Threats against Jewish and Other Israel Supporters at UWM Must Be Met by Enforcing University Rules

This is an opinion piece by UWM Professor Shale Horowitz. UWM’s anti-Israel student groups are now openly threatening Jews and others who support Israel’s existence and right of self-defense—posting on Instagram on Friday, July 19, “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…. Any organization that has not separated themselves from Israel will be treated accordingly as extremist criminals. Stay tuned.” These are the same student groups that UWM Chancellor Mark Mone has been supporting. In a May 12 agreement to end the illegal anti-Israel encampment, Mone officially endorsed the student groups’ lies about Israel and supported the anti-Israel boycott; partnered with the groups to promote future activities at UWM; and promised that he would not take action against the students who had violated the law or university rules. Prior to the illegal encampment, such violations included vandalizing UWM’s Golda Meir Library and intimidating members of a Jewish student group. Following criticism from the public and the UW Regents, Mone apologized for having “weighed in on deeply complex geopolitical and historical issues,” but he did not rescind or reject the May 12 agreement. On July 3, Mone announced that he would step down as Chancellor on July 1, 2025. How did Mone respond to the July 19 Instagram threats? He condemned “intimidating language aimed at Jewish community members and organizations on campus that support Israel.” However, he did not explicitly accuse the student groups of violating university rules: “Where speech is not protected by the First Amendment, UWM will address it through appropriate processes, which could include student and student organization disciplinary processes.” Given Mone’s record, nothing is likely to happen without renewed pressure from the public, the UW Regents, and our elected officials. Wisconsin law is as follows (UWS 17.01): “The missions of the University of Wisconsin System … can be realized only if the university’s teaching, learning, research and service activities occur in living and learning environments that are safe and free from violence, harassment, fraud, theft, disruption and intimidation.” Statements that would be protected by the First Amendment in other contexts thus merit disciplinary action if they threaten the university's mission, as detailed in this law. For example, people might be within their First Amendment rights to shout down others and make generic threatening statements during a demonstration in an approved public venue. However, it would undermine the university’s mission to allow such behavior where others are expressing their viewpoints in class or at university events. Doing nothing would maintain the flagrant double standard we have seen so far. What would the response have been if any other ethnic minority had been targeted in this way or if the student groups’ cause was opposing abortion? Doing nothing invites continued escalation. For the anti-Israel groups are the true extremists. Many who support the destruction of Israel and its Jews will predictably support violence and intimidation against Israel’s supporters here in Wisconsin. Others will be next. The same rhetoric used against Israel is used against the United States. At the Republican Convention, a UWM protest leader proclaimed that “Republicans are not welcome in this city.” Sound familiar? The red-green coalition of the far left and Islamic extremists also support the destruction of Western civilization and of the United States as we know it. If our public universities are to remain pluralistic centers of education and scientific inquiry, Mone and other leaders must stop collaborating with those who threaten free and civil expression, discussion, and inquiry and must instead enforce university rules consistently and rigorously. Shale Horowitz is a professor in UWM’s Political Science Department. https://www.wisconsinrightnow.com/shale-horowitz/?feed_id=17760&_unique_id=66a5240d87ce1