(Boston, MA – February 28, 2021) – StandWithUs is pleased by the cancellation of the discriminatory hearing and impeachment attempt against Max Price, a member of the Tufts Community Union Judiciary (TCUJ), due to his Jewish and Zionist identity which was scheduled for February 28. While we are relieved that this prejudiced trial will not take place, we strongly condemn such hateful efforts and call on the Tufts administration to take decisive action against the spread of antisemitism on their campus.
“It is extremely unacceptable that Tufts SJP has attempted to launch a vengeful and antisemitic campaign of hate and intimidation against Max Price. We admire Max’s show of courage in the face of adversity and are very proud of his fellow Jewish and pro Israel students who have stood behind him throughout,” said Rena Nasar First, StandWithUs Executive Director of Campus Affairs
The formal complaint against Price was filed by Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), the anti-Israel group at Tufts University with a history of promoting hateful campaigns against Jewish and Zionist students. This most recent effort took place as a result of SJP’s Deadly Exchange campaign, which promotes an antisemitic blood libel alleging Israeli and Jewish responsibility for police brutality and systemic racism in the United States. We expect that the university will recognize this trend of discrimination against Jewish and Zionist students and find ways to remedy it.
This also follows a letter sent by StandWithUs, StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department, and StandWithUs Center for Combating Antisemitism to Tufts University President Dr. Anthony P. Monaco on February 25, 2021. The letter urged the administration to step in and prevent this unfounded student senate hearing from occurring, as it has no legitimate legal basis and will only serve to perpetuate a climate of antisemitism. It added that, “if no such protocol for administrative action in the face of flagrant student abuse of power yet exists, we urge you to adopt such a policy immediately to protect your campus from future bigotry and discrimination. Mr. Price is facing the potential of unmerited punishment simply for expressing views informed by his being Jewish.”
“Max is a champion of the Jewish and Zionist community at Tufts, working hard to create a welcoming environment for us. Because of his strong leadership, he has been unfairly harassed and targeted for his pro-Israel beliefs by SJP and others sympathetic to their mission. We stand with Max during this difficult time and appreciate his efforts in fighting antisemitism on our campus,” Said Sam Russo, 2020-2021 StandWithUs Emerson Fellow and President of Tufts Friends of Israel.
StandWithUs appreciates the leadership and legal efforts of the Louis D. Brandeis Center, which represented and guided Max during this process. We echo their suggested actions for the university to take, including adoption of the IHRA working definition of antisemitism and creation of new anti-bias training to address hate against Jewish students. We stand with Max and the Jewish community at Tufts, which set a national example for how to turn some of the darkest moments into actions that impact the future on campus.
About StandWithUs
StandWithUs (SWU) is an international, non-profit and non-partisan Israel education organization that works to inspire and educate people of all ages about Israel, as well as challenge misinformation and fight against antisemitism.
Through university fellowships, high school internships, middle school curricula, conferences, materials, social media, educational films and missions to Israel, StandWithUs supports people around the world who want to educate their schools and communities about Israel.
Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Los Angeles, the organization has chapters and programs on 5 continents, including the U.S., Israel, UK, Canada, South Africa and Brazil.
For the last 7 years, SWU has consistently received the highest possible ratings from Charity Navigator (4 stars) and Guidestar (Platinum).
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