An Open Letter to UPenn’s Administration - World Jewish Congress

Cookies allow us to understand how you use this site and improve your experience. Our detailed Cookie Policy can be found here. By continuing to use this website you accept our use of cookies.

 To manage the use of cookies click .

Mandatory cookies help make this website usable by enabling basic functions like page navigation and access to secure areas of the website. Our website cannot function properly without these cookies.

Statistic cookies help us understand how visitors interact with this website, for example seeing which pages are most popular. This information is collected anonymously and helps us improve the site by making the most sought after information easy to find.

Marketing cookies are used to track visitors across websites allowing the display of ads that are relevant and engaging for the visitor. Whilst we do not display any advertising on the WJC website, allowing marketing cooking may allow other sites to see that you have visited our site.
WJC Homepage
Donate
Back to NextGen Blog

An Open Letter to UPenn’s Administration

JDA member and alumna of the University of Pennsylvania, Alison Comite, wrote an open letter to UPenn's leadership as the war between Israel and Hamas continues and urging the university's leadership to act against antisemitism.      

Dear President Magill,

I used to be a proud alumna of the University of Pennsylvania. I even co-chaired Seniors for the Penn Fund in my last year, which meant that I encouraged fellow students to donate to the University. 

As a Jew and Zionist, however, I can no longer proudly tell people that I went to Penn. The rise of antisemitism on Penn’s campus is absolutely disgusting. 

The University’s lack of response in the past few weeks is even more appalling. I will acknowledge that you recently wrote a letter to students at the University. It was frankly too little, too late. In this letter, you both condemned the terrorist organization of Hamas and reassured Jews that the University stands with them.

But then why did a rally organized by Penn Against the Occupation (PAO) occur on Penn’s campus on Monday, October 16th? Why did both the Provost and Head of the Division of Public Safety claim that they do not view PAO as distributing any sort of hate speech? 

Speakers at the Pro-Palestinian rally said multiple horrendous claims: 

  1. “intifada today, intifada tomorrow, intifada until the genocidal regime of Israel is gone”
  2. “I salute Hamas, a job well done”
  3. “The babies killed by Hamas were fake” 

Intifada is defined as a violent uprising. During the Second Intifada (September 2000 - February 2005), Hamas used suicide bombers to kill countless, innocent Israeli civilians. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure the word “intifada” is a call to kill the Jewish people. President Magill, does that sound like violence to you? It sounds like violence to me.

After this rally, protestors marched down Locust Walk, the main walkway on campus, chanting “From the river to the sea!” This means that the entire state of Israel should be destroyed and replaced by Arab Palestinians from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean sea. This phrase therefore calls for the genocide of the world’s only Jewish country. Furthermore, protestors ripped apart posters asking for the release of child hostages in Gaza. 

These actions do not create peace for Palestinians. On the other hand, they incite violence against Jews. I am therefore beyond ashamed of the University of Pennsylvania. 

Hen Mazzig, an Israeli author and proud Jew, recently posted on Instagram, “I promise to love being Jewish 10x more than anyone hates me for it.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.

עם ישראל חי, 

Alison Comite