Patterico's Pontifications

10/26/2023

Jewish Students Across the Country Face Fury of Pro-Palestinian (and Pro-Hamas) Students

Filed under: General — Dana @ 4:52 pm



[guest post by Dana]

White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates didn’t hold back in his comments concerning the vile anti-Semitism that Jewish students are facing on American campuses:

“Amidst the rise in poisonous, antisemitic rhetoric and hate crimes that President Biden has fought against for years, there is an extremely disturbing pattern of antisemitic messages being conveyed on college campuses.

Just over the past week, we’ve seen protests and statements on college campuses that call for the annihilation of the State of Israel; for genocide against the Jewish people. Jewish students have even had to barricade themselves inside buildings,” he says.

As you may recall, last week when asked about Biden’s thoughts about the dramatic rise in anti-Semitism, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claimed she didn’t hear the part about anti-Semitism, and instead discussed on Muslim concerns. (It didn’t really make sense because if she wanted to address general hate toward select groups, why would she just *choose* to stick with anti-Muslim hate and ignore anti-Semitism?)

Anyway, I personally feel that President Biden should make a public statement similar to that of Andrews’, given the level of vitriol that Jewish students are currently facing on campuses across the country. It should come from the leader of our nation, not his spokesperson. Perhaps while he’s at it, he should also address those Congressmembers who spew their own brand of hate and continue to blame Israel for, well, everything.

So, what exactly are Jewish students facing on campuses across the country? Let’s take a little peek into their now-even-more fearful existence. Let’s start with Brandeis University, founded in 1948 by the American-Jewish community. Shockingly, their student government voted down a resolution condemning the terrorist group Hamas for their massacre on Oct. 7, as well as a resolution to release their hostages:

For pro-Israel students at Brandeis University, the two weeks since Hamas attacked Israel had been, at least in part, a period of relief: Their campus hadn’t been convulsed by the kind of anti-Israel sentiment that was roiling so many others.

That changed on Sunday, when Brandeis’ student government voted down a resolution condemning Hamas and calling on the terror group to release all of its hostages.

Only six members of the university’s Student Union Senate voted in favor of the resolution, while 10 voted against and five abstained, according to a representative who was present at the vote.

In addition to condemning Hamas, the resolution also said the student government “calls on Hamas to immediately release all hostages back to their families unharmed” and urged campus groups to engage with the conflict and promote “empathy, tolerance, and informed discussion.”

Imagine being unable to agree that, YES, OF COURSE WE CONDEMN a well-known terrorist group that launched a surprise attack on Israeli civilians, which led to any number of rapes, torture, and ultimately, the deaths of 1,400 individuals, as well as the kidnapping of the 210 Israelis who remain captives of Hamas. Babies, children, women, and the elderly — slaughtered without discrimination. And these privileged yoyos are unable to sign onto a resolution of condemnation. From the report, other Jewish students said that they were “outraged” by the decision.

Now let’s look at Cooper Union in New York, where Jewish students locked themselves in the library while angry protestors banged on the doors:

Jewish students at Cooper Union who say they were locked in the campus library during a pro-Palestinian protest were expected to demand the arrests of those who allegedly threatened them as criticism of the university’s response mounted Thursday.

The group told reporters at news outlets it took 40 minutes for police to respond to the protesters. A rally was scheduled for Thursday afternoon outside the East Village college to demand the arrests.

Videos widely shared on social media show student protesters banging on a reportedly locked door, as at least four students — some wearing traditional Jewish yarmulkes — sheltered inside.

While the school claims that the doors were not locked, given the video below, one must ask: if the doors were unlocked, why did protesters continue to bang on the doors and not simply enter the library?

This is from NYC Councilwoman Inna Vernikov:

Last night, I spoke to four Jewish students from @cooperunion. Three of them were barricaded inside the library while the pro-Hamas protestors were violently banging on doors. A few take-aways according to student accounts of the incident:

1. Even though this rally/walk-out was supposed to be outside the school on public property, protestors STORMED the school building. There were no consequences and NOBODY WAS ARRESTED.

2. Faculty members CANCELLED CLASS for the walk out, ENCOURAGED students to participate and even offered EXTRA CREDIT to do so.

3. FACULTY members themselves PARTICIPATED in the walk out/protest.

4. There was NOT nearly ENOUGH CAMPUS SECURITY. According to the students, there are only about 12 campus security guards on site at any given time and the protestors made up over approximately 100 individuals.

5. The NYPD did not show up right away, and when they did show up, they never entered the building, at least to the students’ knowledge. NYPD told the students later on that @cooperunion DID NOT ALLOW THE NYPD @NYPDnews onto school grounds. (Cooper is a private institution)

@cooperunion @NYPDnews 6. The DEAN of the school was ESCORTED out of the building through a SAFE back door exit by campus security. Then later allegedly claimed everything and everyone was safe.

@cooperunion @NYPDnews 7. Some of the protestors were acting violent, held antisemitic posters, as well as what looked like sticks. (See video) Instead of removing the protestors from school grounds, the school barricaded the Jewish students in the school library.

@cooperunion @NYPDnews 8. The Jewish students barricaded in the library were TERRIFIED, some of them SHAKEN. They believed they could’ve been physically assaulted and injured, and feared for their well-being. One of the slogans heard was “Globalize the intifada from New York to Gaza”

@cooperunion @NYPDnews 9. The school until this hour, HAS NOT ISSUED ANY STATEMENT ensuring its students that they would be safe coming to school today, nor have they reached out to their families. These students are AFRAID to come to school today and many of them will STAY HOME.

@cooperunion @NYPDnews 10. Jewish students have dropped classes at @cooperunion because they feel bullied, and the students who were barricaded in the library are traumatized, and said they “will never walk in there feeling alright again.”

@cooperunion @NYPDnews 11. This is a terrible DERELICTION OF DUTY on behalf of @cooperunion to protect its Jewish students from physical harm, a failure to provide them with a safe space, and the university must be held accountable for creating a HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT. HEADS NEED TO ROLL.

And this is from George Washington University, where ugly anti-Semitic slogans were projected on campus buildings:

…a student group projected pro-Palestine messages onto Gelman Library at George Washington University for about two hours on Tuesday.

Campus police eventually forced Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) to take the messages down.

Sabrina Soffer, a junior at the university, said she is among many Jewish students who feel unsafe on campus after the display.

“Definitely, I think security it needs to increase in all areas of campus,” Soffer said. “I think they are already doing that, but it really needs to be emphasized.”

She said the projected messages, including one that read, “Glory to our martyrs,” glorify terrorism.

“’Free Palestine from the river to the sea,’ that’s very anti-Semitic,” Soffer said. “That phrase literally means eradicate Israel and all of its Jewry. Throw them into the sea because it’s all of Palestine.”

Here are a few of the projected images. Images that were projected on the Estelle and Melvin Gelman library:

Lastly (although there are many more examples), this is from UCLA:

“We don’t want no two state. We want all of it,” they cry. Israel should not exist and neither should its people. This is advocating for genocide.

Not mentioned in this post are the campus officials and administrators. That’s because most of them are mealy-mouthed at best and just regurgitate silly pleas and assurances that do nothing to stop the vile hate that is taking place outside their office windows. In some cases, I’ve read (and seen the photos) of the institution’s president at the protests, watching and saying nothing.

Anyway, this all shows me that, when push comes to shove, campus demands for diversity, inclusivity and the safe space movement itself were just the empty rants of children and cowed adults. Diverse thought (pro-Israel) is very unwelcome, being inclusive and welcoming those who think differently and believe differently is no longer a goal – at least not if you’re Jewish. Day after day, we are seeing that the safe spaces for Jewish and pro-Israel students is becoming harder to find. And the need to hide one’s identity is becoming a priority for many. Or even just hiding out, altogether. Sadly, this applies to adults as well:

P.S. I’ll be updating the post with video of new incidents taking place on college campuses:

—Dana

31 Responses to “Jewish Students Across the Country Face Fury of Pro-Palestinian (and Pro-Hamas) Students”

  1. Hello. This is so depressing.

    Dana (932d71) — 10/26/2023 @ 4:54 pm

  2. Add to it the number of leftists in the House that openly supported Hamas today by voting against a pro-Israel resolution and it’s telling.

    NJRob (eb56c3) — 10/26/2023 @ 5:15 pm

  3. “We don’t want no two state. We want all of it,” they cry. Israel should not exist and neither should its people. This is advocating for genocide.

    Not mentioned in this post are the campus officials and administrators. That’s because most of them are mealy-mouthed at best and just regurgitate silly pleas and assurances that do nothing to stop the vile hate that is taking place outside their office windows. In some cases, I’ve read (and seen the photos) of the institution’s president at the protests, watching and saying nothing.

    Anyway, this all shows me that, when push comes to shove, campus demands for diversity, inclusivity and the safe space movement itself were just the empty rants of children and cowed adults. Diverse thought (pro-Israel) is very unwelcome, being inclusive and welcoming those who think differently and believe differently is no longer a goal – at least not if you’re Jewish. Day after day, we are seeing that the safe spaces for Jewish and pro-Israel students is becoming harder to find. And the need to hide one’s identity is becoming a priority for many. Or even just hiding out, altogether. Sadly, this applies to adults as well:

    20 years ago the result was the same. The left has only cared about their own speech and worked to silence anyone else. I dealt with that firsthand in college.

    NJRob (eb56c3) — 10/26/2023 @ 5:17 pm

  4. Expel them all for hate speech.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 10/26/2023 @ 6:24 pm

  5. Perhaps we should all wear yellow stars for a day.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 10/26/2023 @ 6:26 pm

  6. In the past, immigrants and other visa holders who professed Nazi or Communist sympathies were deported. Perhaps we should return to this for antisemitic activism.

    Or just casually mention preparations for internment of enemy nationals.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 10/26/2023 @ 6:33 pm

  7. Expel them all for hate speech.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 10/26/2023 @ 6:24 pm

    Even hate speech is protected by the First Amendment.

    Rip Murdock (816fe1) — 10/26/2023 @ 7:49 pm

  8. In the past, immigrants and other visa holders who professed Nazi or Communist sympathies were deported. Perhaps we should return to this for antisemitic activism.

    What would you do about US citizens-make antisemitism a crime?

    Rip Murdock (816fe1) — 10/26/2023 @ 7:56 pm

  9. Even hate speech is protected by the First Amendment.

    Of course. But others have had their first amendment rights ignored by this same Progressive crowd for far less. Fair is fair.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 10/26/2023 @ 9:06 pm

  10. What would you do about US citizens-make antisemitism a crime?

    Did I say a thing about US citizens? Although I’d point out that naturalized US citizens have been stripped of same for failing to disclose a Nazi past.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 10/26/2023 @ 9:07 pm

  11. Odd that I don’t see “Students for Justice in Palestine” listed by SPLC as a hate group.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 10/26/2023 @ 9:11 pm

  12. Glad to see their have been no attacks on palestinans. Oh! wait. 6 year old palestinian-american boy stabbed to death mother stabbed in targeted attack Chicago.

    asset (74ba29) — 10/26/2023 @ 10:12 pm

  13. Asset, no one is cheering on the tragic death of the little Palestinian boy. You’re smug Oh! Wait diminishes the value of his life for the sake of a cheap gotcha. It’s repugnant.

    Dana (932d71) — 10/26/2023 @ 10:54 pm

  14. Hateful teen shouts ‘I will kill you, Jew’ at 9-year-old boy at NYC playground

    A hateful teen threatened a young boy with a knife and yelled “I will kill you, Jew” in the latest antisemitic attack in the Big Apple, police and law enforcement sources said.

    The sickening scene unfolded at a playground at KIPP AMP Middle School and MS 354 Monday evening in Crown Heights, according to the NYPD and the victim’s mother, who said her daughter was also targeted in the attack….

    Police and sources said the man also screamed “Heil Hitler” at the boy, but Sundroy, who was at the park with her six children, said that was actually directed at her daughter.

    During the attack, several people also shouted “Allahu Akbar” in front of the children, according to Sundroy and police sources.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 10/26/2023 @ 11:08 pm

  15. Then there’s this charmer

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 10/26/2023 @ 11:11 pm

  16. 6 year old palestinian-american boy stabbed to death

    That was a hideous and tragic crime, but somewhere around the 30th or 40th time you use it as your whatabout to 30 or 40 different instances of antisemitism, you aren’t making the point you think you are.

    lurker (cd7cd4) — 10/26/2023 @ 11:15 pm

  17. How great is a god who requires the abuse or killing of a 9 yr old to avenge the gods honor?
    I prefer Deities that are greater than I am and that don’t need me to lob missiles at infidels on their behalf.
    In and amidst blasphemous episodes, I prefer a God that says “don’t worry, that is between him/her and me, no need to behead them, I got this.”

    steveg (455d72) — 10/26/2023 @ 11:22 pm

  18. Ms. Vernikov’s summation was something else.

    Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 10/27/2023 @ 12:01 am

  19. @16 All children need to be protected. If children, in these cases jewish, thats at a minimum child abuse and threatening harm is a felony. The police job is to protect. I have never been a supporter of defund the police or the FBI. Even though they have been going after my side until recently.When crimes are committed against children demand arrests. My bringing up the death of palestinian boy should not be a problem in protecting children only if you want to use the children for political aims. Their should be no threats to children either jewish or muslim and demand police action if their is.

    asset (74ba29) — 10/27/2023 @ 3:41 am

  20. Antisemitism is the table where the sons of slaves and the sons of slave owners most often sit together. With a definite pro-Muslim bent on the part of the first group.

    Thankfully, the real battle is not taking place on college campuses, where four generations of hate towards Israel, funded and organized by Arab oil money, is putting on its act for a new generation of woke twerps not yet born on September 11, 2001.

    It is taking place in the halls of government in DC and other places. Where, so far, a wiser world view, common sense and Western values are prevailing.

    nk (671645) — 10/27/2023 @ 5:32 am

  21. The left spends a lot of time wondering how people could drift towards various forms of right wing thuggery. They could do a case study on how so many of their future elite candidates have drifted off into supporting more horrifying violence than the most unregenerate Proud Boy can even conceive.

    Don’t have a solution. I guess I would prefer more humility and thoughtfulness about what seems to be a cultural problem rather than a merely right left political thing.

    Appalled (db3cf0) — 10/27/2023 @ 6:54 am

  22. Let’s start with Brandeis University, founded in 1948 by the American-Jewish community. Shockingly, their student government voted down a resolution condemning the terrorist group Hamas for their massacre on Oct. 7, as well as a resolution to release their hostages:

    Hearing this does not surprise me too much, because going back decades, only the extreme left is interested in capturing control of student governments. (it’s also amore standard political machine — they get to spend money)

    Most students don’t vote, or don;t know whom to vote for. And nobody tuns against them campaigning against strongly them because they are what is now called “woke.”

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 10/27/2023 @ 8:15 am

  23. The far left are those that call themselves socialists and/or communists. Talk to progressives and they’ll tell you that these folks are often deeply ignorant and simplistic in their approach, and that they are ultimately harmful to progressive causes/goals. They are illiberal authoritarians, the mirror of the far right illiberal authoritarians – and just like the far right receive(s/ed) protection from public awareness by there being only one effective party on the right (the GOP), the far left receive(s/ed) protection from public awareness by there being only one effective party on the left (the Democrats).

    This is a pretty good read: https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/the-american-socialist-worldview-4aa

    Sam G (8d2ed1) — 10/27/2023 @ 8:15 am

  24. The Jewish students barricaded in the library were TERRIFIED, some of them SHAKEN. They believed they could’ve been physically assaulted and injured,

    They were in danger if the people plotting this whole thing miscalculated or they exposed themselves but the people who plotted this generally know how far they can go and so far they can’t do that without facing jail which they are not prepared for. But people should demand reaction. Expressing outrage will push the red line further back.

    and feared for their well-being.

    For real, unlike the phony fear that is asserted whenever anyone disputes things that are said.The claims that have been made about “feeling unsafe” are completely phony and designed to get around the first amendment or similar ideas and you notice, by the way, that Councilwoman Inna Vernikov’s ghostwriter – she undoubtedly had help – for her twitter thread does not use the same language.

    One of the slogans heard was “Globalize the intifada from New York to Gaza”

    You might notice that this sort of rhymes.

    The people coining these slogans like rhymes. They think it has a way of getting people to agree.

    Sammy Finkelman (7a85f9) — 10/27/2023 @ 8:34 am

  25. Aviva Klompass:

    Not mentioned in this post [some post not quoted?] are the campus officials and administrators. That’s because most of them are mealy-mouthed at best

    They are against anti-Semitism, but not when there is pushback by the anti-Semites.

    Which is the only time it really matters.

    Sammy Finkelman (e0dccb) — 10/27/2023 @ 8:42 am

  26. steveg (455d72) — 10/26/2023 @ 11:22 pm

    How great is a god who requires the abuse or killing of a 9 yr old to avenge the gods honor?

    This is actually against their religion. Captured Hamas terrorists admitted that to their Israeli interrogators.

    https://nypost.com/2023/10/24/news/hamas-terrorists-promised-10000-apartment-for-bringing-back-hostages

    Each of them was asked if what they did was permissible in Islam.

    “No. Islam does not permit the killing of women and children,” one replies, echoing what the others also admitted.

    https://nypost.com/2023/10/23/news/idf-shares-harrowing-videos-photos-of-hamas-attack

    Although the Hamas operative said he knew Islam forbids the killing of women, children and seniors, he explained that he and others were told to ignore that and enter every Israeli home they could with the intent to shoot “anyone who was in the house.”

    “In the mosques, they tell us to take mercy on women and children. In the army [Hamas], they tell us to kill, massacre them everywhere,” he said.

    George W. Bush was right when he said, of al Qaeda, that they hijacked a religion. Whatever may be wrong with Islam, it does not include this. Which means it is a easier problem to solve.

    I prefer Deities that are greater than I am and that don’t need me to lob missiles at infidels on their behalf.
    In and amidst blasphemous episodes, I prefer a God that says “don’t worry, that is between him/her and me, no need to behead them, I got this.”

    Sammy Finkelman (7a85f9) — 10/27/2023 @ 8:52 am

  27. I prefer Deities that are greater than I am and that don’t need me to lob missiles at infidels on their behalf.

    Their justification is not that Jews are infidels, which they actually cannot claim, but that they have committed a capital crime by taking up residence in Israel.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 10/27/2023 @ 8:54 am

  28. Cooper Union, incidentally, recently restored or is on the way to restoring, free tuition.

    https://cooper.edu/about/president/sparks/messages/five-year-anniversary-fec-plan

    March 14, 2023

    Dear Cooper Union,

    Five years ago today, The Cooper Union Board of Trustees made the landmark decision to adopt the 10-year Plan to Return to Full-Tuition Scholarships for all undergraduate students, the outcome of two years of work formally begun in January 2016. The ambition of the Plan was clear from the outset—it would provide for full-tuition scholarships for all undergraduate students and, in doing so, require a level of fiscal discipline and fundraising not seen before at Cooper. It sought to generate $250 million over the 10 years to fund scholarships, build a financially resilient institution for the long term, invest in The Cooper Union’s world-renowned academic programs, and fund capital improvements for Cooper’s physical plant.

    Now, nearly at the midway point of the Plan, we are excited to report that our progress is overwhelmingly positive and on track, having met the Plan’s cumulative financial targets over the first five years….

    Sammy Finkelman (e0dccb) — 10/27/2023 @ 9:00 am

  29. Abraham Lincoln’s speech at Cooper Union:

    It was an issue of freedom of speech that divided the North from the South according to Lincoln:

    https://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/cooper.htm

    ….Will they be satisfied if the Territories be unconditionally surrendered to them? We know they will not. In all their present complaints against us, the Territories are scarcely mentioned. Invasions and insurrections are the rage now. Will it satisfy them, if, in the future, we have nothing to do with invasions and insurrections? We know it will not. We so know, because we know we never had anything to do with invasions and insurrections; and yet this total abstaining does not exempt us from the charge and the denunciation.

    The question recurs, what will satisfy them? Simply this: We must not only let them alone, but we must somehow, convince them that we do let them alone. This, we know by experience, is no easy task. We have been so trying to convince them from the very beginning of our organization, but with no success. In all our platforms and speeches we have constantly protested our purpose to let them alone; but this has had no tendency to convince them. Alike unavailing to convince them, is the fact that they have never detected a man of us in any attempt to disturb them.

    These natural, and apparently adequate means all failing, what will convince them? This, and this only: cease to call slavery wrong, and join them in calling it right. And this must be done thoroughly – done in acts as well as in words. Silence will not be tolerated – we must place ourselves avowedly with them. Senator Douglas’ new sedition law must be enacted and enforced, suppressing all declarations that slavery is wrong, whether made in politics, in presses, in pulpits, or in private. We must arrest and return their fugitive slaves with greedy pleasure. We must pull down our Free State constitutions. The whole atmosphere must be disinfected from all taint of opposition to slavery, before they will cease to believe that all their troubles proceed from us.

    I am quite aware they do not state their case precisely in this way. Most of them would probably say to us, “Let us alone, do nothing to us, and say what you please about slavery.” But we do let them alone – have never disturbed them – so that, after all, it is what we say, which dissatisfies them. They will continue to accuse us of doing, until we cease saying.

    I am also aware they have not, as yet, in terms, demanded the overthrow of our Free-State Constitutions. Yet those Constitutions declare the wrong of slavery, with more solemn emphasis, than do all other sayings against it; and when all these other sayings shall have been silenced, the overthrow of these Constitutions will be demanded, and nothing be left to resist the demand. It is nothing to the contrary, that they do not demand the whole of this just now. Demanding what they do, and for the reason they do, they can voluntarily stop nowhere short of this consummation. Holding, as they do, that slavery is morally right, and socially elevating, they cannot cease to demand a full national recognition of it, as a legal right, and a social blessing.

    Nor can we justifiably withhold this, on any ground save our conviction that slavery is wrong. If slavery is right, all words, acts, laws, and constitutions against it, are themselves wrong, and should be silenced, and swept away. If it is right, we cannot justly object to its nationality – its universality; if it is wrong, they cannot justly insist upon its extension – its enlargement. All they ask, we could readily grant, if we thought slavery right; all we ask, they could as readily grant, if they thought it wrong. Their thinking it right, and our thinking it wrong, is the precise fact upon which depends the whole controversy. Thinking it right, as they do, they are not to blame for desiring its full recognition, as being right; but, thinking it wrong, as we do, can we yield to them? Can we cast our votes with their view, and against our own? In view of our moral, social, and political responsibilities, can we do this? ….

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 10/27/2023 @ 9:03 am

  30. 28, but do they risk getting some/much of that raised money pulled by Jewish and allied donors who might be put off by the library incident and the student activities encouraging such actions?

    urbanleftbehind (1b0b25) — 10/27/2023 @ 9:06 am

  31. @30 About money solving problems. As AOC said in 2018 “they (crowley) have the money. We have the people” Demographics and birth rate is now trumping money. The left grows in strength every day while the right slowly dies off as they are older. Half of generation z has not turned 18 yet and can’t wait for AOC for president. This is real politik that posters here are not factoring in when they talk about money power.

    asset (b2d17a) — 10/27/2023 @ 3:30 pm


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