Catholic University of America debates ban on pro-Israel groups

The Catholic University of America has become embroiled in a campus row over Israel after its student government proposed a resolution that could see pro-Israel groups banned.

The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., the only university in the United States founded by the U.S. Bishops’ Conference with the approval of the Holy See, found itself in the middle of a culture war as the Student Government Association (SGA) this week debated “Resolution 004: A Resolution to Advocate for a Ban on Clubs in Support of a Nation(s) Commissioning a Genocide.”

The motion, which accuses unnamed nations of committing genocide, was widely understood to target Students Supporting Israel (SSI), a recognised campus group. It stated that “supporting a nation or organisation that is actively pursuing inexcusable evil, such as genocide or terrorism, acts in a way that is contrary to the faith of the Catholic Church.”

The SGA also voted down a resolution to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, by 14 votes to seven.

The resolution followed an SSI event earlier this month that featured two Israel Defense Forces soldiers, Ron Feingold and Chanoch Berman, who spoke about their experiences in Gaza after the Hamas-led terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023.

Around 200 students and staff attended, while about 50 protesters gathered outside, chanting against Israel. One of the resolution’s sponsors, Joshua Ortiz, was among them, declaring in a video recording: “The university should not be complicit with genocide. If our Lord was born today, He would be a corpse under the rubble.”

Felipe Avila, president of SSI, told the Christian Post the proposal was “a profound betrayal of our Catholic intellectual tradition,” arguing that “our university is built on the pursuit of truth, not the suppression of it.”

He accused the administration of failing to act as tensions grew. “The administration’s failure to act created a vacuum, which is now being filled by students who feel empowered to push bigoted legislation built on outright deception,” he said.

Tensions escalated further when staff removed SSI’s October 7 memorial display—a collection of Israeli flags placed on the campus lawn—and returned the flags to the group in a bin bag.

The university said the display breached its policy on flags in public spaces, which allows only the U.S., Vatican, Washington, D.C., and university flags to be flown. In a statement, university spokeswoman Karna Lozoya said the timing of the removal was “deeply regrettable” but insisted it did not reflect the university’s views on Israel.

Avila accused the administration of inconsistency. “It’s a desperate distraction from the simple, chilling fact that they tore down a peaceful memorial for 1,200 victims of Hamas terror,” he said.

Founded in 1887 by the U.S. Catholic bishops with the approval of Pope Leo XIII, the Catholic University of America is a private pontifical institution based in Washington, D.C. It serves as the national university of the Catholic Church in the United States and remains the only American university established directly by the bishops and chartered by the Vatican. It has an enrolment of several thousand students and an endowment exceeding $250 million.

(Photo credit should read DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images)