In the wake of the controversy over anti-BDS posters put up at San Diego State University by the Horowitz Freedom Center and its Stop the Jew Hatred on Campus website, Hillel San Diego issued a statement condemning the fact that student supporters of the BDS movement and members of the Hamas-linked group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) were named on the posters. “Why shouldn’t you name these people?" David Horowitz responded. "They call for the destruction of the Jewish state."
Natalie Jacobs at the San Diego Jewish Journal wrote yesterday about the controversy, after which Horowitz reached out to her today to respond.
In a 16-minute phone conversation, Horowitz defended the campaign to put up the posters recently at five California campuses, including SDSU. He expressed his frustration with and bafflement at Hillel's disapproval:
“Hillel chooses to find fault with me and my posters for identifying these students. I really don’t get it. I think it’s disgraceful. It’s a betrayal of the Jews on the campus and the Jews in Israel."
Horowitz reiterated to Jacobs that the goal of the posters was to “expose the fact that you have organizations that are supported by universities. I want the university to withdraw all of the funding privileges for a hate group, which is what SJP is. And identify them as a hate group,” he said.
When asked about naming the student activists on his posters, Horowitz replied,
“Why shouldn’t you name these people? They don’t want to be responsible for what they do. They claim themselves victims. Why would anyone defend them? They call for the destruction of the Jewish state.”
Horowitz clarified that the students in question are not simply students whose opinions differ from his own:
“These are activists on behalf of Hamas. There’s a big difference. I wouldn’t single out a student just because they had opinions, however abhorrent. I wouldn’t put up posters with student’s names just because they disagree with me. I put up the names who are activists, who are dedicated to Hamas campaigns, who kill the Jews of Israel.”
Read more about this controversy here: "Hundreds Swarm SDSU President to Protest Freedom Center Anti-BDS Posters."
