Yale strips recognition from anti-Israel group after Ben Gvir protest encampment

Yale University on Wednesday pulled its recognition of an anti-Israel student group after protesters briefly set up a protest encampment against a visit to the area by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

Yale said in a statement that the Tuesday night protest was unauthorized and violated campus protest policies. University officials informed the activists of the policies and cleared the area, the university said.

While interacting with the students, campus staff identified activists who had been previously warned or disciplined for violating school policy. After the protest, those students received written notice that they “are subject to immediate disciplinary action,” Yale said, adding that an investigation into the protest was ongoing.

The campus protest group, Yalies4Palestine, encouraged demonstrators to attend the demonstration on social media and joined an unregistered group to take credit for the demonstration a day after Yalies4Palestine met with college officials to discuss their violations of university policy. The group was warned that there would be consequences for further violations during that meeting, Yale said.

The Yale statement said the group “flagrantly violated the rules” and that the college was “withdrawing its status as a registered student organization.”

“Concerns have been raised about disturbing antisemitic conduct at the gathering. The university is investigating those concerns, as harassment and discrimination are antithetical to learning and scholarship,” Yale said. “Yale condemns antisemitism and will hold those who violate our policies accountable through our disciplinary processes.”

DOJ @CivilRights is tracking the concerning activities at Yale, and is in touch with affected students. https://t.co/NRuI2fdKhD

— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) April 23, 2025

The statement did not elaborate on the “disturbing antisemitic conduct.”

The Yale Daily News reported that the protesters on Tuesday night set up eight tents on campus, similar to the protest encampments that rocked US campuses last spring, and vowed to stay the night. The protest disbanded hours later due to fears of “retribution” from the university, the report said.

Videos posted on social media showed protesters with linked arms blocking a Jewish student who tried to walk through the demonstration, drawing the attention of federal officials.

Ben Gvir is scheduled to meet with Yale students and faculty at an off-campus event on Wednesday night. The group hosting the event, Shabtai, is independent from the university but is made up largely of Yale affiliates. Yalies4Palestine on Wednesday posted an image on Instagram of Ben Gvir’s face splattered with blood, announcing a protest against that event.

Ben Gvir is in the US this week for his first official visit as a representative of the Israeli government. He began the trip in Florida, where he visited US President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, although Trump was not present. After speaking to Yale students, Ben Gvir on Thursday will attend another event hosted by Shabtai in New York City. He will remain in the city through Shabbat, then visit Washington, DC.

Israelis who oppose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government are also protesting Ben Gvir’s visit. The expat protest group UnXeptable posted a video of activists hassling Ben Gvir as he arrived at an airport in New York.

ערב יום השואה בן גביר הטרוריסט בחיוכים ולבבות לקריאות מפגינים לישראלים ויהודים אמריקאים, בנחיתתן בשדה התעופה הקטן ביותר של ניו יורק, ווסטצסטר, בדרכו לניו הייבן לא נוותר לו בשום מקום, ומחר בקואליציה של מעל 24 ארגונים יהודיים נחכה לו בניו יורק , בן גביר מסוכן לישראל ליהדות ולאזור… pic.twitter.com/t4DU3a85RC

— UnXeptable (@UnxeptableD) April 23, 2025

“Do you want to send a message to Omri Miran?” an activist shouted at Ben Gvir. The Hamas terror group released a video of hostage Miran earlier Wednesday and the activists accused the Netanyahu government of neglecting the captives.

Yale’s action against the protesters came as the Trump administration cracks down on anti-Israel activism at leading colleges around the US, including other Ivy League universities such as Columbia, Harvard and Cornell.

Harvard has pushed back, suing the Trump administration in a federal court on Monday.

Cornell on Wednesday disinvited the anti-Israel singer Kehlani from an annual event. Jewish students objected to Kehlani’s performance because she has said “Fuck Israel,” “Fuck Zionism,” and “Long live the intifada.”

Leading non-citizen protesters from Columbia have been detained by the federal government, prompting further protests around the campus this week. One of the detained protesters, Mohsen Mahdawi, made his first court appearance in Vermont on Wednesday. The judge in the case extended a temporary order keeping Mahdawi in Vermont and scheduled a hearing for next week.

Mahdawi, a legal permanent resident for 10 years, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on April 14. He made an initial court appearance Wednesday during which a judge extended a temporary order keeping Mahdawi in Vermont and scheduled a hearing for next week.

Mahdawi’s lawyers say he was detained in retaliation for his speech advocating for Palestinian human rights.

In court documents, the government argues that Mahdawi’s detention is a “constitutionally valid aspect of the deportation process” and that district courts are barred from hearing challenges to how and when such proceedings are begun.

Last month, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the State Department was revoking visas held by visitors who were acting counter to national interests, including some who protested Israel’s war in Gaza and those who face criminal charges.

Meanwhile, the government is appealing a decision by a different Vermont judge who said another detained student, Rumeysa Ozturk of Tufts University, should be returned to Vermont.

On Tuesday, members of Congress from Massachusetts traveled to Louisiana to meet with Ozturk and Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil. US Sen. Ed Markey and Reps. Ayanna Pressley and Jim McGovern expressed concern at a news conference Wednesday that the students, as well as other detainees, were being deprived of nutritious meals, sleep and blankets in the cold facilities.

Khalil and Ozturk have not committed any crimes, the Congressional delegation said, arguing that the pair are being unlawfully detained for exercising their right to free speech.

AP contributed to this report.