Pro-Israel student attacked at Temple U.
Students for Justice in Palestine admits pro-Israel student assaulted, but denies claimed anti-Semitic slurs.
When I told you on July 16 that I was Expecting anti-Israel violence on campuses this fall, you might have thought I was needlessly worried.
But I have observed over the past academic year the increasing fury and frustration of the campus BDS movement — and that was before Gaza.
So in my post I predicted:
Merely unhinged BDS on campus will be the good old days.
And it may already have come true, just as most universities are seeing students return to campus for the fall semester.
Via Truth Revolt, Temple Univ. Jewish Student Punched In Face And Called ‘Kike’ In Anti-Semitic Attack:
A Jewish student on the campus of Temple University was assaulted on Wednesday afternoon and called “kike” and “baby killer” by members of the anti-Semitic student group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). Daniel Vessal, a Camera on Campus fellow and a member of the Jewish fraternity AEPi, was punched in the face by a violent member of the anti-Israel organization SJP at “Templefest” which is organized for students on campus to gain new information about campus clubs a week before the start of classes. Vessal is a managing information systems major at the Fox School of Business at the university…..
A short time later, after experiencing a headache and neck stiffness, Vessal sought medical attention at the Temple University Hospital. He spoke to TruthRevolt just prior to undergoing a medical evaluation.
A copy of the medical evaluation provided exclusively to Truth Revolt listed mandibular pain, cervical sprain, and closed head injury.
Josh Josephs and Alex Winokur witnessed the assault and confirm Vessal’s account and added that they heard members of Students for Justice in Palestine call Vessal a “kike” while he lay on the ground.
“Daniel went up to talk to them and have an educated conversation, and try to rationalize their opinions,“ explained Josephs. “Alex and I, being not as educated on this topic, stood to the side and let them converse. The ‘conversation’ shortly escalated to the Palestine group being very arrogant and irrational. The people behind the table started attacking Daniel calling him a “Zionist, racist, baby killer.” Daniel asked the people behind if they could keep the name calling out of it, and just try to have a calm talk about their opinions.”
“Out of nowhere, a member of the group strikes Daniel, straight in the jaw with a closed fist. This led to Daniel going straight to the ground, losing his glasses and in immediate pain.”
“While on the ground, the members in this group were just pointing at Daniel and were laughing at him,” Josephs told TruthRevolt. “In addition, names including kike, stupid Jew, and Zionist, were used by the members in reference to Daniel.”
“This was unacceptable, uncalled for, and a clear act of Anti-Semitism. The organization ‘Students for Justice in Palestin’ at Temple is a disgrace to this University, clearly shown by acts like this,” Josephs and Winokur told TruthRevolt in a joint statement. “Temple University should be embarrassed to allow this type of behavior to happen right on campus, especially at a big event like this.”
The student further told Truth Revolt:
“Before this I just thought Students for Justice in Palestine was crazy but I didn’t know it would lead to violence.”
Temple University has issued a statement condemning the attack:
Temple University is investigating a report of an attack against a student late Wednesday afternoon. The attack is alleged to have included physical violence and anti-Semitic statements and religious slurs. As part of its investigation, Temple asks that anyone with information about the incident contact Campus Safety Services immediately at 215-204-1234.
Temple University unequivocally condemns the disparagement or assault of any person based on religion or nationality. The university will not tolerate violence of any kind directed against members of the Temple community.
In addition, university officials Wednesday night reached out to leaders of the Temple Jewish and pro-Palestinian communities to discuss the incident and a best path for moving forward.
Temple SJP is denying involvement:
Temple SJP then issued a statement indicating that the Jewish student was merely slapped, and the the person who did that was not a member of SJP just a friend of a member and was provoked. The statement reads in part (emphasis in original):
Thursday August 21, 2014
Wednesday, an unfortunate incident occurred during Temple Fest at Welcome Week at Temple University. A student, who is not a member of Students for Justice in Palestine, slapped a former student who was repeatedly harassing the SJP table. In all the years that SJP has existed at Temple, arguments have never escalated to physical confrontation. Temple SJP condones [sic – condemns] this act of physical violence, just as we condone [sic – condemns]the violence that is committed against Palestinians by the state of Israel on a daily basis. While the student who slapped Vessal is an acquaintance of SJP members, he has not been involved with the group in the past and is not a member. ….
One of these students was not part of SJP, but a friend to some of the members of the club. He was standing near the table socializing when Mr. Vessal became involved in a heated exchange with him, even after continuous requests to leave. “I heard him say Israel is not occupying Palestine, but that Palestinians are occupying Gaza. I started laughing at the sheer absurdity because Palestinians are indigenous to Gaza and also unable to leave because of the inhumane siege Israel has maintained since 2007,” Samantha continued. “In response, I heard him say ‘You’re sitting here laughing like idiots!’ He aggressively moved closer to me as he said this. It was then that B.*, who is not an SJP member, slapped Vessal. His sunglasses fell to the ground, but he did not.”
Accusations leveled at SJP claim that anti-semitic slurs such as k*ke were hurled, but this is patently untrue
So there was an assault by someone at an SJP campus table, it was over Israel, the only question is how serious an assault and whether slurs where shouted.
While obviously whether a the slur was shouted is important, the violence aspect is critical, reflecting (even by SJP’s statement) how frustration with a pro-Israel student escalated.
I expect many more of these incidents.
Update 8-22-2014: Alleged Suspect Identified in Violent Assault on Temple Univ. Jewish Student.
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Comments
Absolutely filthy & disgusting. I used to be proud of Temple as a resident of the Philadelphia suburbs (and, of course Mark Levin went there) but not so for awhile. But this is beyond.
I tried to warn my girlfriend whose beloved Jewish daughter is going off to a college in Michigan as a freshman this fall about this but she at me looked like I was from outer space. I’m not even Jewish and I’m trying to explain to her to be prepared for what might await on her daughter and she thinks I’m nuts. I feel so sorry for young people just starting out, having to go through this.
The proof will be in the way Temple University reacts. If the person that committed the battery is a student, the student must be sanctioned. Otherwise, Temple sends the message that it is open season on Jewish students.
“Sanctioned”? Expelled and prosecuted for felony battery.
The long arc of history that Pres. ScamWOW likes to bloviate about seems more like a revolving record with a hole burned in it.
We seem to be heading into a very dark period…again.
Temple seems to have become a home for all sorts of extremists–Muslim, black racists, feminists, every variety of leftist.
Yeah, just your typical university!
Actually, I have heard that Temple is worse than average.
Someone needs to tell these kids on campus – the peaceful, civil ones – to pull out and turn on their camera phones when these things happen — or BEFORE they occur, as when the young man approached the table for a civil conversation on the topic. Two outcomes: civil conversation recorded, or evidence of an assault with verbal slurs captured. Win/win.
There is no reason in this day and age that these students did NOT have this captured on video. I know – they didn’t expect it to become an incident, to turn violent. Unfortunately, that is not an acceptable excuse today, given that civil society and rational, reasoned debate is becoming extinct in this ever more Balkanized, fractured Western civilized society that we see crumbling before our eyes – with this POTUS and DoJ presiding over the fall, the intentional division and destruction of our nation’s civil society.
CCTV on campuses would help deter or document rape attacks, as well as racist hate attacks like this one.
If the perp was not a student or part of SJP, they know who he is. The injured student needs to sue him AND the group SJP, for his injuries and “pain and suffering” and “humiliation.”
Well it would seem to me that if he was a “friend” of one of the members of SJP, then he was at the SJP table by their consent, therefore they are responsible for his actions. Oh, wait I forgot that is reasonable and logical. 🙂
I need to check the SPLC website to see if the SJP is on their “hate map”…
1. If a Temple student did this, the punishment should be expulsion. Case closed.
2. Why the sic after condone? Condone is probably correct.
You took words out of my mouth…
Not directly connected, but relevant: Watch as a Muslima wearing a hijab stands by in haughty approval while her companions brutally attack a Philadelphia Park ranger who had the audacity to enforce a no-skateboard rule in effect since 2002. As a last sign of disrespect, the main attacker, who was arrested later (3rd offense) spits on the ranger before they nonchalantly walk away.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/video-skateboarder-attacks-ranger-in-philadelphia-love-park/
Lack of respect for law, order and human life is evident by all participants of this brutal attack.
Violence and inhumane brutality are part and parcel of Islam and have been since its beginning.
Apparently SJP knows the perpetrator. Wouldn’t the local prosecutor and/or police investigator want to talk with them, identify the suspected perpetrator, and then interview that person?
Might we even hope for an arrest?
Yeah, yeah, I know…
Eagerly awaiting an update saying that Temple has expelled the student who committed the assault. Even better would be if SJP lied about said student not being a member of their group and thus have their activities on campus severely curtailed as well.
“Eagerly awaiting”? You’ll have a LONG wait. The University will not offend the SJP, the faculty who believe that SJP can do no wrong, or the liberal alumni. The University will take the position that the Jew provoked the response, which might have been a little bit strong, but which was perfectly understandable in light of the extreme provocation that was created by the Jew.
Indeed. After two thousand years, we should keep reminding ourselves that it is ALWAYS the Jew’s fault.
Both Temple and public law enforcement should investigate this situation. I believe no one should rush to judgment. The facts need to be gathered. IF the facts are in line with what has been reported, the student who hit another student for daring to differ in his views should be disciplined on campus — but that should not prevent the processes of the criminal law from also operating. The first amendment protects speech, it does not protect violence. The US attorney general is on his way to Missouri, will he come to Temple? I bet not.
“IF the facts are in line with what has been reported, the student who hit another student for daring to differ in his views should be disciplined on campus”
No actually the student that struck the other student needs to face criminal charges off campus. If more students are forced to defend their illegal actions in a court of law with sanctions from the college a lot of this crap would stop.
“In addition, university officials Wednesday night reached out to leaders of the Temple Jewish and pro-Palestinian communities to discuss the incident and a best path for moving forward.”
Sound like a “Hate Crime” to me. Pretty much fist the definition of a “Hate Crime”, so I think it should be investigated as a “Hate Crime”.
The University will investigate DANIEL VESSAL for violating the University’s speech codes and tolerance codes for his conduct in confronting the SJP and their friends. The SJP will be absolved of all wrong-doing.
Sadly, you are probably correct.
Future ISIS members-in-training. The followers of the totalitarian and fascistic ideology of “Submission” contiue to debase and disgrace themselves, while demonstrating to all but the most myopic and naive Leftists what a cancerous blight they pose to the civilized world.
Everything Scum for Jihad in “Palestine” does is anti-Semitic.
So the Arab Nomads that were kicked out of the Arab countries are “indigenous” people and the Jews that were forced off of land their families had lived on for thousands of years in Gaza are invaders?
BTW. When the Israeli government forced the Jews ion Gaza off their land in 85 they left behind huge greenhouses, thousands of acres of PRODUCTIVE farm land, a couple working power plants, several working water and waste treatment plants. The “Palestinians” destroyed them.