In response to the bomb threats, anti-Semitic social media posts and vandalism, Student Government unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday declaring support for Jewish students on campus.
Assembly Resolution 26 was drafted following anti-Semitic posts on the UT 2020 Facebook page and the shattering of a window at Texas Hillel, a Jewish center at the University.
“Several Jewish students that I know don’t even feel comfortable wearing their (Star of David) necklace out or small things like that just to express their religion,” said Jonathan Dror, the SG external financial director and an author of AR 26.
Dror said he hopes that despite the constant presence of anti-Semitism, this resolution will serve as reminder to Jewish students that the University is here to help and protect them.
“Unfortunately, anti-Semitism is always around and we can never get rid of it, but right now it’s rearing its head up,” Dror said. “So, we just thought it was very important to show a message of solidarity with Jewish students, and that we’re supporting them right now.”
Jason Taper, a Plan II senior and Texas Hillel member, said he is thrilled these issues are being publicly acknowledged because communities, marginalized or not, need to come together against hate.
“It is still — luckily — unacceptable to hate Jews at the University of Texas, and when that’s publicly expressed it’s a measure of help,” Taper said. “That said, the people that are anti-Semites, the people that are vandals, the people that are phoning in these threats and showing their hatred don’t care, but they never have … so knowing that we have the community behind us really helps.”
SG also introduced Assembly Resolution 25, a resolution opposing Senate Bill 4, which forces local and state law enforcement agencies to comply with requests from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. The resolution is a preemptive measure to protest SB4 as it has not yet received a Senate hearing date.
Speaker of the Assembly Santiago Rosales, an author of the resolution, said SB4 will alienate undocumented students and cripple the ability of UTPD to help students on campus, regardless of their immigration status.
“The University isn’t a law enforcement agency … and SB 4 strains the relationship between undocumented students and members of the University,” Rosales said. “In conversations with Chief Carter that I’ve had, working with students and emphasizing that (UTPD is) with students is a priority of the department, and Senate Bill 4 definitely would destroy that relationship.”
