In a universitywide email Wednesday, March 13, Cal State Long Beach President Jane Close Conoley denounced fliers that had been posted around campus targeting a Jewish Studies professor.
The fliers featured an image of Jewish Studies Director Jeffrey Blutinger purporting to represent his views on the Hamas-Israel conflict, calling him a “violent Zionist” and “genocide denier” and asking “is this the faculty you want on campus?” according to the Daily 49er student newspaper, which first reported on them.
“Our campus must be a model of pluralism where differences are expected, tolerated, and explored,” said Conoley in her statement. “I am gravely disappointed in those who posted these defamatory posters. We should be better than that.”
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The fliers were posted in the Liberal Arts buildings LA4 and LA5, according to the Daily 49er.
The matter is currently under review by CSULB’s Office of Equity and Compliance, according to Conoley’s statement. The university’s Office of Multicultural Affairs declined the Long Beach Post’s request for comment.
Following Conoley’s email, many students took to Reddit to either express their support for Palestine or defend Blutinger, reflecting a polarized campus environment in the wake of the conflict.
“Everyone involved in the conflict is hurting… But no one on this campus is bombing Palestinians or was involved in the horror of October 7,” Conoley said in her email. “No one on this campus deserves to be seen as an enemy. We are all reluctant observers of an unfolding tragedy.”
Around 1,200 people died from Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, according to a report by Reuters. So far, the death toll in Gaza has exceeded 30,000 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with the correct spelling of “flier.”