Students Supporting Israel [SSI] ought not be blamed for a regrettable over generalization about Muslims made by Palestinian political commentator Bassem Eid on U of M campus which has led to the suspension of SSI. These problematic remarks were not ones that SSI could have reasonably foreseen Eid would make.

Eid unfortunately said on Feb 26, 2024 during the event's question period, that “The major problem here, I call it the ideology of the Muslims. When it comes to ideology the Muslims are blind,” suggesting they are not ready for change.

Eid, who is himself a Muslim, has spoken extensively on many university campuses without making an over generalization, such that this was not foreseeable. For example, 8 days prior Eid spoke at the law school of the prestigious Yale University, and has been on a speaking tour at many campuses in North America, including in Washington. After searching the internet, I could not find any report by a media outlet where Eid has ever made an over generalization about Muslims. SSI in Winnipeg had reason to foresee this would not happen.

In fact, in an earlier talk in Winnipeg which I attended Eid did the opposite of suggesting that all  Gazans supported Hamas. He said that the latest poll he was aware of showed that only 36% of Gazans currently support Hamas.

Since October 7, Eid has been published in reputable publications such as Newsweek, the Wall Street Journal, the National Post, and the Gatestone Institute. In fact, 2 months ago, Eid was interviewed by CBC [https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2295100483569]If CBC had thought that Eid would have made an over generalization about Muslims, CBC surely would never have chosen to interview him.

Eid issued an apology the day after he spoke at U of M stating, “I want to clarify and apologize for a comment I made yesterday in the heat of the moment after being disrupted several times by a few students who shouted personal attacks at me.  Upon being asked what was described as a hopeful question of how I would suggest bridges could be built between the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities, I meant to say that those Muslims who harbour supremacist views are incapable at this time of bridge building.  By that I meant for example, Hamas and their supporters, and others of similar views and attitudes.” Eid also wrote: “In the heat of the moment, I initially generalized, and that was wrong.  Moments later, upon hearing from the moderator who sought clarification and expressed the view that there should be no such generalizations, I agreed.”

Eid, who was born in Jerusalem's Old City, began his career working as a journalist and then was contacted by the human rights organization B'Tselem, to be a senior field officer in the West Bank and Gaza.Following the Oslo Accords, in 1996 he founded a Jerusalem based Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group. Eid was arrested and imprisoned in 1996 by then PA President Yasser Arafat in Ramallah near the Muqata'ah. He was released after Warren Christopher on behalf of U.S. President Bill Clinton interceded on his behalf.  

In his apology, “Eid wrote “I should emphasize, that the sponsors of my appearance were not provided any prior information as to how I would answer the question posed, neither were they all aware of the questions that might be posed or my answers. The  views I expressed are my own, based upon my lived experience of many years of work and study in the field in the Middle East generally, and the Territories specifically, investigating human rights violations by the Palestinian Authority, and prior to that Israel, including having been imprisoned by the PA at one time.” 

In a social media post published Feb 29, SSI’s parent organization, which has chapters in Canada, the U.S., Europe and South America, said the revoking the U of M chapter's status as a registered student group was a "gross injustice." The post said UMSU "neglected to reach out or engage" SSI Israel members through its decision-making process, and stated the suspension implied the group was "guilty until proven otherwise."

In a letter to U of M President, Dr. Michael Benarroch, Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation urged the U of M administration to “You must demonstrate that you uphold the principles of academic freedom, diversity, and inclusivity by ensuring that SSI is allowed to continue operating as a registered student group on campus, fostering a necessary perspective that encourages both sides of a very critical situation to have a platform…”

According to his bio, The Association for Civil Rights in Israel has awarded Mr. Eid its Emil Gruenzweig Memorial Award. He is also the recipient of the Robert S. Litvak Human Rights Memorial Award granted by the McGill University Faculty of Law and the International Human Rights Advocacy Center, Inter Amicus; the International Activist Award given by the Gleitsman Foundation, USA; and the award of Italy’s Informazione Senza Frontiere (Information without Boundaries). In 2009, a book, Next Founders, profiled him as the leading Palestinian human rights activist.

All of this above would suggest that SSI reasonably expected Mr Eid would provide a valuable and informed perspecitve to the conversation and would not expect Mr. Eid to make the statements at issue. No speaker, however, is infallible, especially in a tense environment, and this speaker immediately acknowledged and apologized for his mistake. SSI fulfills an important role in ensuring balance to the overall debate. It should not have been suspended and should now be re-instated as a registered student group.