Antisemitic Incidents Stir Uproar at Temple University

After a Temple University student was filmed holding a sign that said "f**k the Jews," video surfaces of the university’s SJP chapter declaring it’s their 'job to destroy the U.S."

Temple University is facing increased scrutiny after a video surfaced showing Temple student Rishi Arun stating that, “it is our job to destroy imperialism, destroy the United States, and destroy capitalism… We will do it by organizing in a manner that actively undermines and destabilizes the legitimacy and the power of the state and the power and legitimacy of capitalism.” The video labels Arun as the president of Students for Justice in Palestine Temple University.

According to the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), which first posted the footage, the remarks were made during a virtual event honoring Mumia Abu-Jamal, a former Black Panther and convicted murderer of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner. The event was co-hosted by the radical activist group Samidoun, also known as the Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network.

Credit: MEMRI

The Samidoun Factor

Samidoun, founded in 2011, has been designated as a terrorist organization by Israel and Canada and designated as a terror group by the U.S. Treasury Department for operating as a front for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a U.S.-designated terror group. The organization has been banned or restricted in multiple European countries due to its ties to extremist, often violent activities.

One of the main speakers at the event was Mohammed Khatib, Samidoun’s European coordinator. Khatib declared that “if Palestine is liberated, this means this is a nail to dismantle the United States of America,” arguing that the destruction of American power structures was intertwined with Palestinian liberation. Khatib, a Palestinian activist born in Lebanon’s Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp, has faced entry bans in several countries and was recently arrested in Belgium amid a crackdown on Samidoun operations in Europe.

University Response

Temple U President John Fry addressed the video in a statement, referring to “alarming comments related to the United States” made by a student in a widely shared video. While not naming Arun directly, Fry's remarks appeared to reference the content of the video.

Fry also noted that the timing of the video's circulation coincided with Temple's commencement ceremonies, urging the university community to remain focused on celebrating graduates and their achievements.

Broader Context

This incident follows closely on the heels of another controversy involving Temple students. Earlier this week, the university suspended two students connected to an antisemitic message displayed at a Philadelphia bar. One of the students, Mo Khan, later appeared on a podcast hosted by a prominent internet personality, Stew Peters, who has been widely condemned as antisemitic, where he made further inflammatory remarks. President Fry condemned the interview as “appalling and deeply offensive,” reaffirming that antisemitism has no place at Temple University.