Gov. DeSantis orders first ban in US of pro-Palestinian student group accused of ‘harmful support’ of terrorists
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Tough Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his state’s university system have enforced the first US ban of a radical pro-Palestinian student group, accusing it of providing “harmful support for terrorist groups.”
The State University System of Florida announced that Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), whose national leadership backed Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel, had to be dismantled as part of a statewide “crack down.”
“Based on the National SJP’s support of terrorism, in consultation with Governor DeSantis, the student chapters must be deactivated,” the system’s Chancellor Ray Rodrigues wrote in a letter to university leaders.
The group is active in at least two Florida universities, Rodrigues said.
The University of North Florida in Jacksonville and Florida State University in Tallahassee both have chapters, based on Instagram sites.
Florida’s university system wrote in its memo that the ban on SJP is based on a “toolkit” its national organization issued to college chapters that referred to Hamas’ attack as “the resistance” — with the group stating that “Palestinian students in exile are PART of this movement,” not just “in solidarity” with it.
“It is a felony under Florida law to ‘knowingly provide material support … to a designated foreign terrorist organization,’” the memo noted in justifying the ban.
Officials at some universities blasted the National SJP after it praised Hamas’ attack as “a historic win for the Palestinian resistance” and called for a “day of resistance” on Oct. 12 with demonstrations by its chapters at over 200 colleges in America and Canada.
DeSantis, a 2024 presidential contender, has taken a tough stance against Palestinians, suggesting that civilians in Gaza be denied water and utilities until Hamas releases the more than 200 hostages it took during its attack, which left some 1,400 Israelis dead.
He also said that if elected president, he would cancel student visas and deport people who support Hamas.
With Post wires
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