Yale defends revoking pro-Palestine club status after protests over Itamar Ben-Gvir visit

'This is a dangerous moment,' faculty member tells The National

Yale has decertified the Yalies4Palestine club after protests against a speech by Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir near campus. Reuters

Yale University's decision to withdraw the student club status of a pro-Palestine group has sparked outrage and concern that the school is acting on misinformation and applying double standards.

The university revoked Yalies4Palestine's club status after demonstrations on Tuesday amid an off-campus speech by far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

"Yalies4Palestine sent out calls over social media for others to join the event, and this morning joined with an unregistered group in public statements taking credit for the event," a statement on the university's website read.

"This occurred only one day after Yalies4Palestine had met with Yale College officials to discuss recent policy violations and were warned that further violations would jeopardise the group’s privileges."

Mr Ben-Gvir had been invited to speak at the private event hosted by the Yale-based Jewish society group Shabtai.

“This is a dangerous moment,” said a faculty member at Yale. "Their physical, personal, professional and psychological safety is at risk, but we commend and stand with our students who are fighting for justice in Palestine, as well as all liberation movements."

The faculty member, who was also familiar with Yalies4Palestine, said there is much misinformation about what took place at the demonstration before and during Mr Ben-Gvir's speech.

Yalies4Palestine, the faculty member said, was not the official sponsor of the protests, and many entities on campus were involved in what started as a peaceful demonstration that also included Jewish students expressing opposition to Mr Ben-Gvir's visit.

"There was no aggression and by 11pm the protesters had left. But there were a few students from the local Chabad aggressively filming them and pushing their way in," the faculty member said, referring to a conservative Jewish group.

The Yale faculty member said that within hours, those who had been filming the demonstrations began to release the names of some of those attending the protest and have since tried to "dox and harass them".

Yale is defending its decision to decertify Yalies4Palestine's club status.

Yale said that the demonstration, which took place on Hewitt University Quadrangle, did not have authorisation from the university, and took place in complete breach of "Yale's time, place and manner policies".

The university acknowledged that some students have been notified that they are subject to disciplinary action.

"Concerns have been raised about disturbing anti-Semitic conduct at the gathering," the statement read. "Yale supports free expression on campus, including permitting peaceful vigils, rallies, protests and counter-protests that comply with the university’s time, place and manner rules."

The National sought additional answers from Yale concerning the accusations made by the faculty member, but the university referred to the statement posted on its website.

People protest against a speech by Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir that took place near the Yale campus. Reuters

Israel's punishing campaign in Gaza – which followed the 2023 attacks by Hamas-led fighters on Israel that resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people and the capture of 240 hostages – has killed at least 51,355 people in Gaza and injured about 117,200.

The war has prompted the spread of anti-Semitism in various parts of the US, along with heightened Islamophobia and discrimination against Arabs.

This is not Yale's first controversy over how it has handled students and faculty expressing support for Palestine. The university was part of a mass movement that swept the country last year, with students and supporters setting up a camp on university grounds in protest against the war in Gaza.

In April, Helyeh Doutaghi, a Yale scholar of international law who was accused of having connections to terrorism by an artificial intelligence-powered news site, Jewish Onliner, was sacked by Yale Law School.

Helyeh Doutaghi, a Yale Law School scholar, claims she was wrongly suspended due to accusations from an 'AI empowered' website, JewishOnliner. Photo: Helyeh Doutaghi

“I have been terminated based on unproven allegations, absent any due process or substantiated claim,” Ms Doutaghi posted to X. “This sets a chilling precedent.”

In a statement to The National, Alden Ferro, a senior associate of public affairs at Yale, said that the school repeatedly tried to talk to Ms Doutaghi and her lawyer but she refused to meet to respond to questions.

The Israel-Gaza war has prompted a surge in attempts from various groups using technology, AI and social networks to try to gain an upper hand in influencing public opinion. Those attempts have resulted in growing concern that demonstrators are being penalised without due process.

"Information and videos for doxxing seem to be getting out to national hate organisations – which Yale doesn't care to investigate," the Yale faculty member told The National.

Meanwhile, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce did not directly respond to reports of Mr Ben-Gvir attending a dinner at Mr Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida this week.

Ms Bruce was also asked if the US approves the bombing of food and aid depots in Gaza, something Mr Ben-Gvir was reported to have said.

"That was one report," she said. "Getting food and aid in has been a north star for this administration."