Student Mia Bahr, a candidate up for reelection to the Stanford University Undergraduate Senate, is facing criticism after a series of anti-Israel tweets were revealed earlier last week amid a contentious campaign on campus, according to a report by Algemeiner.
Criticism arose after the Stanford College Republicans (SCR) published screenshots on May 15 of Bahr's past tweets and retweets that feature strongly anti-Israel content and hostility toward supporters of Israel.
Some of the contentious tweets include references to Israeli political leaders, race and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
“If you still support Israel, you can choke, honestly,” said one tweet.
“Some of these st*nford leftists suddenly forget their values when their white friend is pro-Israel,” read another.
In reference to an article on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Bahr said that “anyone who claims to be shocked and horrified by this but won’t support BDS is full of s**t.”
One tweet said simply: “FCK ISRAEL, FREE PALESTINE.”
Following an outpouring of criticism against Bahr, it was reported that she responded in the student newspaper The Stanford Daily, saying the tweets lacked context within the SCR's post, adding that she "recognize[s] Israel as a homeland for the Jewish people,”
The Stanford Israel Association (SIA) issued a response to Bahr's apology, noting that “it takes courage to respond eloquently in the face of controversy.”
The SIA statement added that “unfortunately, these hostile tweets not only represent Mià’s personal views, but they reflect a broader misperception of Israel that pervades our campus," further noting that “although we have been disappointed by her words, SIA considers this incident to be an opportunity for growth.”
Similarly, SIA claimed that anti-Israel sentiment is “pervasive even on our campus and makes members of the Jewish community feel targeted and unsafe.”
Stanford’s Jewish Student Association (JSA) weighed-in on the controversy as well, saying that although they were disturbed by Bahr's tweets, they are nevertheless happy with her “willingness to engage in an open dialogue.”
Olivia Szabo, J Street U campus president and Bahr’s former roommate, said that “Mia’s beliefs on Israel are not the same ones I have, but they’re not antisemitic.”