We support the New School Student Government’s defense of international law and human rights.

The Academic Council of Jewish Voice for Peace* congratulates The New School University Student Senate (USS) for the first of its kind resolution in a U.S.-based university, finding its campus Hillel “not in good standing” and therefore ineligible for further USS funding.

 The USS established a compliance committee with the power to investigate whether or not registered student organizations comply with international law. Because Hillel offers material support to the State of Israel which is in violation of international law, Hillel will no longer be eligible for USS funding or collaborations until they cease that support for genocide and apartheid by disaffiliating from Hillel International and ending support for programs that promote violations of international law.  The New School University Student Senate has established an ethically imperative precedent with this resolution.

In their well-documented report, the USS subcommittee detailed numerous violations by Hillel of the student government policies that require all Registered Student Organizations to adhere to international law. These violations include at least three different programs that send students to provide logistical support for Israeli military bases, to support an army actively carrying out a genocide, and multi-million dollar partnerships with Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to promote genocide denialism and anti-Palestinian propaganda. 

The report clarifies that Israel’s destruction of the Gaza Strip and the now escalating appropriation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem is a violation of international law  The ICJ has concluded that Israel’s presence in the West Bank and Gaza is unlawful, and in 2024 found that Israel’s campaign against Gaza is plausible genocide, a position confirmed by UN findings to this effect.

The JVP Academic Council condemns the statement issued by New School President Joel Towers, Provost Richard Kessler, and Vice Provost Robert Mack, claiming the USS does not have the authority to withdraw support for its campus Hillel and that it will veto the USS decision without cause. Their statement seeks to override the autonomy of the USS as part of shared governance, claiming its decisions target fellow students, holding them “responsible for the acts of governments.” The USS decision does no such thing. The USS indicates only that they will not fund student organizations that actively violate international law by supplying material support to the State of Israel.  Through its programs and partnerships, Hillel materially supports those very acts of the Israeli government.  In obscuring this key point, The New School administrators are taking a page from the current federal administration, ignoring the established autonomy of the USS when it suits them, and mobilizing politically motivated distortions to overturn the students’ decision. 

The USS is well within its rights to follow the voting process established by approved bylaws and shared governance procedures to arrive at decisions based on majority support.  It is within their purview to establish rules that apply to students’ fees and funding. President Towers violates their autonomy by deciding that students do not have the authority over their own funds. Rather than disempower and condemn the students, President Towers should applaud and admire them for their ethical, principled stance.  Rather than override their democratic procedure by fiat, President Towers should respect their substantiated, careful, and considered process and decision.

Finally, we emphasize that Baruch College Hillel, which includes The New School University under its purview, fails to represent the opinions of most college-aged Jews and the majority of younger American Jews .. According to recent polling, a majority of young Jews recognize that the Israeli state is guilty of genocide and support cutting off all military and financial aid to Israel.  As a result, Hillel advances a political agenda at odds with the majority of Jews on campus. 

The JVP Academic Council supports the New School Student Government for its principled defense of international law and human rights. As a Jewish organization, we know that Jews are safest in a world that defends these universal principles and where “Never Again” means “Never Again for Anyone.”  We hope this commitment to holding Hillel accountable for its support of genocide and apartheid will serve as an ethically promising precedent for student groups across the nation to build upon. We are committed to a principled Judaism beyond Zionism and applaud the Student Senate at the New School for its brave and just position.

*The Jewish Voice for Peace Academic Council is a network of scholars dedicated to furthering JVP’s vision and values https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org. Drawing upon our shared commitment to both progressive Jewish values and Palestinian liberation, we organize in solidarity with the Palestinian freedom struggle in educational and academic settings. We draw upon our skills as scholars, educators, and writers to develop critical analysis of contemporary censorship on Palestine. We oppose the deployment of the charge of antisemitism to censor or criminalize speech critical of the State of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.  We defend employment rights, academic freedom, and rights of association within higher education and confirm the core values of Jewish Voice for Peace.