UWM anti-Israel groups suspended for call to treat Jewish orgs as 'extremist criminals'

Five anti-Israel University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee organizations were temporarily suspended from campus on Wednesday for their association with a coalition that made threatening statements targeting Jewish groups in mid-July.

UWM Faculty, Staff, and Alumni for Palestinian Liberation are set to hold a rally and press conference on Monday in response to UWM disciplinary measures against the UWM Popular University for Palestine coalition on Wednesday. The coalition, which includes the local Students for Justice in Palestine, condemned the suspension of the coalition groups on Saturday for lack of due process and creating a climate of suppression "incongruent" with the university's mission of free exchange of ideas and transparency of decision making.

The coalition said that the university did not provide context to the July 19 Instagram story in which they said that they would no longer "normalize genocidal extremists walking on our campus."

"Any organization or entity that supports Israel is not welcome at UWM. This includes the local extremist groups such as Hillel, Jewish Federation, etc. We refuse to normalize extremists and extremist groups walking around our campus," UWM Popular University for Palestine said. "Any organization that has not separated themselves from Israel will be treated accordingly as extremist criminals. Stay tuned."

The Milwaukee Jewish Federation said on July 21 that it was in contact with the UWM Police, UWM Hillel, and other security and law officials over concerns that the social media post exceeded the bounds of freedom of speech and could encourage harassment and violence against Jewish students and campus organizations.

UWM denounced the coalition's post and said that the rhetoric, "if acted upon, would undermine the safety of the UWM community, especially Jewish individuals and organizations."

Conflating opposition to genocide with antisemitism

The coalition on July 24 stood by its comments on ostracization and accused the university administration of using a "Zionist strategy" of conflating "opposition to genocide" to antisemitism. The coalition said that it had not targeted the Jewish community and that the administration had ignored the concern of Palestinian, Muslim, and non-Zionist students for the targeted organizations endorsing supposed genocide.

“We refuse to shy away from the fact that any support of Israel is considered an extremist position, only held by extremists, and we refuse to normalize extremism on our campus,” the coalition and SJP said on Instagram.

UWM Police Chief David Salazar Jr. resigned on Thursday, claiming that UWM leadership was "broken" after his investigation of antisemitism on campus and an investigation into him over accusations that he surveilled a "female police employee." Salazar accused the administration of reluctance to address several antisemitic incidents and said that his investigation that concluded the claims of antisemitism were true was challenged by Chief Legal Counsel Joely Urdan. Salazar also claimed that a corrupt, predetermined investigation into him led to the university's pursuit of possible code of conduct violations.

Chancellor Mark Mone, who had been criticized for negotiations with the UWM Popular University for Palestine coalition, also resigned on July 1, according to a July 3 statement. In a May 12 letter to the coalition, Mone agreed to call for ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and condemn a "plausible genocide" and "scholasticide." The coalition consequently agreed to dismantle its 14-day encampment in an agreement with the administration, which also cut ties with the Mekorot Israeli water company and Israel Innovation Authority for allegedly cutting off drinking water to Palestinians.

On June 6, the Palestine coalition caused controversy when they disrupted a UWM Board of Regents meeting. The coalition said on Instagram that it was trying to hold the institution accountable for supposed complicity in alleged Israeli crimes through financial relationships.