Yale College, the undergraduate branch of Yale University, said Wednesday it revoked the status of a pro-Palestinian student group a day after anti-Israel student activists set up an encampment on campus to protest a speech by Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
The Ivy League institution withdrew Yalies4Palestine's status as a registered student group, although the group said Tuesday night it was not responsible for the protest, the Yale News student newspaper reported. Ben Gvir spoke Wednesday night as a guest of the Shabtai organization as part of his first official tour in the United States, according to The Jerusalem Post.
The university said in a news release Wednesday that the group made calls on social media for people to join the event and a public statement allegedly "taking credit." Yale acknowledged that the gathering was not affiliated with Yalies4Palestine or any official student organization.
In an Instagram reel post, Yalies4Palestine captioned a video of the protest with the all-caps words "Repost! Share! Join the students!" The Yale News reported that the group posted several videos of the crowd, which erected tents and announced their intention to stay on Beinecke Plaza overnight before dispersing after administrative warnings.
The group posted a video with the caption "HAPPENING NOW YALE STUDENTS RELAUNCH ENCAMPMENTS" and co-posted several videos with similar captions.
"Concerns have been raised about disturbing antisemitic conduct at the gathering," the university said in the news release.
"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."
"Yale supports free expression on campus, including permitting peaceful vigils, rallies, protests, and counterprotests that comply with the university’s time, place, and manner rules," the university said.
Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, reposted on X Wednesday a video posted by Netanel Crispe, a Jewish Yale student, that showed Crispe being blocked by protesters from walking through the campus.
"DOJ @CivilRights is tracking the concerning activities at Yale, and is in touch with affected students," Dhillon wrote.
Yale student Sahar Tartak told The Jerusalem Post that Jewish students were restricted or denied access by activists, who also shone lights in their faces. In a video shared by Tartak, an activist accused the Jewish students of trying to present themselves as victims because that was what "Israelis, Zionists, Caucasians" did.
Colleges and universities across the country are under intense pressure by the Trump administration and Republicans to stem anti-Israel campus protests that have arisen since Iranian-backed Hamas' terrorist attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the Israeli military's response in the Gaza Strip.
The university said staff identified students who they knew had been "warned or disciplined" for previous violations of university policy, and on Wednesday, those students were notified that the university would take "immediate" disciplinary action against them.
"Those who violate the university's policies and instructions regarding use of outdoor spaces face law enforcement and disciplinary action, including reprimand, probation, suspension, or expulsion," the university said.
A group of pro-Palestinian protesters released a statement to the Yale News that condemned Yale's decision to suspend the group, saying that it was an attempt by the university to appease the Trump administration and stave off federal funding cuts. Without a student organization designation, groups cannot, among other things, reserve Yale spaces, request funding, or use the Yale name.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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