The notion that Universities should be a medium for the exchange of ideas and ideologies has served as the cornerstone of academia for generations. Moreover, the right of students of different cultures to assemble and educate has been consistently encouraged at most academic institutions as a means of promoting diversity and acceptance. At Augsburg College however, at least according to its student government, some states and cultures are so controversial in their nature, that the University could simply not allow itself to endorse the creation of a student group that promotes their existence. To be more specific, a newly formed student organization named Students Supporting Israel was denied acceptance into the school’s registry after allegations that the group represented an ideology that was simply too radical for the school to endorse.

The decision to reject the student group’s application would have been understandable had “Students Supporting Israel” failed to meet the requirements needed to be accepted as a recognized student group including a proven demand, a faculty advisor and constitution. However, those requirements were met without fail, and the student government hearing included questions such as “How could you support a country with so many human rights violations” and “Are you aware of the stigma you would be imposing on your group and members?”

Essentially, it became clear at the Student government meeting that the primary focus was not on the student group qualifications, but instead it attempted to be an indictment of what the student group stands for. As a response, and to prevent student government from claiming that there is a lack of demand for the group, students supporting Israel hosted an event with a presentation about this summer’s war in Gaza. It attracted 65 people of different backgrounds including Muslims, Christians and Jews. The speaker, Zach Stern of the Zionist Organization of America, received an incredible amount of congratulatory remarks while Student Supporting Israel’s president ended the presentation with a plea to the student body to help the student group be heard.