DeSantis to Florida Colleges: Dismantle Pro-Palestine Student Groups
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration on Tuesday directed universities in his state to take action over chapters of a student group after it called Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks on Israel “a historic win for the Palestinian resistance.” The letter, written by chancellor of the State University System of Florida Ray Rodrigues and obtained by Fox News, charges National Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) with “harmful support for terrorist groups” after the group called for an anti-Israel “day of resistance” and published an activism “toolkit.” Released a day after the Hamas attacks, the toolkit drew criticism for calling it “a moment of mobilization for all Palestinians” and urging supporters to “act as part of this movement.” The DeSantis administration’s letter alleges that SJP “affirmatively identified” itself as part of Hamas’ operations, and warns that it is “a felony under Florida law to ‘knowingly provide material support’” to foreign terrorists. Noting that there are at least two active chapters of SJP in Florida, the letter demands their deactivation, threatening that school administrators could otherwise face discipline.
