Why did Princeton’s Hillel refuse to fly an Israeli flag?
Iam a sophomore at Princeton University and a veteran of the IDF. When I recently asked to hang an Israeli flag in Princeton’s Hillel house – also known as the Center for Jewish Life, “CJL” – I was greeted with anything but an enthusiastic yes.
In response to my request, CJL leadership delayed, deliberated and ultimately resolved to hang a flag in the least public “common space” in the entire building. The flag will be visible to anyone visiting the printer, some faculty offices, or the bathroom at the end of the (upstairs) hallway. I repeatedly requested, both during and after deliberations, to fly the flag on the building’s main level, but those requests have been denied.
In February, the CJL advertised an event for Breaking the Silence – a rabidly anti-Israel organization that erroneously characterizes the IDF as evil and lawless. BtS has been widely discredited for presenting false information, exaggerations and conspiracy theories. Nonetheless, the CJL saw it fit to tacitly endorse BtS’s talk on their email server, adding that the program meets the standards of the CJL’s Israel Policy.
Spurred by the BtS event, I asked the CJL to hang an Israeli flag. Though I attended the event in the spirit of promoting difficult dialogues and free expression, I felt alienated and disrespected by the CJL’s endorsement. I wanted a clearer picture of where my Hillel stood on Israel. So, I asked for a flag– the baseline symbol of support for Israel’s existence.
The CJL’s refusal to prominently display the flag is even more perplexing when considering their Israel Policy Statement: “Hillel at Princeton University (CJL) is committed to Israel as a Jewish and democratic state and a homeland of the Jewish people. We support Israel’s existence, legitimacy and security.”
If the CJL truly stands by this policy, why won’t they prominently display the flag of the Jewish people’s homeland?
I reject the supposition that hiding the flag in the upstairs back hallway is a necessary compromise made in the name of inclusivity.
Inclusivity is a two-way street. I, along with many other students, feel excluded by a Hillel that refuses to prominently display the Israeli flag.
The Israeli flag is the flag of the “homeland of the Jewish people.” Jews ought to be able to fly it prominently in a building called “The Center for Jewish Life,” particularly because the CJL is under the auspices of Hillel.
The issue at stake – whether a university Hillel House should refuse to prominently fly an Israeli flag – should be important to Zionists everywhere.
A flag, in its essence, is symbolic. Its placement is a direct reflection of its importance to a community. The CJL’s actions are emblematic of an ideology endemic to America’s college campuses: apologetic Zionism.
Jews today have the privilege and the right to fly our country’s flag with pride. If our Hillel houses are apologetic in their support for Israel, thousands of Jewish students will follow their lead.
I call on the CJL – an organization full of truly wonderful, hardworking people – to correct this misstep and to show its unapologetic support for Israel’s existence. I’ve already ordered the flag and pole. Will you let your actions speak for themselves?