Tensions emerge over Rutgers event featuring Israeli military speakers
Instagram posts by Rutgers Chapter of Students Supporting Israel (left) and by Rutgers Muslim Public Relations Council and other groups (right)
The Rutgers chapter of Students Supporting Israel (SSI) is facing backlash over its upcoming event featuring speakers from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
The event is part of the organization’s weeklong initiative, “Israel Week,” a series of programs centered on Israeli identity and politics. Thursday’s programming includes Triggered: The Ceaseless Tour, an ongoing speaker series organized by SSI. The tour features IDF soldiers who share personal accounts primarily focused on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine.
The event has drawn significant criticism from Rutgers students, including in a widely circulated Instagram post co-authored by the Rutgers Muslim Public Relations Council (MPRC), Students for Justice in Palestine-New Brunswick (SJP), the Palestinian Cultural Club and other organizations. The groups condemned the university for allowing the event to take place on campus and called for its cancellation. The post, published April 19, received more than 3,000 likes within 48 hours.
In a co-authored statement by MPRC and SJP, they denounce Rutgers for failing to honor the encampment agreement reached in 2024, as well as repeatedly allowing IDF soldiers on campus in previous events.
SJP has also authored a petition calling for the event’s cancellation, along with additional demands, including an apology from Rutgers to students affected by the conflict and a ban on hosting IDF soldiers on campus in the future. The petition has reached over 6,000 signatures.
As of Wednesday, the event is still scheduled to take place on Thursday as part of Israel Week, with SSI promoting the event in an Instagram post published April 20.