Peter Kirsanow writes for National Review Online about a disturbing problem that has emerged on too many American college campuses.
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights last did a comprehensive examination of antisemitism on college campuses in 2006. Back then, the commission found that “many experts agree that anti-Semitism on college campuses is often cloaked as criticism of Israel.”
That cloak now has been completely thrown off. In the wake of the October 7 terrorist attack and ongoing hostage crisis, many students, faculty, and administrators have dropped any pretense that they’re “only” criticizing Israeli governmental policy. Instead, they’re expressing virulent hatred of Jewish people (as well as the State of Israel). A few of the more widely circulated examples:
*At Cornell (my alma mater), an individual posted threats on the university’s Greekrank student forum. One post had the subject line, “gonna shoot up 104 west” (104 West is Cornell’s kosher dining hall) and included the phrases “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free! glory to Hamas!”[sic]. Other posts on the forum threatened to slit Jews’ throats, rape Jewish women, and behead Jewish babies.
*At Stanford, a lecturer reportedly “asked Jewish students to raise their hands, separated those students from their belongings, and said they were simulating what Jews were doing to Palestinians.”
*At Columbia a student was beaten with a stick while posting flyers of Jewish hostages taken by Hamas. …
… The historical parallels are sickening. They are shameful.
Hate crimes against any group are a symptom of a moral rot in society. They are far too toxic to be the stuff of political one-upmanship. Professors, politicians, and the media knew that once. Not anymore. Contrary to statements by certain irresponsible, ill-informed media personalities and some Biden administration officials, anti-Jewish hate crimes far exceed hate crimes against any other group.
