Yale drops alleged Hamas-tied student group’s status after ‘disturbing antisemitic conduct’

Yale University revoked the status of a registered pro-Palestinian student group this week, saying it “flagrantly violated the rules” and set up an unauthorized encampment to protest Israel and blocked Jewish students from crossing.

Students for Justice in Palestine’s (SJP) chapter at Yale, Yalies4Palestine, rallied others to join the blockage over social media, the university said in a statement. SJP, which described the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel as a “historic win for the Palestinian resistance,“ has come under scrutiny in the last year for its alleged ties to Hamas. 

The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) released a report last year alleging that SJP receives funding linked to organizations accused of supporting Hamas. The report also claimed that SJP endorsed violence against Israelis and collaborated with terrorist groups. A federal lawsuit was also filed against SJP and its affiliate, the American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), alleging they acted as collaborators and propagandists for Hamas.

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Lawmakers have been skeptical of the group, too. In 2023, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis directed state universities to disband SJP chapters, alleging that the organization illegally supported Hamas. 

“Concerns have been raised about disturbing antisemitic conduct at the gathering,” Yale’s statement said. “The university is investigating those concerns, as harassment and discrimination are antithetical to learning and scholarship. Yale condemns antisemitism and will hold those who violate our policies accountable through our disciplinary processes.”

The university added that it supports “free expression on campus” that complies with the school’s “time, place, and manner rules.” 

The student group posted videos of the demonstration on its Instagram account, and videos posted to X showed a group linking arms and blocking a Jewish student from passing through the area.

Protesters were heard chanting, “Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest.”

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The disciplinary action comes nearly a year after anti-Israel protests erupted across Ivy League campuses, with Yale being one of the universities with major disruptions and arrests, including a massive graduation walkout. ​Yale University’s president during the 2024 pro-Palestine protests was Peter Salovey. Maurie McInnis succeeded him June 30.

Yale maintains it took disciplinary action against the students appropriately this week and kept a “calm campus.”

The removal of the student group’s official status comes a few months after President Donald Trump clamped down on antisemitism on college campuses. In January, Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to report on actions taken to address antisemitism in public education and to analyze complaints related to campus antisemitism after the Oct. 7 attacks. 

But not all schools are falling in line with Trump’s order. Harvard University announced this week a lawsuit against the Trump administration for freezing billions of dollars in research funding to the Ivy League school.

The complaint argues the administration can’t make a “rational connection” between antisemitism on the campus and the federal funding it receives.