UNC Charlotte allows student group to host Israeli soldiers, despite some opposition
UNC Charlotte will not act on calls from students to cancel a Tuesday event with Israeli soldiers previously deployed in Gaza. Doing so would potentially violate the First Amendment rights of the student organization hosting the event, school leaders say.
The university's chapter of Students Supporting Israel plans to host two active-duty soldiers from the Israeli Defense Forces at an event titled 'Triggered: From Combat to Campus.' The speakers will share their 'experiences of bravery, sacrifice and hope for Zionism,' according to an event poster shared on the student group's Instagram.
The event is scheduled for Tuesday at 7 pm. The location had not yet been announced as of 5:30 pm Friday.
'This event seeks to promote awareness and humanize the very difficult situation on the ground, fostering a deeper understanding of the complexities and challenges faced by those directly affected,' Rachel Rubin, UNC Charlotte SSI president, told The Charlotte Observer.
Members of another on-campus organization, Students for Justice in Palestine, launched a petition calling on the university to cancel the event.
Creators of the petition argue the event is 'in direct violation of UNC Charlotte's neutrality policy by inciting physical and emotional distress within the student body.' The petition had 299 signatures as of Friday afternoon.
However, UNC Charlotte leaders say they do not plan to cancel the event.
'As a public university, we are required by the First Amendment to allow student organizations to host events without regard to viewpoint, as long as they comply with our time, place and manner rules designed to protect safety and ensure university operations continue without disruption,' Christy Jackson, UNC Charlotte deputy chief communications officer, said Friday. 'Staff will be present to help support a respectful and safe environment.'
Members of Students Supporting Israel agree that canceling the event would infringe upon their right to free speech and academic freedom. 'It is essential for universities to maintain an environment where diverse perspectives can be shared and discussed without fear of censorship or retribution,' Rubin said.
However, Students for Justice in Palestine argue the event threatens students' emotional and physical safety, and is in violation of the school's neutrality policies.
The student group did not respond to the Observer's request for comment.
Charlotte's chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace also opposed the event, in a post on its Instagram account.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration announced that it would cancel approximately $400 million in federal grants to Columbia University 'due to the school's continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.'
Shortly after the announcement, the university committed to engaging with the Trump administration on the issue, in hopes of funding being restored. And on Friday, Columbia said it would make a number of concessions to Trump in a bid to salvage the funding, multiple media outlets reported.
Columbia and other universities around the country became the site of large pro-Palestinian protests following Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the ensuing Israel-Hamas war.
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