Even with the imminent threat of a severe Iranian attack against Israel, and possibly America, looming on the near horizon, students and parents are preparing for the return to class at universities and K-12 schools. The spring semester ended with violent anti-Israel protests and the intentional targeting of Jewish students on more than 100 campuses across the United States.
Activists involved in the protests led similar events during the summer. Some participants burned American flags and celebrated terrorist murderers, painting a frightening picture of what awaits Jewish and Israel-supporting students returning to campus or classrooms.
The outrageous student protests from the spring semester cooled off during the summer by malicious design. Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil: “We’ve been working all summer on our plans, on what’s next. We will see students continue their activism in conventional and unconventional ways. So not only protests, not only encampments, kind of any—any available means necessary.”
“Any means necessary” is often code for violence. Recently, five Jewish and non-Jewish Columbia students filed a lawsuit against Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) for inciting violence after they visited the university campus.
Protests spread beyond the campus this summer. Anti-Israel rally-goers recently demonstrated in Washington, D.C.—burning American flags, desecrating a replica of the Liberty Bell, and chanting for the ruthless terrorists who killed Americans and Israelis. They left a trail of mayhem in their wake that could signal that the spring campus protests are likely to be more malicious this fall.
Boisterous anti-Israel activists recently showed open support for terrorists across America and around the world following Israel’s reported killing of Iran-backed Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran’s capital on July 31 and an Israeli strike against a senior Iran-backed Hezbollah leader the day before. The latter was responsible for killing hundreds of Americans and the recent murder of 12 Druze children in northern Israel. In New York City’s iconic Times Square, the U.S. flag was burned while terror supporters waved Hamas flags. They chanted: “From NYC to Gaza, Globalize the Intifada,” “Israel is the Enemy of Allah!” and “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Is Arab.”
The event was led by Within Our Lifetime—one of the leading organizers of the campus protests and a strong advocate for the destruction of Israel. The group recently posted on social media: “The supporters of Israel will never have a moment of peace.” A campus group—New York University’s People’s Solidarity Coalition of students, faculty and alumni—published a statement justifying violence as a means of resistance, adding that “we will not condemn the brave actions of our allies.”
Spring review: Shocking anti-American, anti-Jewish behavior
At the University of Michigan, pro-Palestinian pamphlets declared: “Freedom for Palestine Means Death to America.” Chants of “Death to America” were reported nationwide. Anti-Israel students at a few universities removed the American flag, replacing it with the Palestinian flag. After police restored the U.S. flag at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, members of a Jewish and Christian fraternity stood guard around the flagpole singing the U.S. national anthem. The New York City Police Department also restored the flag at Columbia University.
Anti-Israel organizations claim that they are merely anti-Israel, but there have been many cases of groups and individuals voicing vile hatred of Jews. Northeastern University in Boston reported that “Kill the Jews” was heard at a campus protest. Jewish students and Hillel staff members at Miami University in Ohio received antisemitic emails: “The best Jew is a dead Jew.” Hillel International is the world’s largest Jewish campus organization and one example of a group that also has been targeted for exclusion on campus. Jewish students also were restricted from public areas at multiple universities.
Columbia University student Jonathan Lederer was hit in the face and chest by objects thrown at him and his friends: “We ended up being chased out of campus and told to ‘go back to Poland,’ a poignant reminder that even in America, antisemites wish to condemn Jews like me to our ancestors’ tragic fate.” Columbia protest organizer Khymani James made several statements revealing his hateful contempt for Jews: “Zionists don’t deserve to live.”
The Islamic Republic of Iran’s leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, praised American university students during the spring semester campus protests. The radical Islamist is leading Iran towards the production of nuclear weapons that could fulfill his goal of “wiping Israel off the map.” Iran-backed Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine are all U.S.-designated terrorist organizations that signed a letter supporting the anti-Israel encampments. A senior Hamas leader stated that “today’s students are the leaders of tomorrow.”
K-12 students face a tumultuous year
Younger American students also are increasingly under threat, especially as teachers unions voice their support for anti-Israel policies that go far beyond their areas of expertise. A new report from the Jewish Institute for Liberal Values documents these growing concerns in a report titled How Teachers Unions and Associations Are Being Radicalized. The anti-Israel groups politicizing education often rely on false anti-Israel buzzwords, including “colonialism,” “apartheid” and “genocide.”
A Connecticut father described the anti-Jewish taunts that targeted his 11-year-old son: “Hey, I have a fun camp for you. It has great showers. Camp Auschwitz. Another Jewish classmate has already joined.” The student laughed and yelled: “We must exterminate the Jews!” In Berkeley, California, teachers stood in silence while students chanted: “Kill the Jews” and “Kill Israel.” New York City high school world history teacher Danielle Kaminsky “lives in fear of going to work every day. I’ve had students call me a ‘dirty Jew,’ draw swastikas on my desk, tell me they wanted to kill my family.” Students also saluted Hitler.
Jewish organizations respond
American Jewish groups are countering the alarming hostility and violence faced by Jewish students and their allies on campus. In advance of the new semester, they are providing resources for students, staff and administrators to address the severe challenges facing Jewish students and their allies:
- Best Practices Guide for Combating Campus Anti-Semitism and Anti-Israelism, The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law
- Short Guide to the Law Against Campus Anti-Semitism: A Title VI Fact Sheet, Brandeis Center
- What Universities Should Do to Prepare for the New Academic Year, a list of recommendations, Anti-Defamation League, American Jewish Committee, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Hillel International and the Jewish Federations of North America
Points to Consider:
- Jewish groups must build coalitions on campus.
Jewish groups must prioritize building coalitions on university campuses to effectively combat anti-Jewish and anti-Israel hatred and to create a safe environment. By collaborating with diverse student organizations, including cultural, religious and social justice groups, Jewish students can create a united front against discrimination. Coalition-building encourages dialogue, dispels stereotypes and promotes mutual understanding. This empowers students to advocate for inclusive policies and programming that benefit the entire campus community. Strong coalitions enhance resilience and amplify the impact of efforts to counter antisemitism, creating a more tolerant campus environment for everyone.
- The protests are as anti-American as they are anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish.
The protest movements raging across the country target American symbols and Americans as much as they target Israelis and Jews. Supporters of Israel wave Israeli and American flags, while anti-Israel protesters burn Israeli and American flags. Profanity is spewed against Americans, and monuments are desecrated. The American flag is pulled down from flagpoles and replaced by the Palestinian flag. Other demonstrators wave flags supporting Iran-backed terrorist organizations while calling for the destruction of Israel—and even America. This narrative echoes the sentiment of the Iranian leaders who label Israel “Little Satan” and America “Big Satan.” All Americans must unite against this growing hatred.
- Like their peers, Jewish professors, students and staff must feel safe within their schools.
Ensuring that all Jews on campus are protected not only upholds the principles of equality and non-discrimination but also fosters an inclusive learning environment where all students can thrive. Equality should not require the enforcement of the Civil Rights Act, but this is increasingly required for Jews. University administrators, deans, faculty and students are responsible for addressing all forms of anti-Jewish discrimination, promoting tolerance and cultivating an atmosphere that respects the rights and dignity of all students, including Jews. The protests also impact the lives of non-Jewish students who want to complete their studies peacefully.
- Opponents of Israel regularly use lies and tropes to promote their narrative.
Anti-Israel activists distort facts to sway opinions and create a biased perception of Jewish students and Israel. These falsehoods include historical inaccuracies (Israel is a “colonialist” state rather than the ancestral homeland of Jews); misrepresentations of Israel’s policies and actions (Israel is intentionally targeting civilians vs. actually eliminating Hamas terrorists); and the use of anti-Jewish blood libels (Israel harvesting organs of dead Palestinians). This misinformation fuels antisemitism, incites hostility towards Jewish students and disrupts the educational environment for everyone. Activists and student groups spread their propaganda to delegitimize Israel and isolate its supporters—overwhelmingly Jews. University administrators, professors and students must stand up to counter this vile, anti-Jewish hatred.
