From the beginning of the pro-Palestinian campus protests, I have objected to the students’ one-sided support of one side—Hamas. Their chant of “from the river to the sea” implicitly endorses Hamas’ demand to eliminate the state of Israel and to “Islamicize” all the land that includes Israel. With a better knowledge of history, the students would have condemned Hamas’ terrorism and Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu, who has launched a campaign of intimidation and terror against the civilian population of Gaza, who have been victims of not only mass bombing but famine.
The Washington Post reported that the campus protests have failed to win the support of the American public. Perhaps they remember 9/11 or the USS Cole or any number of other terrorist attacks where the victims were Americans.
Multiple polls in recent weeks have shown relatively little sympathy for the protesters or approval of their actions. And notably, large numbers of Americans have attached the “antisemitic” label to them.
The most recent data on this come in the form of a striking poll in New York, a hotbed of the protests at Columbia University, in particular.
The Siena College poll shows residents even of that blue-leaning state — Democrats tend to sympathize more with the Palestinian cause — agreed 70 percent to 22 percent that the protests “went too far, and I support the police being called in to shut them down.”
Public sentiment has encouraged Republicans to politicize the issue by harassing university presidents for their failure to close down the student protests. There is something richly ironic about the new-found Republican interest in anti-Semitism. If they really cared about Jew-hatred, they would ask Trump to testify about his relationships to known anti-Semites and neo-Nazis.
But no. Their audiences want to see them pillory the presidents of elite universities, to please their base. The most aggressive of the questioners, Rep. Elise Stefanik, is a graduate of Harvard University. Her low tactics are a disgrace to her university.
Yesterday, members of Congress, mostly Republicans, harangued three university presidents for ignoring anti-Semitism displayed by campus protestors who support Palestinians, and in some cases, the terrorist group Hamas.
Three university leaders were accused on Thursday, during a congressional hearing, of turning a blind eye to antisemitism on their campuses, while capitulating to “pro-Hamas” and “pro-terror” student groups.
During more than three hours of grueling questioning, Northwestern University President Michael Schill, Rutgers University Jonathan Holloway and UCLA Chancellor Gene Block were often bullied and taunted by members of the House Committee on Education & the Workforce for not cracking down more forcefully on anti-Israel protesters who had set up unauthorized encampments on their campuses.
“Each of you should be ashamed of your decisions that allowed antisemitic encampments to endanger Jewish students,” said Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, a Republican from North Carolina.
Schill and Holloway bore the brunt of the wrath of the Republican-controlled committee for also cutting deals with the protesters rather than calling in police to clear the encampments. Seven Jewish members of a committee tasked with fighting antisemitism at Northwestern resigned in protest at the concessions made by their university president to the protesters.
Neither university agreed to an academic boycott of Israel, but they promised to hold discussions in the future on the possibility of divesting from companies with ties to Israel. As part of its agreement, Northwestern also promised to take in students from Gaza displaced by the war, while Rutgers agreed to form a partnership with Birzeit University in the West Bank.
“I think your performance here has been very embarrassing to your school,” U.S. Representative Jim Banks, a Republican from Indiana, told Schill after the president of Northwestern refused to answer questions about a journalism professor at his university who had participated in the protests and scuffled with police.
When asked by Banks whether he allows professors at Northwestern to praise Hamas, Schill, who is Jewish, responded: “They have all the rights of free speech.”
Banks retorted: “Four billion dollars have gone to your university. We should not give you another taxpayers’ dollar for the joke your university has become.”
Elise Stefanik, the Republican congresswoman from New York, was especially hostile, accusing Schill of “unilateral capitulation to the pro-Hamas, anti-Israel, antisemitic encampment.“
When he tried to clarify a point, Stefanik – who has been fashioning herself as a leading voice against the pro-Palestinian student protests – cut him off. “I’m asking the questions here,” she said angrily.
When asked by Stefanik if it was true that he had asked the director of the Hillel chapter at Northwestern whether it was possible to hire an ant-Zionist rabbi as university chaplain, Schill responded emphatically that he had never made such an inquiry.
“That’s not true according to the whistleblowers who’ve come forth to this committee,” retorted Stefanik.
Holloway was interrogated by Congressman Bob Good, a Republican from Virginia, about a think tank at Rutgers that has referred to Israel’s government as genocidal, among other anti-Israel statements it has issued in recent months. When asked, Holloway said he had no intention of closing down this Center for Security, Race and Rights.
Good: “Do you think Israel’s government is genocidal?“
Holloway: “Sir, I don’t have an opinion about Israel in terms of that phrase.”
Good: “You do not have an opinion as to whether or not Israel’s government is genocidal?”
Holloway: “No, sir. I think Israel has a right to exist and protect itself.”
Good: “Do you think Israel’s government is genocidal?”
Holloway: “I think Israel has a right to exist and protect itself, sir.”
Good: “But you will not say that Israel’s government is not genocidal? You can’t say that?”
Holloway: “Sir, I believe the government . . . “
Good: “Are you in a position to answer any questions? Do you have an opinion on anything?
Later on in the hearing, Holloway was given a second chance to address the question, phrased somewhat differently. When asked by Congressman Eric Burlison, a Republican from Missouri, whether they believed Israel was genocidal, all three university leaders responded that they did not.
I hope this obvious insincere exploitation of a tragic and horrific war backfires on the Republicans who are so fake-concerned about supposed antisemitism.
(A note that my adult children, who are half Jewish and have a very identifably Jewish last name, both strongly support the protesters — as do many of their Jewish friends. One of my daughter’s Jewish friends has broken contact with his parents over the issue. I think the branding of anyone who speaks out against the mass death in Gaza as antisemitic will sadly backfire. And none of that is to downplay the terrible Oct. 7 massacre.)
One of the things that disturbs me most about these hearings is the questioners’ attempt to force academics to give binary answers to questions that require nuanced thinking.
Yes, you are correct. Nuance is beaten to death at these biased and loaded hearings dominated by far right wing GOP ghouls. Very reminiscent of Joe McCarthy and his underhanded methods and MO.
well said
“With a better knowledge of history, the students would have condemned Hamas’ terrorism and Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu, who has launched a campaign of animation against the civilian population of Gaza, who have been victims of not only mass bombing but famine.
I don’t understand what you mean by a “campaign of animation”. Did you mean “elimination”?
Probably a victim of spell check which creates its own words in spite of our best efforts.
What a killing campaign is called doesn’t change the evidence; Allegations of antisemitism does not kept Jews or Palestinians safe. Intersectional Justice has ONE side to choose…LIFE.
Agreed
Typo. Israel reacted with overwhelming force, as Hamas expected. I meant a “campaign of intimidation and terrorism.” I see fault on both sides. It sickens me to see one-sided embrace of Hamas, which has always been a terrorist group. They don’t want peace, neither does Netanyahu.
“When asked by Congressman Eric Burlison, a Republican from Missouri, whether they believed Israel was genocidal, all three university leaders responded that they did not.“
When did you stop beating your wife questions should be immediately called out. This is a stupid question. Wars are by their very nature both genocidal and terribly difficult to avoid. Decisions of participant lean one way then another, causing different views of what is going on to arise. Discourse illuminates whether the combatants in a war are making efforts to minimize civilian casualties. Disagreements always cause emotional reactions.
We should listen to each other in order to minimize hostile language. What these Republicans want to do is to further stigmatize higher education in the minds of the mindless public that votes for these demagogues.
BINGO, Roy, on both “when did you stop beating your wife” questions, and last para– the latter explains motivation for the former.
Isn’t this the same party that had nothing to say about Charlottesville after Dear Leader said there were good people on both sides?
Bunch of hypocritical opportunists.
And the same party that will not take guns out of the hands of Reich-wing paramilitary and militia groups. Groups, btw, that Glorious Leader Who Shines More Orange Than Does the Sun ENCOURAGED to attack both state capitols and the national one.
Of course Diane Ravitch supports feckless college administrators who are too spineless to forthrightly condemn anti-Semitism. These days she is purely a tribalist – e.g. “I will never criticize Biden” – and college administrators are part of her tribe.
Don’t remember Republicans being vocal about anti-Semitism when the tiki torch marches were occurring.
The volume of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic activity on college campuses vastly exceeds the volume of activity for tiki torch marches. Both are bad, but you’re making an apples and oranges comparison.
David, that simply isn’t true; in fact, it is far, far, far from true. The FBI has called right-wing paramilitary groups the biggest domestic terrorist threat for good reason–because of incident after incident–storming state capitols, storming the national capitol, attacking legislators, conducting mass shootings, attacking mosques, and so on.
Republicans under Trump’s spell have threatened election workers, court officials, journalists, and anyone who might take issue with Trump’s execrable conduct—or is just doing their job.
I meant attacking synagogues, ofc.
David Gateson– what nonsense. College demonstrations cannot be characterized in a binary fashion as antisemitic & pro-Hamas (which you seem to be trying to do). Their thrust is to call a halt to Netanyahu & party cohorts’ over-the-top destruction of a minority, lesser-armed population which is technically within their borders. Students’ objection is to US supplying arms/ support for the effort, and their goal is to pressure college admin into disinvesting in related efforts. None of this is clear-cut (much less binary). US has maximum interest in preserving democratic state of Israel in Middle East, yet its interest in Netanyahu & co’s manner of achieving that diminishes daily.
Lots of Jews oppose the way in which Netanyahu is conducting the war in Gaza. Their opposition does not make them “anti-Semites.” It is a false equivalency designed to stir up more dissension.
Fascists take advantage of every opportunity to destroy democracies. Traitor Trump’s lunatic MAGA cult that controls the Republican Party are only doing what fascists have always done and they also seem to have a majority of Supreme Court justices who are also fascists thanks to Moscow Mitch.
“Moscow Mitch says that he is the ‘Grim Reaper.’ Imagine describing yourself as the ‘Grim Reaper’ – that he’s going to bury all this legislation,” Pelosi said at an event in Illinois on Wednesday. The California Democrat added the legislation her chamber has passed is “live and well in the general public.”
Sure, the “Jews Won’t Replace Us” crowd is big mad about antisemitism! GTFOH!
LOL. Exactly.
Speaking as a NJ resident proud of our flagship public university. That Rutgers’ Holloway shared the brunt is ludicrous. This is one of few campuses that actually negotiated with protestors and made concessions, as opposed to calling in the cops. Not to even mention that NJ is 7% Jewish [over 3x natl representation], and Rutgers’ enrollment is 17% Jewish. That brings pro-Palestinian campus demonstrations into sharp relief, accentuating its emotional effects on enrollment– to which Holloway responded *five months ago* by suspending its Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) group.
I don’t understand why university presidents have to answer to a GOP led inquisition. Institutions of higher education must hold on to some political autonomy. The K12 superintendents did a better job of maintaining their dignity and independence.
Agreed. What gives Stefanik and her GOP pals the power to interrogate university presidents?
I mean, I understand all universities get some federal funds (like Arne’s Race to the Top madness that gave $$ to systems that VAMmed teachers). But this normalizes kowtowing. Ignore them, make them get a subpoena. Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro said no; university presidents can too.
Whole lotta people need to find some courage because it ain’t gonna get easier soon.
Navarro went to prison for ignoring a Congressional subpoena. Bannon is going to go as well quite soon.
That’s why I mean by saying people will need to find courage. Bannon and Navarro are covering up their crimes. What crimes have heads of universities committed? I think the parallels to the McCarthy era are obvious.