethnic cleansing.

A key belief of SJP chapters across Texas is that Texas universities are supporting the war in Gaza through investments, which the student group demands be divested.

SJP Tyler cites a report by Women for Weapons Trade Transparency. The report claims that the University of Texas/Texas A&M Investment Company (UTIMCO) has invested $52.5 million in weapons manufacturing companies. The AFSC (American Friends Service Committee) reports that UTIMCO has poured money into companies supplying arms to the IDF as well as countries like Angola, Indonesia, China, Ukraine, and Yemen. Amnesty International found that UT systems endowment had failed in human rights due diligence.

“We’re a student-led movement, so we’re not trying to swoon people to believe what we believe. We’re just providing quite literally factual information and giving you the floor to make your own decision,” Danea explained.

How they will approach protests

In the lecture, Rogers and Danea said they plan to protest, especially if specific demands are unmet. They explained the support from the new UT Tyler President Dr. Julie Philley has been vague. However, one thing is clear: “She has stated that as students, we have the right to protest, and we have the right to do demonstrations,” Rogers said. “We feel supported with that because that way, she is not trying to keep us from doing this.”

“We really want to get into demonstrations — hopefully, at some point — as in occupying areas on campus outside where we are visible to people. Not to engage with counter-protesters … counter interactions but to expose Palestine to their campus,” Danea said.

They said getting the flag up in the University Center has been needlessly difficult. To resolved this, they attended a student forum to express that concern. They say they hope to see the flag up by the end of the semester. But, if it’s not, they will follow up with the chain of command.

“This kind of helps also demonstrate the process of protesting if our demands are not met; guess what we are going to do? We’re gonna protest. It’s our right,” Danea explained during the lecture.

For now — however — they are concentrating on building community and increasing in numbers, so that they can take steps towards educational sit-ins and protests.

Opposition to creating a Pro-Palestine organization 

Rogers and Danea explained they felt resistance in pro-Palestinian sentiment on campus. They had spoken with many faculty members, but no one was willing to be an adviser.

”And I think that is partly due to what’s happening on these other campuses. People are scared, even when we tried to reassure them that we didn’t want to come in and start rattling people on campus,” Rogers told The Patriot Talon. “We wanted it to be very educational, but that didn’t seem to ease anybody’s mind, but luckily, we did find somebody and got started.”

Gov. Greg Abbot announced executive order GA-44 on March 27, requiring Texas Universities to discipline students for anti-Semitic rhetoric. The executive order singles out SJP and demands that universities ensure they will be “disciplined for violating these policies.”

The order commands institutions to revise their freedom of speech policies and to “establish appropriate punishments including expulsion from the institution.”

The Council on American-Islamic Relations has filed a lawsuit in response to the order, stating on its website: “The executive order violates the First Amendment, which forbids state actors from restricting the speech of people based on content or viewpoint.”

“We can’t sit here and appeal to this worldview that anything anti-Israel is anti-Semitic.  That goes back to the executive order that’s part of why we had issues in being established as an organization on this campus, because of what was said and the language that was used in that executive order,” Danea explained.

Does SJP Tyler support Hamas?

Pro-Palestine student groups, like SJP, are often criticized for their apparent support of Hamas. The SJP Tyler leaders believe Hamas is part of a justified resistance. Rogers said that the public gets scared “thinking about the terrorism aspect” because of U.S. propaganda against the Middle East.

“It’s important to understand how Hamas even came to be,” Rogers said. “Hamas and other armed resistance groups are bred out of apartheid occupation and violence. While we may not agree with their methods, armed resistance is a right.”

Hamas is an Islamist militant group that the U.S. and the European Union have designated as a terrorist group, citing its use of suicide bombings and rocket attacks against Israel, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. Hamas’s 1988 charter called for the murder of Jews, but the 2017 charter removed references to killing Jews; however, the group still refused to recognize Israel.

On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas killed 1,200 people and kidnapped over 200 others.

”Without us stating our personal opinion, all the 1,200 Israeli deaths were horrible, and we feel for those people,” Rogers said.

They urge people to examine the environment that creates resistance groups. “I think it’s unfair not choosing to see the side of why Oct. 7 happened …. none of this started on Oct. 7,” Danea said

They say a Palestinian struggle has existed before Oct. 7 and that the UN recognizes armed resistance.

“We think it’s tragic for anyone to be targeted based on their religion or their nationality or anything like that. And so we are not trying to spread fear to Jewish people… we just think it is important to uplift Palestinian voice,” Rogers said.

Rogers and Danea point out that they have collaborated with Jewish students who are part of SJP and have seen many Jewish students supporting Palestine at protests.

“We don’t condemn Judaism; we don’t condemn a Jewish narrative. We condemn Zionism; we condemn the Israeli government for doing what they do,” Danea said.

Views on potentially anti-semitic slogans.

Some Pro-Palestine student protesters have been criticized as anti-Semitic for using slogans like “from the river to the sea” and “there is no solution but intifada revolution.”

The Patriot Talon asked Rogers and Danea if they saw these slogans as problematic and if they would tolerate these sayings.

“Yes, only because we understand armed resistance,” Danea said. “We believe resistance—in this case Hamas—was created out of apartheid and occupation. Therefore, SJP recognizes them as just resistance against their occupiers.”

“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” is a phrase that has caused intense controversy and was used as an example of anti-Semitic language in Abbott’s executive order. The saying has its roots in the Hamas charter and has been echoed by Khalid Marshalls, Hamas’s former leader. For many Jews, it’s a call for Israel’s destruction, but many activists say it’s a call for peace, equality and a two-state solution.

“In terms of student Intifada, absolutely. The only way to change their status quo is to challenge them,” Danea continued.

Intifada is an Arabic word for uprising, and — for native speakers — describes any social uprising. Yet, it is also often used to refer to two periods, starting in the late 1980s, of revolt against the Israeli occupation, according to NPR. The second Intifada is famous for its heavy death toll of 1,000 Israelis and 3,000 Palestinians. As a result, the word has become heavily politicized. For some, it’s a peaceful call against Israeli occupation; for others, it’s a call for violence against Jews and the destruction of Israel.

How have students and faculty reacted?

The SJP leaders invite anyone who feels uncomfortable with what they have said to attend a meeting to have a respectful conversation. They clarify that the invitation is not to debate a presentation but to come and “ask genuine questions.”

The leaders of SJP Tyler said they were pleasantly surprised with the turnout for their first public event. A faculty member—who wished to stay anonymous—praised the lecture.

”I think it’s a really good first step. The students were very engaged and knowledgeable, and those that weren’t asked questions and tried to get more informed,” they said about the lesson.

Ashton Reile, vice president of the Social Work Club, commented on why this event was important.

“As a social work major, we have a code of ethics we have to follow published by the National Association of Social Workers, and we are ethically obligated to follow certain values and ethical standards … and it’s my personal opinion that the social work community has unfortunately been not vocal enough,” Reile said.

SJP Tyler has already felt support from the Muslim Student Association and Palestinians in and out of campus.

“There are so many nationally-Jordanian ethnically-Palestinian students here as well,” Danea explained. “They never really expected a movement like this to happen or to reach Tyler, Texas. It’s really reassuring when we get that type of support from the Palestinian community.”

Danea and Rogers said that two reasons students should join are so they can be politically informed on how your government operates and learning how to reject the normalization of genocide.

As a message to all students and faculty, they quoted Cole Arthur Riley:

“Be careful of those who demand you remain neutral in the face of oppression. Do not shackle your soul to the middle when you know which way is freedom.”

Students can join by visiting their linktree, submitting their email and filling out a form. They can also be reached on Patriots Engage.