The Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle and its Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) are deeply concerned about the antisemitic and anti-Zionist vandalism last night at the University of Washington perpetrated by members of the encampment, and, in response, issued the following statement:

Our community is outraged and heartbroken by the experience that our Jewish students are living through on campus. Jewish students shouldn’t be forced to walk to class surrounded by antisemitic graffiti and chants, which at times have included death threats against Jews and the praising of the worst attack perpetrated against the Jewish community since the Holocaust. 

Jews hold dearly the right to free speech, and, yet, these criminal actions and hate speech go far beyond free speech and must be treated with the utmost seriousness. Actions by members of the encampment traffic in blatant antisemitism and threaten the physical and psychological safety of many Jewish and Israeli campus community members. At some point, the University leadership’s actions - or lack thereof - speak louder than words. Enough is enough.

The University of Washington must be safe for all students, regardless of their identities or political beliefs.  We are committed to supporting our partners at Hillel UW and to standing with Jewish students, faculty, and staff. We urgently call on campus authorities to: 

• Clear the illegal encampment
• Hold students who violate the student code of conduct accountable
• Not betray the school’s academic mission by divesting from Boeing or dissociating from academic programs connected to Israel
• Ensure antisemitism is added to the robust DEI offerings at UW
• Ensure the class of 2024 graduation continues as planned