A Jewish student body president candidate was depicted in an antisemitic photo posted on Saturday, re-igniting fierce debates over antisemitism and anti-zionism on college campuses.
While issues surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, such as divestment, have dominated SGA and its elections since Oct. 7, this incident provided a clear example of how pervasive antisemitic rhetoric is in anonymized online spaces.
The image was shared on Yik Yak, a hyperlocal, anonymous posting board marketed towards college students. The app allows users to write posts and upload images anonymously to other users at the same university. The image that was shared depicted the candidate in front of a building draped in Nazi banners with the text “we’re rolling with [student name] for Chief Hitlerite,” replacing the “O” in “rolling” with a Swastika.
After the image began circulating, it was reported to the UMPD. The image has since been deleted, and the police have said that they have opened an investigation into the incident; however, the anonymous nature of Yik Yak hid the poster’s identity and personal information. Following the post, students were notified by both the UMPD and President Derryll Pines in a series of emails.
“I would like to stress that we strongly condemn antisemitism and all acts of hate,” President Pines said in his statement, “they are inconsistent with our institutional mission and values as a community. We have extended support and other services to those impacted. UMPD continues investigating to determine who posted the message and to hold them accountable.”
Rabbi Ari Israel of Maryland Hillel posted to his public WhatsApp status that he is “warmly encouraged” by Pines’ strong condemnation and called the post “egregious” and “antisemitic.”
This image follows a growing trend of heightened tensions amongst students on campus regarding the conflict, which, in some instances, has veered into antisemitism. While there are respectful students voicing legitimate criticisms on both sides, antisemitic events have made colleges feel less safe for Jewish students. In a survey by the American Jewish Council (AJC), the majority of those polled said “they have felt uncomfortable or unsafe at a campus event because of their Jewish identity.”
At the University of Maryland, the fight over the Levant has become a fight over SGA. A series of BDS bills and votes made their way through contentious battles before eventually passing SGA. Jewish student groups on campus have claimed that SGA has become antisemitic. A public statement by 18 Jewish student groups on campus, including Maryland Hillel, said SGA has “marginalized Jewish voices and aimed to harm Jewish life on campus.”
The new SGA elections have been plagued by continued fighting over this issue. The antisemitic image is a testament to how heated the discourse has become between competing political factions.
