Recent protests in support of Palestine at universities like Harvard and Columbia have drawn criticism for promoting antisemitism.
At Harvard, protesters raised Palestinian flags where the American flag usually flies, yelling slogans like “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
Raising the flags was “a violation of University policy and the individuals involved will be subject to disciplinary action,” Harvard spokesman Jonathan Swain said.
A protester at George Washington University displayed a sign with the phrase “final solution,” evoking the Nazi genocide.
“For well over 200 days, Harvard has ignored the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Until they agree to meet our demands to disclose and divest from Israeli apartheid and occupation, we will make Palestine unavoidable. We will continue this liberated zone and fly the spirit of Palestine!” Harvard protesters stated.
“Israel’s war is entirely just; the protest movement consists entirely of the malevolent and the idiotic: Nazi equivalents and their enablers. And it’s the ones who know what they’re doing who are calling all the shots,” the New York Post wrote.
A Columbia student wrote an open letter imploring peers to speak out against growing antisemitism on campus, as Jewish students face physical assault and demonstrations celebrating Hamas terrorism.
“To my silent friends, I have seen you watch my social media stories, championing other causes in the name of social justice and so passionately engaging in discourse,” Israeli-American Columbia University grad student Becca Baitel wrote. “Yet, as antisemitic violence and pro-terror rhetoric emboldens our very college campuses, you are suddenly nowhere to be found. Your ignorance, avoidance, and cowardice is omnipresent.
“Students are being physically assaulted by angry mobs, ones which continuously celebrate Hamas’ atrocities and undermine the collective mourning and trauma of our people.”
Baitel said, “We should not have to beg for your empathy because you are too afraid. We do not ask for pity, rather, seek recognition of our community’s ongoing pain and recurring battles we must fight every day as not only Columbia students, but Jews navigating a post-10/7 world.
“While unintentional, it is the silence of those too timid to call out Anti-Semitism who have allowed these demonstrations to escalate in both scope and intensity. To those I beg the question, ‘What are you so afraid of?’ I implore you to rise above your apathy and fear before it is too late.”
“I am tired of rationalizing and justifying the silence for the sake of your comfort,” she wrote. “There has been far too much of it and I have reached my limit. Many of us have.”
“As Jews, we will not cower and submit to the hateful narratives being perpetuated around us on a daily basis,” she wrote. “We will stand firm in our place, embracing Jewish joy as resilience. No force, group, or administration can strip us of our unwavering determination and everlasting spirit.
“This is a narrative deeply embedded in our history, yet we, as Jews in the diaspora, are rewriting it. But we can’t do it without the help of our loved ones and friends.”
While some remain silent out of comfort or fear, she says retreat is not an option and Jews will stand firm in their identity despite hateful narratives, but could use support from allies to curb the normalization of anti-Jewish rhetoric.
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