IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 22, 2020

Contact: Avi D. Gordon, Executive Director Alums for Campus Fairness

917-512-4585, [email protected]

Statement on the Youth for Palestine Conference at the University of Michigan

Alums for Campus Fairness at the University of Michigan (ACF-Michigan) expresses concern about the “2020 Youth for Palestine Conference” that will be hosted on campus by the Palestinian Youth Movement, Midwest SJP, and Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE).

On January 25th and 26th, these groups will host this anti-Israel hate fest. ACF’s Executive Director, Avi D. Gordon, says that this is “a worrying example of bigotry taking place and follows incidents last academic year in which two instructors refused to write letters of recommendation for students solely because they decided to study abroad in Israel.”

In the past, the SJP conferences have coincided with a campus climate of increased hostility towards Jewish and pro-Israel students. With regards to the previous National SJP Conference at UCLA in 2018, a recent Title VI investigation was launched into UCLA for possible discrimination against jews as a group for hosting the conference. We cannot let the University of Michigan become another legal battleground for protecting Jewish students after the fact, when substantive steps can be taken beforehand.

ACF-Michigan calls on the Administration to take necessary and appropriate action moving forward that ensures the safety of the campus Jewish community.

About ACF: Alums for Campus Fairness (ACF) is America’s unified alumni voice on issues of antisemitism, demonization of Israel, and bigotry. With over thirty-five chapters, ACF positions thousands of alumni on the front lines of key issues at their alma maters and works to ensure that universities remain pillars of open dialogue and equal opportunity for all students. For more information, please visit www.campusfairness.org.