Universities Dismantle Jewish Student Sukkahs Amid Gaza Protests

The protests took place at institutions including Columbia, Yale, Stanford, and the University of Washington. Students associated with the movement argued that their religious observance—traditionally a time for dwelling in temporary booths to recall ancestors fleeing slavery—is inseparable from the plight of displaced Palestinians. By hanging banners reading "Stop Arming Israel" from the frames, these students sought to highlight the contrast between their ritual and the ongoing destruction in Gaza.

Administrators justified the removals by citing policies established after last year's campus encampments that forbid overnight camping. However, students contend these rules are being selectively applied to suppress political speech. University of Washington student Roza Fernandez labeled the removals "despicable and cowardly," suggesting that the administration is weaponizing claims of antisemitism to silence criticism of Zionism.

This domestic friction coincides with a starkly different display in Israel, where a government-backed conference titled "Preparing to Settle Gaza" featured rhetoric advocating for the removal of Palestinians from the territory. While U.S. students face disciplinary threats for their solidarity efforts, Jewish Voice for Peace coordinator Liv Kunins-Berkowitz emphasized that anti-Zionist Judaism remains a growing expression of faith that universities have no right to delegitimize.