#Palestine

Student Gov’t Passes Israeli Boycott Without Club Divestment Clause

Liam MacDonald

May 6, 2021

Student Gov’t Passes Israeli Boycott Without Club Divestment Clause

Earlier today, the Associated Students of Pomona College (ASPC), Pomona College’s student governing body, passed a modified version of its previous resolution to boycott companies listed by the United Nations as active in Israeli West Bank settlements. The version of the resolution passed by ASPC today removed the hotly contested final clause that was the subject of serious debate at ASPC’s meeting last week. The current resolution governs only internal ASPC spending, not clu

Pomona Student Gov’t Passes Israel Boycott, Bans Future Investment

The Claremont Independent

Apr 22, 2021

Pomona Student Gov’t Passes Israel Boycott, Bans Future Investment

In an Instagram post released on Thursday, Claremont Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) announced that Pomona College’s student government, the Associated Students of Pomona College (ASPC) “unanimously passed a resolution on Thursday, April 22, 2021 divesting all ASPC funds from companies complicit in the occupation of Palestine, and banning future use of funds towards such companies.” The companies from which ASPC will divest are drawn from a list compiled by the United

Pomona Senior Class President Shares And Endorses Anti-Semitic Comment On Social Media, Apologizes

The Claremont Independent

Jun 21, 2020

Pomona Senior Class President Shares And Endorses Anti-Semitic Comment On Social Media, Apologizes

In a post made on her social media account, the 2020-2021 senior class president at Pomona College shared comments that accuse Zionist Jews of “hating” brown people and criticized them for purportedly “worshipping” the Second World War and comparing the Holocaust to racism. She also shared derogatory comments towards Israeli Jews and Jews who go on Birthright trips to Israel. The post was overlayed on top of a tweet comparing Yemen’s current humanitarian crisis to the Holocau

Scripps Invites Vocal Anti-Israel Activist As Keynote Speaker

The Claremont Independent

Feb 27, 2020

Scripps Invites Vocal Anti-Israel Activist As Keynote Speaker

Scripps College has invited Jasbir Puar, Professor and Graduate Director of Women’s and Gender Studies at Rutgers University, to speak at the college on Thursday, March 12. Puar is a well-known author whose works include Terrorist Assemblages: Homonationalism in Queer Times (2007) and her most recent work, The Right to Maim: Debility, Capacity, Disability, published in 2017. Puar has accused Israelis of harvesting Palestinian organs, deliberately stunting the growth of Palest

Pomona, Pitzer Respond to Potential Anti-Semitism Lawsuit

The Claremont Independent

Feb 12, 2020

Pomona, Pitzer Respond to Potential Anti-Semitism Lawsuit

After the David Horowitz Freedom Center (“DHFC”), a conservative foundation, stated in a letter to Pomona College president Dr. Gabrielle Starr and Pitzer College president Dr. Melvin Oliver on its intent to pursue legal action against Pomona and Pitzer for the colleges’ lengthy history of “anti-Semitic activities,” Pomona and Pitzer released two short statements in response to the potential lawsuit. Out of the two colleges, only Pomona explicitly denied the accusations liste

David Horowitz Freedom Center Threatens Pomona and Pitzer with Lawsuit Over Support For Anti-Semitis

The Claremont Independent

Feb 10, 2020

David Horowitz Freedom Center Threatens Pomona and Pitzer with Lawsuit Over Support For Anti-Semitis

On Feb. 3, Pitzer College and Pomona College became one of the first targets for enforcement of President Trump’s latest executive order taking name at discrimination on the basis of Jewish identity, specifically on college campuses. The David Horowitz Freedom Center (“DHFC”), a conservative foundation, addressed a letter to the presidents of the two colleges (Drs. Melvin Oliver and Gabrielle Starr, respectively), indicating its intent to pursue, through proper authorities, l

Pitzer College, David Horowitz Trade Blows Over Posters

The Claremont Independent

Dec 9, 2019

Pitzer College, David Horowitz Trade Blows Over Posters

On Dec. 2, 2019 at Pitzer College in Claremont, California, flyers of the latest publication of the David Horowitz Freedom Center (DHFC) claiming Pitzer College as one of the unsafest colleges for Jews in the United States were posted throughout campus. The DHFC based its claims off numerous instances of the Pitzer College student body’s endorsement of anti-Israel organizations and their ideals. In response, Pitzer College President Melvin L. Oliver, who has a track record of

College-Invited Speaker Ties Jewish Student Journalist to “White Nationalists,” Calls NYT “Pro

The Claremont Independent

Nov 14, 2019

College-Invited Speaker Ties Jewish Student Journalist to “White Nationalists,” Calls NYT “Pro

During a question & answer session at Pomona College following a film screening of Gaza Fights For Freedom, a pro-Palestinian documentary, film director Abby Martin accused a Jewish student journalist with the Claremont Independent, who asked a question about Hamas’s activities against Israeli civilians, of being associated with “white nationalists” and insisted that the New York Times was “pro-Israeli Propaganda.” When Independent staff writer Jordan Esrig asked a question a

Pitzer, Scripps, Pomona, SJP Fund Talk By Anti-Semitic Conpiracist

The Claremont Independent

Nov 11, 2019

Pitzer, Scripps, Pomona, SJP Fund Talk By Anti-Semitic Conpiracist

On Thursday, Nov. 14, the pro-Palestinian Claremont Colleges student group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) will host a screening of the film Gaza Fights for Freedom. SJP will host the event at Pomona College’s Rose Hill Theatre; the event will consist of a screening of the film followed by a discussion with director Abby Martin and journalist Mike Prysner. Pomona, Pitzer, and Scripps Colleges—three of the five colleges in the Claremont Colleges Consortium—are funding

The Claremont Independent

Nov 1, 2019

The ‘Woke’ Jew’s Chutzpah

Opinions expressed in this article may not necessarily reflect those of the Editorial Board. In a recent opinion article titled My Jewish values make me critical of the Trump-Israeli coalition, Georgia Tuckerman argues that, rather than be a “mechanical supporter” of the Jewish state, her Jewish values oblige her to condemn Israel. Regardless of her accuracy regarding Israel’s policies, she has the chutzpah—the audacity—to use Judaism as a means of attacking Israel. Tuckerman

Pitzer President Defends “Free Exchange of Ideas” in Israel at University of Haifa

The Claremont Independent

May 28, 2019

Pitzer President Defends “Free Exchange of Ideas” in Israel at University of Haifa

Earlier today, Pitzer College’s president Melvin L. Oliver spoke to the University of Haifa’s 47th annual Board of Governors meeting, emphasizing his opposition to academic boycotts of Israel. Oliver’s appearance in front of the Board of Governors comes after the Pitzer College Council—a student and faculty governing body—voted to suspend the college’s study abroad program in Israel with the University of Haifa; Oliver vetoed the vote, prompting unsuccessful calls for his res

Pitzer Bans Student Publication from Attending Israel Vote

The Claremont Independent

Mar 13, 2019

Pitzer Bans Student Publication from Attending Israel Vote

Pitzer College informed the Claremont Independent today that tomorrow it would no longer be allowed to attend a Pitzer College Council—a governing body composed of faculty and students that usually decides college policy—vote on whether to suspend Pitzer’s only study abroad program in Israel with the University of Haifa as student media. Despite being a registered student club at the Claremont Colleges Consortium, which Pitzer is a member institution of, and the first publica

Why Pitzer Shouldn’t Suspend Its Israel Study Abroad Program

The Claremont Independent

Mar 12, 2019

Why Pitzer Shouldn’t Suspend Its Israel Study Abroad Program

Last semester, Pitzer College’s faculty voted in favor of suspending the college’s study abroad program in Israel with the University of Haifa. Even Pitzer College’s president Melvin L. Oliver condemned the move, stating that a potential “[suspension] would be paltry support for Palestinian rights and a major blow to Pitzer College’s mission.” With the Pitzer College Council—a governance board of students and faculty that usually decides official college policy—holding a Marc

Anti-Semitism Awareness Mural Covered by Palestinian Flag

The Claremont Independent

Dec 14, 2018

Anti-Semitism Awareness Mural Covered by Palestinian Flag

This week, a mural painted on Pomona College’s Walker Wall—which is deemed a free speech wall—to raise awareness of antisemitism after the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, was partially painted over by a Palestinian flag, with the accompanying message “Palestine exists. Acknowledge it.” The original mural on Walker Wall in response to the October Pittsburgh synagogue shooting consisted of multiple Stars of David along with the message “Antisemitism exists. Acknowledge it.” Phot

INTERVIEW: AMCHA Director Tammi Rossman-Benjamin on Pitzer

The Claremont Independent

Dec 13, 2018

INTERVIEW: AMCHA Director Tammi Rossman-Benjamin on Pitzer

In context of the turmoil on Pitzer College’s campus regarding the faculty’s vote in favor of suspending the Haifa study abroad program and subsequently its proposal in front of Pitzer College’s College Council, the Claremont Independent had the opportunity to interview the director and co-founder of AMCHA Initiative, Tammi Rossman-Benjamin. AMCHA is a non-profit organization dedicated to investigating, documenting, educating about, and combating anti-semitism at institutions

Pitzer President Criticizes Faculty Support of Israel Study Abroad Suspension

The Claremont Independent

Nov 29, 2018

Pitzer President Criticizes Faculty Support of Israel Study Abroad Suspension

Amid the recent decision by Pitzer College’s faculty to vote in favor of suspending the college’s only study abroad program in Israel with the University of Haifa, the Pitzer College Council—a faculty and student governance board—held a discussion about the conflict during their November 29th meeting. During the meeting, Pitzer College President Melvin L. Oliver criticized the faculty vote, which he questioned as a “repudiation of Pitzer’s values.” At the beginning of the Cou

Pitzer Faculty Votes to End Israel Study Abroad

The Claremont Independent

Nov 26, 2018

Pitzer Faculty Votes to End Israel Study Abroad

Earlier this month on Nov. 8, the Pitzer College faculty voted on and passed two motions concerning the college’s relationship with Israel, including one to suspend its study abroad program with the University of Haifa in Israel. The other motion passed was a dissention from the decision of the college’s Board of Trustees to nullify a Pitzer Student Senate resolution, which was aimed at adopting aspects of the “Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions” (BDS) movement. The motion concer