Today is Israeli Independence Day, but to Cornell Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), today is actually Israeli “Genocide” Day.
At Cornell’s annual Israel Day, a celebration of Israel on its independence day, a group of about 30 SJP students gathered to protest the event for about half an hour. According to those present at the event, the protesters marched down Ho Plaza in four columns and then held a die-in on the patch of grass in front of Anabel Taylor Hall where the celebration was taking place. Most had red tape over their mouths.
The protesters held signs reading “Why are Palestinians still suffering for the crimes of Nazis?” and “Christian anti-Semitism–>Zionism–>Jewish Hatred of Arabs–>Anti-Semitism i.e. Colonization of Semites by Semite.” One sign read “Your camel can’t hide your genocide” in reference to the two camels at the event which students could ride on. A banner read “‘Celebrating’ 67 Years of Independence Genocide.”
One Jewish student present reported to the Review that SJP activists were aggressively handing out pieces of paper explaining their opposition to Israel, chucking them under booths and tables and forcing them into the hands of other students present. When a police officer told one of the protesters to stop, he reportedly told the officer to “f*** off you motherf***er.”
The literature SJP members were handing out reads: “Israel Day is not simply an innocuous celebration of culture. It aims to galvanize political support for Israel and therefore normalize its human rights violations.” It goes on to explain the “Racism of Zionism” and that “Israeli Independence = the Destruction of Palestine.”