Well, I am seeing a lot of student demonstrations calling for “globalizing the intifada” and parroting jihadist slogans.
I am not seeing their mirror images - what am I missing?
…I will leave this skit here from the Israeli version of SNL, for entertainment value.
Leave it to the Israelis to not pull any punches.
Adding to your examples. A Columbia staffer wished “death” to everyone at the pro-palestine gathering in a radio interview.
How many years ago was this? I’m guessing at least 30. Do you have a student currently in college? Your characterization of of the current situation on campuses as clashes between two groups of extremists isn’t the reality of what is happening on my kids campus. There are no extremist Jewish groups at his school. There have been no counter protests - unless you count Jewish students attending the march in Washington DC this week. What we have seen on my son’s campus is anti semitic slurs directed at Jewish students raising money for humanitarian relief for Israel, a brick with an anti semitic note attached thrown through the window of the university presidents’ residence, and several pro Palestinian rallies that while peaceful have featured banners with the “from the river to the sea” slogan draped over a campus landmark and protestors wearing full face coverings in violation of the state law . I don’t know why you would assume that the OCR complaints are coming from extremists on either side. The Brandeis Center filed the complaints against Penn and Wellesley. I hardly consider them a radical group. I have no doubt there are valid claims of Islamaphobia on certain campuses as well
Where is wearing a face covering a violation of state law?
I first misread this. Just to clarify, this was not someone involved with the pro-palestine gathering, directing that wish at other-minded,
but rather someone who identified themselves as “Jewish,… Zionist" wishing death to those at the pro-palestine gathering.
Virginia
Sad that of all the hate and bigotry your kid has experienced the only point of concern or contention seemingly is the state and or legal jurisdiction in which it occurred.
I hope your kid stays safe and strong.
This has a link to a letter by the Virginia AG sent to college presidents yesterday. It calls on Virginia colleges to step up efforts to curb antisemitism, calls out “from the river to the sea” as hate speech and urges the schools to enforce both state law and their own codes of conduct.
My own kid has not experienced harassment and feels safe and supported by his friends on campus. The school has beefed up security for Jewish organizations and the protestors represent a very small yet vocal minority.
Considering that Meir Kahane was assassinated in 1990, this is indeed a conservative estimate.
Doesn’t mean its not happening at other colleges. At Columbia there have been protests and gatherings on “both sides.” The parent group has posts by parents of Muslin students who say their students are being subject to intimidation and feel unsafe (as well as many parents of Jewish students saying the same). The pro-Palestine events have been attended/supported by some Jewish students who say they are being condemned by other Jewish students. One of the groups suspended on campus was a Jewish group who co-hosted the event with a Palestine group. And then there is the doxxing intimidation and threats to blacklist their careers.
Zero? Did you watch the clip?
Many schools are on break now, so perhaps things will calm down on US campuses for a while. I expect most US colleges will appear on the Education Dept list by year end as complaints from various and assorted parties are filed.
Deep dive in the NYT on the history of the SJP campus groups. Gift link.
“Members acknowledge that their tactics can provoke discomfort, but insist that the group’s mission is focused on progressive causes, mainly the plight of Palestinians, and combating ills that include white supremacy and antisemitism.”
Ask a SJP supporter this simple question: “will you condemn Hamas?”
And if you ask it just right, you might get all the answers you need.
(3 minute video from 2010; watch start-to-end):
Regarding https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/17/us/students-justice-palestine-campus-protests.html?unlocked_article_code=1._Uw.W6M4.nsxF4_hYtwAz&smid=url-share , it quotes one of the founders:
Of course, that welcoming makes SJP attractive to hateful extremists who probably harm more than help Palestinian causes in terms of public opinion in the US.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/16/business/antisemitism-college-israel-nir-barkat/index.html
Very odd. Cabinet members must be very different in Israel to speak on the record so far outside their own portfolio-Economic minister discussing US universities rather than monetary policy; Heritage minister speculated on defense policy recently. They follow a different standard, I guess.
University of Florida:
Michael Bloomberg editorial in the WSJ today relevant to this topic:
(As a general rule if I share links without my own commentary I should not be presumed to be either endorsing nor disagreeing with the contents.)
Saw some pretty ugly protests at Wisconsin and Michigan today (video on Twitter). Also UCSD seems to have had some ugliness today.
Will it ever end?
Circling back to the question in the original post:
My Jewish friend whose daughter started at UMD this fall shared this statement from the University with me last night.
Nice to see a school unambiguously condemn anti-semitism and say “Responsible parties will be held accountable.”