UCF Dems Endorse Pogrom, Hamas Attacks
Club statement, two weeks after 10/7, celebrates Hamas killings
UCF Dems, the official collegiate division of the United States Democratic Party on UCF’s campus, released their official statement yesterday on the Simchat Torah war – more than two weeks after it began.
The statement begins strong by “unequivocally [condemning] any violence targeted at any innocent individual, whether Israeli or Palestinian” but almost immediately contradicts itself by not only laying the blame for Jewish death at the hands of the Jews themselves, but also by lauding the attacks as justified.
The statement reads, in part: “These attacks, however, were not unprovoked… there is a necessary context to be given – the context of Gaza’s occupation… It has been disappointing to see our elected officials and university administrators disregard this fact.”
Claiming that the confirmed decapitations of babies and murders of civilians was caused by Gaza’s occupation – presumably an occupation by Israel – is victim-blaming on a national scale. It is unclear if UCF Dems would consider the September 11th attacks “provoked” by America’s policy in the Middle East at the time, or if UCF Dems would consider Pearl Harbor “provoked” due to America’s past interactions with Japan.
Additionally, UCF Dems reiterated the claim that Israel occupies Gaza. It takes only one Google Search to confirm that Israel removed all civilian and military presence from the Gaza Strip in 2005. While antisemitic voices in the international community continue to claim that Israel occupies the Gaza Strip because it controls Gaza’s borders, as well as providing it with water and electricity, few (if any) rational individuals would claim a piece of land to be occupied if there was no actual occupation, political control, or military presence in the land. For example, Lesotho, a country which is entirely encircled by South Africa, is not considered occupied by the international community.
UCF Dems appear to refute their hateful sentiment later in the same statement by saying they “reject any form of hate in this country, including antisemitism and Islamophobia.” These words ring hollow in light of their implicit endorsement of the Hamas attacks on civilian lives.
Additionally, UCF Dems appear to imply that other organizations which do not adopt the same stance as they do are Islamophobic. They write: “the disregard for Islamophobia on behalf of our elected officials, university administration, and even various political organizations in the UCF area is incredibly disappointing… we are incredibly saddened to see the lack of support Floridian Muslims, and American Muslims in general, have received.” Disguising hatred and endorsement of Jewish killings in legitimizing language is a common dog-whistle tactic employed by antisemitic organizations, and has featured prominently in communications from related organizations throughout the current war.
Here is the statement, transcribed in full:
College Democrats at the University of Central Florida unequivocally condemn any violence targeted at any innocent individual, whether Israeli or Palestinian. This includes the Hamas attacks as well as the counterattacks by Israel. These attacks, however, were not unprovoked and cannot be regarded as such. There is a necessary context to be given – the context of Gaza’s occupation for years – that has put Palestinians through unbearable living conditions. It has been disappointing to see our elected officials and university administrators disregard this fact.
Moreover, the disregard for Islamophobia on behalf of our elected officials, university administration, and even various political organizations in the UCF area is incredibly disappointing. We here at College Democrats at UCF reject any form of hate in this country, including antisemitism and Islamophobia. Both the Jewish and Muslim communities in our area are suffering, and we will give our support in any way that we can. We are glad to see our elected officials speak out against antisemitism and show their incredible support to our Jewish communities, but we are incredibly saddened to see the lack of support Floridian Muslims, and American Muslims in general, have received.
We expect better from our democractic representatives, as these are not the values we stand for.
