Yes, the giant monster chickens have come home to roost. The academics who have used the past decades to indoctrinate malleable students into their victim-obsessed, intersectional ideology while undermining core American values have spawned mutated anti-Semites who regard terrorism as social justice. If this social pathogen didn’t threaten damage far beyond the campuses of woke educational institutions, I would be tempted to respond, “Good! You broke it, you pay for it.” Unfortunately, what’s going on here is far more ominous and potentially destructive.

Just take the time to read the bonkers manifesto of The Drexel Palestine Coalition (DPC), which set up an encampment on the Drexel campus four days ago. You have to read the whole thing to truly appreciate the dishonesty and delusions of this mob, but here are a few highlights to whet your taste for what George Floyd, cynical wokism, the Squad and a feckless President have wrought inflicted on our society;

• “Label what is happening in Palestine for what it is: a 76 year long genocide and settler-colonial occupation by the State of Israel”
• “Criticisms of Israel and Zionism will not be mischaracterized as antisemitic or hateful. Furthermore, speech and imagery that express support for Palestine, Palestinians, and Palestinian liberation must be explicitly characterized as acceptable and supported under the University Code of Conduct.”

In other words, “It isn’t what it is.”

• “Immediately terminate Henry Israeli, professor of Literature of Genocide and the Director of Jewish Studies…”
• “Immediately terminate Drexel’s chapter of Hillel, a global zionist campus organization, whose primary purpose, funding, and operations are to facilitate birthright trips to Occupied Palestine”
• “Abolition of DUPD – Drexel Public Safety should not utilize a police force, private or otherwise, given a demonstrated bias against people of color, specifically Black and brown students and (Black Bottom) community members who are primarily low income Black residents.”
• “Closure of the Starbucks Cafe located in the Lebow Business School”

Close STARBUCKS???? OK, now they’ve really gone too far.

Demands

Our demands as stated by DPC in their petition delivered back in March to John Fry and Administration (with updates since then): 

1. BY May 25th, 2024 President John Fry, on behalf of Drexel University, must publicly and explicitly condemn the Israeli settler colonial project and ongoing genocide in occupied Palestine adhering strictly to the guidelines below:
   • Support of an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, acknowledging the responsibility we share in “supporting all efforts to end [the crisis] as quickly as possible” (Fry, 2022, Ukraine).
     
   • Label what is happening in Palestine for what it is: a 76 year long genocide and settler-colonial occupation by the State of Israel, rather than a humanitarian crisis. In addition, it must be clarified that the ongoing genocide did not begin on October 7th and was only intensified due to the Israeli Military’s 16 year long occupation and siege on Gaza. As an academic institution, it is paramount that adequate and credible research is conducted and circulated in a manner that which combats growing propaganda and misinformation.
     
   • Formally acknowledge, condemn, and take tangible measures to mitigate the rise of anti-Arab racism, anti-Palestinian racism, and Islamophobia since October 2023, which is linked directly to Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza and has manifested in violent and deadly ways on and off Drexel’s campus. Since October 7th, students have been racially targeted on campus for their ethnicities, religions, and identities by other students and faculty which is strictly a violation of University Code of Conduct and should be recognized and treated as such, see Code of Conduct Section 5, II.7.
     
   • Pledge to stand firmly against retaliation, threats, and doxxing for students and employees who are vocal in their support of Palestine and Palestinian liberation, and will provide tangible support for students and employees who face these forms of retaliation and intimidation such as, but not limited to, surveillance, stalking, and spamming with hate speech on email, by Drexel and non-Drexel entities. Students and employees of this institution and members of the Drexel community deserve and have a right to equal protection under the code of conduct, and this must be stated explicitly and publicly and enforced by Drexel University.
     
   • Criticisms of Israel and Zionism will not be mischaracterized as antisemitic or hateful. Furthermore, speech and imagery that express support for Palestine, Palestinians, and Palestinian liberation must be explicitly characterized as acceptable and supported under the University Code of Conduct.
     • Section 5, II.9 explicitly states that intentional and inappropriate interference with the freedom of expression or movement of others is against the code of conduct and falls under disorderly conduct outside of class/research settings; this same ideology must be applied for Palestinian expression. Thus, targeting Palestinian and Pro-Palestinian students for their expression of identity and beliefs inherently violates the code of conduct. This includes Palestinian flags and symbols as well as chants and phrases including “from the river to the sea,” the origins of which are well-documented and simply an aspirational call for freedom and human rights.
       
   • Drexel will retract any portayal of pro-Palestine protests (as expressed in official communications by John Fry via email) as “unacceptable” and acknowledge that the emphasis on obtaining permission for protest is simply another means of prohibiting expressions of dissent. See Appendix A. 
     
   • [reaffirm armed resistance by international law since he’s a south african honorary consul] 
2. In accordance with calls to action from the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, Drexel University immediately divests from partnerships with Israeli state institutions and non-Israeli entities that fund and uphold the system of apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and genocide of Palestinians including, but not limited to, the listed below:
   • Public disclosure of all investments and amount of funding coming in and out of Drexel on their webpage. This is information which is readily available and must be disclosed by May 25th, 2024. 
     
   • Provide a detailed plan for the following by June 15th, 2024 and begin by June 1st, 2025:
     • Termination of the recently established Lockheed Martin Co-Op Program and Incubator, as well as elimination of all pre-existing financial and material ties between Drexel and Lockheed Martin. 
       
     • Termination of the BlackRock Co-op program. 
       
     • Divestment from Louis and Bessie Stein Family Fellowship for Exchanges with Israeli Universities
       
     • Termination of existing inter-institutional memorandum of understanding (MOU) cooperation agreements with Israeli institutions including international research partnerships with Ben Gurion University of the Negev (and by extension, Israeli Food Lab, Soroka Medical Institution), Hebrew University, and Technion. 
       
     • Cessation of campus-wide use of Hewlett-Packard (HP) printing and computing services, cancellation of any new, pending, or standing supply orders from HP.
       
     • Closure of the Starbucks Cafe located in the Lebow Business School
       
   • Immediately terminate Brett Altman – a decorated State of Israel Bonds member*, responsible for buying and selling occupied land/development projects in Gaza – from the Real Estate Advisory Council and investigate Drexel’s real estate portfolio for assessment and removal of any additional conflicts of interest or direct relationships supporting the apartheid economy.
     • Investigation into Drexel’s real estate portfolio must begin by June 1st, 2024.
     • *See Appendix B
       
   • Immediately terminate Henry Israeli, who, despite his position at a professor of Literature of Genocide and the Director of Jewish Studies who utilized Drexel resources, technology, and administrative and departmental resources to:
     • Deny any and all genocides perpetrated against the people of Palestine by the zionist entity, spreading ahistorical rhetoric on Palestinian resistance groups, and outright denying the existence of the apartheid system under which Palestinians lives despite extensive evidence and a multitude of organizations including, but not limited to, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, etc. who recognize it as such.*
       
     • Coordinate with Drexel Chabad to bring an ex-IOF soldier onto campus during their ‘October 7’ Tour.* We firmly reject the presence of any member of a military force with such extensively documented and horrific war crimes and human rights violations at Drexel.
       
     • *See Appendix C
       
   • The following organizations must be replaced by non-zionist Jewish ones that in no way support the ongoing genocide, occupation, or apartheid in Palestine or are funded by such. This must be implemented by August 1st, 2024. 
     • Immediately terminate Drexel’s chapter of Hillel, a global zionist campus organization, whose primary purpose, funding, and operations are to facilitate birthright trips to Occupied Palestine
       
     • Immediately terminate Drexel Chabad due to welcoming an ex-IOF soldier into the Drexel community as mentioned above.
3. Drexel University and college leaderships and board members, must cease all censorship (incl. but not limited to the prevention and cancellation of events deemed ‘too controversial’*) and commit to integrating courses regarding the ongoing genocides and history of Palestine (and Sudan, Congo (DRC), Tigray, West Papua, etc.) in collaboration with Palestinian (et al) organizations, groups, and scholars. Provide a detailed plan for this process by June 15th, 2024, and begin by June 2025.
   • *See Appendix D
4. Drexel Office of Student Conduct & Care remove all charges against students attempting to hold the institution accountable through protest, and be investigated for racial discrimination by an entity outside of the school (non EIC/DEI). This demand and the following components must be enacted by June 1st 2024.
   • Drexel Office of Student Conduct & Care must adopt the legal standard of ‘beyond a reasonable doubt,’ in line with University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Community Standards and Accountability for ‘clear and convincing evidence’ when reviewing cases as opposed to the ‘preponderence of evidence, 50% and a feather’ currently in effect.
     • Student Conduct & Care has set a precedent of students being falsely charged due to their expression of identity and beliefs and without adequate evidence which “substantially disrupt[s] or interefere[s] with the rights of [the] student…” (Code of Conduct, section 5, II, 17). 
       
   • Immediate terimination of Anna Moronski, Director of Student Conduct due to:
     •  Pursuit of flippant charges against students without sufficient evidence to meet the current case standard, thus knowingly violating the student code of conduct
     • Threatening and and attempting to coerce pro-Palestinian students, particularly students of color, into accepting trumped up charges under the thinly veiled threat of being charged with additional violations or re-opening cases previously withdrawn due to lack of evidence if they did not comply. 
5. Abolition of DUPD – Drexel Public Safety should not utilize a police force, private or otherwise, given a demonstrated bias against people of color, specifically Black and brown students and (Black Bottom) community members who are primarily low income Black residents. (Goodin-Smith) (Racu)
   • Approximately 15,000 students and faculty previously signed a petition demanding the University to cut ties to the Philly Police (Charlton). Given past petititons and overwhelming support for the defunding and ultimate abolition of the police given their position in direct opposition to a thriving diverse community they profess to ‘protect and serve,’ when we know that in reality they endanger our communities and only function to protect capital and the status quo. Plans for this divestment process must be provided by June 15th, 2024, and must be enacted by June, 2025.
6. All funds from aforementioned divestments and abolishments, as well as a 60% paycheck cut for President Fry (currently salaried at $2.6 million) will be redistributed into, but not limited to, the following: (A detailed plan for the reinvestment and reallocation of funds must be provided by June 15th, 2024 and must be enacted by June 1st, 2025)
   • Investment into local community efforts for affordable housing, education funding, and landtrusts (specifically towards Black Bottom residents)
      
   • This includes paying PILOTS (property in lieu of taxes) which previous activist groups have continuously called for (DrexelPILOTS, DrexelForJustice/DCJ), and Drexel’s investment into the marginalized communities of Philadelphia with any and all funds derived from untaxed property. Philadelphia public schools continue to be disenfranchised as Drexel profits. Thus, it is Drexel University’s responsibility to support and fund affordable education and housing, as well as the wellbeing of the overall community.
     
   • Rebuilding of Palestinian institutions such as hospitals and universities. As an institution that funds the genocide in Palestine through its insidious connections to notorious war profiteering weapons firms, it is Drexel University’s responsibility to support and fund rebuilding efforts.
     
   • Creation of scholarships and MOU with Palestiniation institutions (once rebuilt).

    7. We urge all alumni of ethical conscience to withold their endowments until these demands are met.

Appendix

a. Protests emerge as responses to perceived injustices, with student activism in parallel. Throughout history, both non-violent and non-“peaceful” student protests have catalyzed significant results. Student-led demonstrations played a crucial role in the cessation of the military draft during the Vietnam War (Lawrence), and during the Civil Rights Movement, students organized sit-ins, marches, and boycotts to demand an end to segregation and discrimination, ultimately contributing to the passage of landmark legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (Branch). 

• During the Kent State shootings National Guard troops opened fire on unarmed student demonstrators (Means), and protests in cities like Baltimore, sparked by the death of Freddie Gray, saw clashes with law enforcement. These instances highlight the volatile nature of confrontations between protesters and authorities in the pursuit of social change (Hersher) (Ludden). 
• This serves as important context, as Drexel Palestine Coalition has done the ‘well-intentioned and peaceful demonstrations, often characterized by impassioned speeches and chants for justice,’ including but not limited to, a march and rally, deliverance of a petition in March, a healthcare worker vigil in April, and teach in’s since November. All of which have been met with increased police presence, surveillance, and aggression.

b. Inquirer Article of Brett Altman, and Altman family ties to State of Israel Bonds

    Brett Altman is the landlord and corporate developer of the previously affordable housing People’s Townhomes complex on 40th and Market. The area was demolished this year. A previous group before us, Drexel for Justice (DCJ) in coalition with the evicted low income, elderly black residents demanded that Drexel remove Altman, who is known to have close ties with our president John Fry, and other corporate developers attempting to build an arena in Chinatown, from the Real Estate Advisory Council, alongside utilizing Drexel’s massive endowment (1 billion) to help the residents pay to keep their housing. This pattern of displacement, eviction, and violence is mirrored from Israel to Philadelphia.

c. Screenshots of Email Correspondence from Henry Israeli

d. A fully finalized event: US and Middle East Politics (originally US and Israel’s War on Gaza). The department head Rebecca Clothey was called to meet with DEI who informed her the event would be cancelled due to controversial subject matter, but now its considered postponed to the fall

References

Branch, Taylor. Parting the Waters: America in the King Years, 1954-63. Simon and Schuster, 1989. 

Charlton, Jonah. “Penn, Drexel Students Call on Universities to Disband Police Departments.” The Daily Pennsylvanian, The Daily Pennsylvanian, 13 Sept. 2020, http://www.thedp.com/article/2020/08/penn-police-protest-drexel-maureen-rush. 

Goodin-Smith, Aubrey Whelan | Oona. “Penn, Drexel Officers’ Presence on 52nd Street Renews Calls to Defund Campus Police.” Https://Www.Inquirer.Com, 3 Aug. 2020, http://www.inquirer.com/news/university-pennsylvania-drexel-police-west-philadelphia-52nd-street-protest-20200803.html. 

Hersher, Rebecca. “How Have Baltimore Protests Stayed Peaceful? Activists Take Lessons from 2015.” NPR, NPR, 4 June 2020, http://www.npr.org/2020/06/04/868816338/lessons-from-2015-uprising-inform-non-violent-protests-in-baltimore. 

Lawrence, Mark Atwood. The Vietnam War: A Concise International History. Oxford University Press, 2010. 

Ludden, Jennifer. “Baltimore Protests Remain Peaceful after Mistrial in Freddie Gray Case.” NPR, NPR, 17 Dec. 2015, http://www.npr.org/2015/12/17/460082489/baltimore-protests-remain-peaceful-after-mistrial-in-freddie-gray-case. 

Means, Howard B. 67 Shots: Kent State and the End of American Innocence. Da Capo Press, 2016. 

Racu, Ioana, et al. “History of Racial Injustice at Drexel, from Civil Rights to BLM.” The Triangle, 12 Mar. 2021, http://www.thetriangle.org/news/history-of-racial-injustice-at-drexel-from-civil-rights-to-blm/.

Drexel University Code of Conduct 23-24

University of Pennsylvania Community Standards