Jordan Cohen

“Students for Justice in Palestine” (SJP) hate Palestinians & pissed on my slaughtered family in Gaza: A few days ago, I spoke at a prominent New Jersey university where a professor invited me to address a class dealing with peace, conflict resolution, religion, and reconciliation. There were students from all walks of life and all backgrounds, continents, and lived experiences. During the presentation, I discussed my background and that of my family in Gaza, my lived experience, my journey to the United States, past years as a young activist who was once part of college activism, protests, and typical forms of “pro-Palestine” activism, and how/why I decided to pursue a radically different path. I described in detail how the neo “pro-Palestine” movement has become an abject failure and a disastrous misrepresentation of what Palestinians really want and seek. I also offered ubiquitous and detailed critiques, condemnations, and harsh attacks against the nefarious 3D chess game that Netanyahu and the far right in Israel have played to use Hamas as a tool that kept Palestinians politically divided, prevented the emergence of a Palestinian state, and allowed the settlement enterprise to grow out of control. I decried the injustices of the military occupation that Palestinians face and how there must be a different pathway forward, even while addressing Israelis' right to safety and security. Hamas is a useful idiot, a tool of oppression, a mutation that does not represent Palestinian values, a spoiler for any hope of a better future in Gaza, and not worthy of support on American college campuses by student activist groups who proclaim to care about the Palestinian people. But a group of “pro-Palestine” students had something else in mind. A few gathered outside the classroom, where I spoke and put on masks while communicating with a co-conspirator who attended my talk. I knew that they were there to act out and cause trouble, but I carried on. I spoke about my family’s suffering and pain, both historic and contemporary, as what sustains me and keeps me going, describing my desire to honor their legacy by promoting a different path forward that breaks the vicious cycle of violence. For a few minutes, I spent time talking about the Israeli airstrikes that destroyed both of my childhood homes after October 7 and the tragic loss of 33 of my immediate and extended family members, talking about my 12-year-old niece Farah, my uncles Riyad and Abdullah, my aunt Zinab, and all the children and women who were mercilessly slaughtered in targeted bombardment in the Gaza Strip. Then the yelling and screaming began outside the classroom – “Ahmed, you’re a traitor,” screeched a masked goblin while sprinkling random “free Palestine” chants. It was one of the most comical, bizarre, offensive, and surreal scenes in my life. Here were privileged losers who were acting with so much righteousness, indignation, ignorance, and disrespect, supposedly because they care about “justice” in Palestine, when in fact, they appear to have devolved into Students for Jihad in Palestine. To yell free Palestine at me while I was literally talking about Palestinians’ right to freedom, dignity, and independence shows you an unimaginable level of stupidity, embarrassing ignorance, and lack of basic cognitive capabilities. SJP imbeciles disrespected and pissed on the tragedy of 33 Palestinians from Gaza, my family, to whom I dedicated my talk and my work, ignoring the fact that I am far more pro-Palestine than they even know what this word means, and didn’t care for any of my critique of occupation, injustices, Netanyahu, or the far right in Israel. Their primary gripe and grievance with me is that I don’t support Hamas and the armed resistance narrative, which they absolutely, 1000% do and endorse. They celebrate October 7; they don’t seek peace; they want Israel’s annihilation, and they are behaving like little extremist ideologues who won’t tolerate any deviation from their ignorant, maximalist, overly simplistic manifestos. This is not a free speech issue, for there are time, place, and manner considerations for protected speech on college campuses. They want to suppress my free speech and that of any other speaker, Palestinian, Jewish, or anyone else, who doesn’t conform to their rigid ideology. It is time to stop this madness. University leaders and administrators must take robust and rapid action to protect the free speech and access of those who are not part of the Sinwar Brigades. The just and urgent Palestinian cause has been horrendously maligned and hijacked by violent, hateful, and extremist actors, who are masked, unknown, and may very well be outside agitators acting at the behest of nefarious players. Activists' free speech can never come at the expense of others', especially when speaking in a classroom environment and when invited by a faculty member. I will not be silenced or suppressed; if anything, this experience is making me even more determined to go to college campuses and share my story, talk about my family’s tragedy in Gaza, and the need to pursue healing, peace, and reconciliation as the pathway forward between Palestinians and Israelis. Reach out if you want me to speak on your campus.