Tell President Lee: Reverse decision immediately; protect Jews on campus

In a letter to the campus community on May 14, Sonoma State University President Mike Lee outlined a series of steps that SSU would take, essentially meeting all the outrageous demands of anti-Israel encampment protestors. We believe these demands are not only offensive and deeply harmful, but may also violate California State University Policy and civil rights law.

The following is a summary of what he committed to in his letter:

1. Supporting BDS - The President’s letter states the university will not only consider divestment from Israel but engage in an academic boycott of Israel.
2. Discriminating against Israel and Jews - The policies outlined in the letter discriminate against Jews and Israelis and erases Jewish and Israeli identity by terminating any study abroad programs in Israel and even wiping any mention of it from websites and collateral material.
3. Giving significant power to a hateful student activist group - The letter states that Sonoma State will elevate Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP)—a group that supports the destruction of the Jewish State of Israel and been suspended by some campuses due to their outrageous and hateful behaviorThe letter states that Sonoma State will elevate Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP)—a group that supports the destruction of the Jewish State of Israel—and been suspended by some campuses due to their outrageous and hateful behavior, to an advisory group on investments, the academic boycott and more. At the end of his letter, he issued a joint statement with SJP calling for a ceasefire, using inflammatory languageThe letter states that Sonoma State will elevate Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP)—a group that supports the destruction of the Jewish State of Israel and been suspended by some campuses due to their outrageous and hateful behavior—to an advisory group on investments, the academic boycott and more. At the end of his letter, he issued a joint statement with SJP calling for a ceasefire, using inflammatory language to an advisory group on investments, the academic boycott and more. At the end of his letter, he issued a joint statement with SJP calling for a ceasefire, using inflammatory language.

We need to make our voices heard loud and clear that this is unacceptable. We are demanding the President reverse these decisions immediately or we will call on the California State University Board of Trustees to terminate him.