WILLAMSBURG, Va. — As college students return from fall break, conversations around the Israel-Hamas conflict are happening and, in some cases, are getting hostile.
"This just came as the result of a group chat that formed Sunday night as a reaction to all the events and the pictures that were coming out of Israel," Ben Frogel, a student at William & Mary, said.
Frogel said on Monday he and group of Jewish friends began fundraising on campus for Magen David Adom, what he called Israel's version of the Red Cross.
He said his friends wanted to fundraise for a humanitarian cause when they received some backlash.
"There were some students who were trying to provoke us, coming up to us not in good faith calling us things like genociders, baby killers, you name it," Frogel said.
In a statement a college spokesperson said:
Harassment and antisemitism are unacceptable on this campus. Such behavior is in stark contrast to William & Mary’s stated values and mission.
Our staff and the William & Mary Police Department were in contact with the students throughout the day on Monday, and we understand that emotions on campus are running very high. Thus far, no students have made reports of any sort of physical altercations.
We continue to provide support for our students, and safety on campus is our top priority. Incidents of misconduct or concern can be reported here: https://www.wm.edu/report/ [wm.edu]. It is most useful when reports are filed by identifiable individuals with firsthand knowledge of the matter being reported so that the university may follow up as needed.
We encourage members of our community to consider how current events may personally and deeply affect others and to embrace our shared William & Mary values while engaging in debate around this international conflict.
William & Mary is not the only campus with students speaking out.
On Tuesday, Attorney General Jason Miyares reacted to a post made by Students for Justice in Palestine at University of Virginia.
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In the post, the student organization said it stands in solidarity with Palestinian Resistance Fighters
In his own post Miyares said, there should be room on our college campuses for free speech and substantive foreign policy discussions, but the hateful message of the Students for Justice in Palestine is exactly the wrong approach.
I denounce the hateful message of the UVA Students for Justice in Palestine in the strongest terms possible. You cannot ‘mourn the loss of human life’ and ‘hope for long-lasting peace’ and also cheer on the murder, rape, and hostage-taking by Hamas, a terrorist organization that…
— Jason Miyares (@JasonMiyaresVA) October 11, 2023
"I think the response is to take the high road, keep your head down, and raise money for those innocent people who need it," Frogel said.
