The Freedom Road Socialist Organization held a rally in front of the Student Union on Thursday to support an 18-year-old Palestinian student who is facing criminal charges and suspension for an interaction with the Jewish Student Union and Students Supporting Israel.
On Sept. 12, Omar allegedly expressed his criticism of the state of Israel towards both student organizations, according to a petition on change.org.
The Palestinian militant group Hamas launched the unprecedented assault on Israel on Oct. 7 with hundreds of gunmen infiltrating communities near the Gaza Strip, according to a Nov. 3 article from BBC.
In response, the Israeli military began striking targets in the strip, according to the same site.
Hamas is Gaza’s de-facto government, and is also an Islamist group which is committed to the destruction of Israel, designated as a terrorist group by the United States and many other countries, according to the same article by BBC.
Omar asked the students, “Are you aware that you are supporting a country that kills people?” according to the same site.
In response to Omar’s comments, one of the students tabling told him that she does not care about those lives lost. Omar walked away, and then allegedly threw a juice pack at the student’s direction, according to a Sept. 12 report from SJSU University Police Department.
There was an immediate response to this matter by the University Police Department (UPD), and a corresponding follow-up email by the Office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development (SCED), according to an email sent by Patrick K. Day, vice president for Student Affairs, and Dawn Lee, Ph.D., interim chief diversity officer.
Omar was arrested for violating civil rights by force or intimidation and for battery towards one person, according to the same police report.
He was issued a 14 day Notice of Withdrawal of Consent to Remain on SJSU’s campus and was booked into the Santa Clara County County Jail, according to the same source.
A Notice of Withdrawal of Consent to Remain on Campus is a document informing a person that they have lost their consent to be on school grounds, according to a webpage from Casetext.
Diane Rojas, child development senior, said SJSU stated that the students commentary was an act of violence, but that it does not seem like this is what actually happened.
“That part on San José State is disappointing,” Rojas said. “It seems they're choosing sides. We haven't even heard anything from San José State highlighting what's going on.”
Rojas also said it is disappointing to see that SJSU is condoning this behavior.
“There's children dying on both sides, and that's why a ceasefire is important,” Rojas said. “I'm pro-Palestine, there are more innocent lives on that side being taken, and they're fighting against occupation.”
More than 12,700 Palestinians — two-thirds of them women and minors — have been killed since the war began, according to Palestinian Health authorities, who do not differentiate between civilian and militant deaths. About 4,000 people are reported missing, according to the same site.
Nas Ahmed, Santa Clara resident and activist, said the university treats people differently based on their race.
“Those who are brown and Black and minority and Muslim have been mistreated like secondary second class citizens,” Ahmed said. “I don't see what is wrong with what this student did, they have nothing but frustration. Nobody asked him what his story was, they just arrested him and threw him in jail for hours.”
In the same email sent by Day and Lee, it stated unfortunately, the SJSU campus has not been immune to hateful actions targeting Jewish student communities.
The email stated that these incidents have had significant impacts on Jewish students, faculty and staff, causing people to feel unsafe, unseen and unheard. Near the end of the message, it said SJSU will always work to be an inclusive community.
Ester Alper, molecular biology junior, said she hopes one day Palestine is free from Hamas.
“There are Palestinians in Gaza right now protesting Hamas, which is dangerous because Hamas would kill them once,” Alper said. “I don't think people are truly pro-Palestinian. They're just anti-Israel.”
Alper said Israel is a country that is quite diverse, where people have many different backgrounds, not just Jewish people and Israelis.
“Israel has 9 million people, and Israel's goal is to protect those 9 million people, not because they're Jewish, but because they're human beings,” Alper said. “Unfortunately, way too many Palestinians have been killed, but that's the cost of war.”
Sociology senior Emily Than said it’s sad to see that people don't understand the meaning behind “Free Palestine.”
“It's literally a genocide that we're witnessing for years now,” Than said. “I do still need to educate myself more about the situation, but I know what is right and what is wrong.”
Than said it’s discouraging that she can’t do much more than signing petitions and sharing posts.
“It’s just sad to see the world that we're living in,” Than said. “It’s not getting better. It’s just sad to see that we're all separated and not really together.”
