Amherst, MA – A UMass Amherst student was arrested after allegedly punching a Jewish student who was holding an Israeli flag and then spitting on the flag, the “latest proof that Jewish students are under attack” on campus, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
The alleged assault happened after UMass Hillel held a walk and gathering on campus Friday, as the Jewish students called for the return of the Israeli hostages being held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza. The event included symbolic Shabbat tables with a seat for each of the 240 hostages.
At the end of the gathering, a student not involved in the event walked through the crowd and allegedly gave people the middle finger, UMass Hillel reported.
Then after the event, the same student returned and allegedly punched a Jewish student holding an Israeli flag, according to UMass Hillel. The student then took the flag and allegedly spit on it.
A Hillel staff member stepped in to stop the assault, and the incident was witnessed by UMass staff. A police report was filed, and UMass Police officers arrested the student.
The student was released on bail, with conditions prohibiting them from returning to campus, according to university officials who called it a “deeply disturbing incident.”
“What this student is accused of is reprehensible, illegal, and unacceptable,” UMass Amherst officials wrote to students on Sunday. “Let us be clear, these were the actions of an individual who did not speak for nor act on behalf of a group or anyone other than themselves. Peaceful advocacy and protest must and will be protected on our campus.”
The leader of ADL New England called this alleged assault the “latest proof that Jewish students are under attack” on college campuses. Antisemitic incidents have been rising across the country following Hamas’ terrorist attacks on Oct. 7.
“That this occurred on the Jewish Sabbath, immediately following a peaceful gathering held by UMass Amherst Hillel calling for the return of the nearly 300 hostages held by Hamas, is an example of the disturbing reality for Jewish students on campus right now,” said ADL New England Regional Director Jonah Steinberg.
The ADL New England leader also called on UMass leadership to create a task force or advisory council to address antisemitism on campus.
“While there is no indication of any ongoing security threat, Hillel will continue to maintain increased security out of an abundance of caution, and as always, we encourage students at this time to follow common sense best practices such as walking in groups at night and not engaging in counterprotest activities,” UMass Hillel said in a statement.
“We know this incident is disturbing to many of us, particularly during a time when tensions, emotion and concern are heightened on our campus,” UMass Hillel added. “But we must not let the most extreme voices and actions create undue fear or dominate the campus climate. It is vital that our campus community model civility, as the Jewish community did on Friday in publicly and peacefully showing solidarity with the 240 hostages.”
