University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce is calling on a pro-Palestinian student encampment to be dismantled. This comes after multiple buildings on the campus were tagged with what she called “quite clearly both antisemitic and violent.”
“Much to my dismay, given the relatively cordial tone of many of our discussions, the encampment representatives also said the new graffiti is an intentional escalation to compel the University to agree to their demands,” Cauce wrote.
The rise of boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) campaigns has significantly impacted Jewish students.
According to Tammi Rossman-Benjamin, director of the pro-Israel campus group AMCHA Initiative, schools with active BDS campaigns are three times more likely to experience incidents targeting Jewish students.
The heightened tension following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 has exacerbated these issues, leading to increased reports of antisemitic violence and harassment.
