House Speaker Mike Johnson: The US stands unequivocally with Israel
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks at the March for Israel rally.
A Chicagoland sociology professor sent a mass email to her students and department colleagues attempting to rally support for Palestinians who she claims have faced "75 years of Israeli White supremacy."
Brooke Johnson, an associate professor and sociology department coordinator at Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU), argued "As critical sociologists we are trained to analyze power and inequality in society" and that "this importantly comes with the responsibility to speak up when we witness harm, injustice, and violence," stressing "What is currently happening in Palestine is one of those moments."
"After 75 years of Israeli White supremacy, including displacement, human rights violations, and systemic violence, Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th which resulted in 1400 deaths and 240 hostages," Johnson wrote in a Nov. 8 email obtained by Fox News Digital. "Israel is now collectively punishing Palestinians. The Palestinian death toll from Israeli airstrikes exceeds 10,000, and almost half of these are children. This number increases daily as airstrikes continue; water, food and medical aid are cut off; and demands for a humanitarian cease-fire increase."
Northeastern Illinois University sociology professor Brooke Johnson justified the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas because of the "75 years of Israeli White supremacy." (Screenshot/Northeastern Illinois University)
One student who received the email was left "really upset" by what Johnson wrote, calling the accusations she made against Israel including being guilty of "White supremacy" as "just not true."
"I called my mom and I started crying," the student, who did not wish to be identified, told Fox News Digital.
The student accused Johnson of "justifying" the Oct. 7 attack.
"She's saying like there was over 75 years- they had to deal with displacement and human rights. And then it commutes almost like after 75 years, they were like, 'we're done with it.' So I guess justifying it by saying they struggled for 75 years, and since they struggled, is acceptable to slaughter families and take them hostage," the student said.
Later in the email, after offering several articles she believes would educate her students and colleagues on the Israel-Palestinian conflict, Johnson urged them to join the progressive cease-fire movement.
"What can you do to get involved with demands for a humanitarian cease-fire?" Johnson asked before listing several bullet points which include "Talk with your Sociology professors about resistance movements, settler colonialism, antisemitism, racism, genocide, and sociology," contacting members of Congress, and signing petitions she shared.
Johnson, who has a background in focusing on "Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies," also shared a list from Haymarket Books of suggested books to read that includes titles like "Palestine: A Socialist Introduction," "Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions: The Global Struggle for Palestinian Rights," "Apartheid Israel," "Against Apartheid" and "The Palestine Communist Party."
Professor Johnson shared a list of suggested books which included titles like "Palestine: A Socialist Introduction," "BDS" and "Apartheid Israel." (Haymarket Books)
Additionally, she urged students and colleagues to join protests and cited several resources to participate in upcoming demonstrations including a pro-Palestinian publication called "The Electronic Intifada." Historically, what’s called the First Intifada was a deadly series of attacks and protests carried out by Palestinians against Israelis during the 1980s. The Second Intifada occurred in the early 2000s as at least 1,000 Israelis were killed by terrorist attacks carried out by Palestinians using suicide bombers on buses and shooting civilians in the streets, bars and restaurants in cities like Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
"I doubt that she meant to hurt people, but what she did really, really hurt me and honestly put a pretty negative idea of the school in my head," the student said.. "I would say that before this email was sent, I enjoyed the school, I liked my teachers. I was pretty neutral. But now it really changes the way I look at the school, knowing that they hire people who will go and do this. It's pretty upsetting."
Another NEIU sociology professor, Brett Stockdill ,similarly sent a mass email on behalf of "NEIU Students, Staff, Faculty and Alumni for Justice in Palestine," urging students and staff in the department to sign an open letter calling for a cease-fire.
COLUMBIA SUSPENDS ANTI-ISRAEL STUDENT GROUPS FOR ‘THREATENING RHETORIC AND INTIMIDATION’
Over a thousand pro-Palestinian protesters march from Columbus Circle around midtown Manhattan, ending up at Grand Central, Friday, November 10, 2023. Though largely peaceful, the event ended with multiple arrests after a protester broke an American and a UN flag on a lamppost. (Stephen Yang for Fox News Digital)
The open letter sent by Stockdill, who according to his email uses "he and they pronouns," briefly condemns the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas but kept much of the focus on "the Israeli military's appalling siege and bombardment of Gaza."
"At a time of such staggering civilian casualties and destruction in Gaza, there is a simultaneous occurrence of unprecedented national and media-driven campaigns aimed at suppressing or stigmatizing voices that advocate for Palestinian human rights. In response, we urge our colleagues and administration to derive inspiration from the core values of Northeastern Illinois University," the open letter reads. "We implore them to leverage their influence in supporting the national and international appeals for an immediate cease-fire and end to Israel's siege on Gaza. Furthermore, we encourage them to champion the protection of our students, staff, and faculty, enabling them to express their support for Palestinian human rights freely and without fear of censorship or intimidation."
It also states "We reject all claims that criticism of Israel is inherently anti-Semitic, and we stand with the many Jewish voices against this ongoing military occupation and killing of civilians." However, the open letter makes no mention of the soaring instances of antisemitism across the country nor was there any mention of the roughly 240 hostages, up to nine of them Americans, being held captive in Gaza.
Neither Johnson, Stockdill nor NEIU have immediately responded to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.
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