RSS
A Student’s Perspective on the One-Year Anniversary of October 7
Illustrative: A projection is seen with a picture of US President Joe Biden along with text reading “Genocide Joe” on the wall of the George Washington University during a pro-Hamas protest on campus in Washington, DC, May 7, 2024. Photo: Probal Rashid via Reuters Connect
October 7, 2023, marked a pivotal moment for the Jewish community. On that day, Hamas terrorists infiltrated southern Israel, unleashing unspeakable brutality on Israeli children, women, and men.
In the aftermath of the massacre, the world witnessed a profound outpouring of grief and solidarity from some, along with a deeply unsettling reaction from others.
I first saw this unsettling shift on October 8, 2023, when Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at the University of Georgia held a rally celebrating Hamas’ murder, rape, and hostage-taking.
SJP claimed that “the Palestinian people, yesterday, fought back successfully,” and tried to tell uniformed college students that these terrorist acts were actually “resistance.”
Immediately after the October 7th massacre, National SJP (NSJP) released a “toolkit” for their national “Day of Resistance,” which took place on October 12th.
The toolkit referred to the massacre as a “historic win,” and taught its readers to justify the murder of innocent Israeli civilians (including small children) by calling them settlers.
Fast forward to this year, when NSJP is using their social media to announce a “week of rage” taking place Oct. 7-11, commemorating “one year of genocide.”
If NSJP claims their intent is to mourn innocent Palestinians — many of whom have died because Hamas only fights among the civilian population — many would share that sentiment. However, NSJP and their local chapters claim that October 7th — which they celebrated previously and before any Israeli ground response — was the beginning of a genocide against Palestinians.
The label of genocide carries immense weight, and in this context, is completely false.
To wield that word without acknowledging that the claim is false — and without acknowledging the specific contexts of both Jewish and Palestinian suffering — is irresponsible. This appropriation of Jewish pain is not just tone-deaf; it is a troubling manipulation of trauma. It reveals a disturbing trend in which pain is weaponized, where the suffering of one group is overshadowed by the narratives of others, and where solidarity is selectively given.
Hamas is the one who acted on their genocidal intentions, specifically intending to dehumanize and then kill as many Jews as possible. Its charter calls for the eradication of Israel, and all Jews living in it.
The problem of spreading this false claim is especially destructive on college campuses, where many students are uninformed on the issues, and want to stop genocide where it is actually happening.
We need to reject Hamas propaganda and focus on pressuring Hamas to lay down their arms, end their continued attack on Israeli civilians, and stop using their people as human shields.
As Jews in the Diaspora, we worry every day for the safety of our family and friends in Israel. Unfortunately, some of our worries materialize and we must mourn the loss of our loved ones taken without apology.
NSJP’s actions reflect a broader pattern of erasing Jewish experiences. Despite Hamas’ use of human shields, experts have determined that Israel has maintained the lowest civilian-to-combatant casualty ratio ever recorded in modern urban warfare.
In a world where conflict often breeds division, it is essential to foster spaces of genuine dialogue rather than exploitation. Mourning should not be a competition; it should be a pathway to understanding and healing. The glorification of violence and the trivialization of suffering only serve to deepen existing wounds and perpetuate cycles of hatred.
It is crucial for organizations like National SJP to reflect on the implications of their rhetoric and to acknowledge the profound impact their words can have. And if groups like SJP and NSJP won’t do that reflection — it is time for colleges to step in and stop them from incitement and hate speech.
The struggle for justice and peace is not a zero-sum game; it thrives in environments of empathy.
On the anniversary of October 7th, we must unite as a community — both at UGA and across American campuses — to honor the memory of those who lost their lives and to recognize the profound impact terrorism has on the Jewish community and those around the world.
We must acknowledge our pain without allowing it to be co-opted or misrepresented by others. We must stand firm in our commitment to education, empathy, and solidarity, ensuring our grief is respected and our stories are told authentically.
For us, the war on terror is not halfway across the world, but something we must fight in our backyards. Let us create space where we can finally heal. Let us advocate for understanding, respect, and a true remembrance of the October 7th tragedy.
As a senior at the University of Georgia studying journalism and social entrepreneurship, Gabriela Lefkovits’ commitment to advocating for Israel stems from personal experiences with antisemitism on her campus. Since then, she has collaborated with several national Israel advocacy organizations, and strives to create spaces for conflicting beliefs while fostering empathy for all.
The post A Student’s Perspective on the One-Year Anniversary of October 7 first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
New York Times Campus ‘Middle-of-the-Road’ on Israel Is Actually Pretty Far Out
The New York Times building in New York City. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
“It Can Be Lonely to Have a Middle-of-the Road Opinion on the Middle East,” is the headline over a recent New York Times news article. “Some college students and faculty members are seeking space for nuanced perspectives on the Israel-Hamas war on deeply divided campuses,” a subheadline explains.
What examples does the Times offer up of “nuanced perspectives” and “middle-of-the road” opinion?
One person named in the Times article is a Columbia student named Aharon Dardik. The Times describes him as “a pacifist who spent his teen years with his family in the West Bank but who ultimately refused to serve in the army in Israel. He believes in working with Israelis and Palestinians toward collective liberation and a world not divided by ethnonationalist allegiances.”
A “world not divided by ethnonationalist allegiances” seems like an extremist utopian fantasy, not “nuanced” or “middle of the road.”
The Times doesn’t mention Dardik’s extreme description of Israel’s actions in Gaza as a “plausible genocide,” his praise of extreme anti-Israel congresswoman Ilhan Omar, or his support for gradually phasing out Columbia’s partnership with Tel Aviv University, all of which were mentioned in a piece about him in RealClearPolitics. The Times doesn’t mention that he was court-martialed by the Israel Defense Forces six times and spent about 4 months in an Israeli military prison, as Moment magazine has reported. It doesn’t report Dardik’s expression of support for the Columbia “encampment” and for the takeover of Hamilton Hall by anti-Israel protesters, which are also in the Moment account.
It all doesn’t sound too nuanced or middle of the road to me.
Another person named in the Times article is a professor at Swarthmore College, Sa’ed Atshan. The Times claims the professor “tries to make sure there is complexity in everything he teaches in his Contemporary Israel and Palestine class.” Atshan told NPR that he is a pacifist, and that “it’s difficult to be a pacifist in the U.S. where guns are so pervasive and a world where violence is so pervasive. In a world where the military industrial complex is transnational and has its tentacles everywhere we go.” The Philadelphia Inquirer has described him as a supporter of the movement to Boycott, Divest, and Sanction Israel, and as a proponent of a “one state solution” that would be an end to Israel as a Jewish state.
Another of the Times’s examples is Dov Waxman, a professor at UCLA who “wrote on social media that he supported the International Criminal Court’s request for an arrest warrant for Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, a position he said he took as a supporter of international law.”
These people don’t seem that “middle of the road” or “nuanced” to me. That the Times would describe them as such says more about the Times and its biases than about the realities of the situation on American college campuses.
It’s not even clear how “lonely” these characters are. The Times claims Dardik started a group at Columbia that has “over 100 members.” Waxman recently was invited to speak at a Harvard conference on antisemitism on campus, convened by Derek Penslar, who describes himself as “Head of Harvard’s Task Force on Combating Antisemitism and Anti-Israeli Bias.” There, according to an account in Harvard magazine, Waxman asserted that “the media often exaggerated campus antisemitism.” Atshan gathered support from a petition signed by 750 people, according to the Inquirer. They’re all getting adulatory press coverage from the New York Times describing them, not that accurately, as “middle of the road.”
Maybe they look like “middle of the road” from the vantage point of the New York Times newsroom. Not so, though, from the perspective of the Israeli or American public. The real loners are the Times editors, who persist in pushing a point of view about Israel that is far out of the mainstream. It may boost Times circulation on a few formerly elite college campuses, but it also explains a lot about the newspaper’s fading credibility.
Ira Stoll was managing editor of The Forward and North American editor of The Jerusalem Post. His media critique, a regular Algemeiner feature, can be found here.
The post New York Times Campus ‘Middle-of-the-Road’ on Israel Is Actually Pretty Far Out first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Republican Jewish Coalition Endorses Mike Johnson to Retain Speaker of the House Role
US House Speaker Mike Johnson speaks to members of the media at the Capitol building, April 20, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Ken Cedeno
The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) has endorsed Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) to retain his title as speaker of the House of Representatives, citing his strident advocacy for Israel and commitment to combating antisemitism.
“[Rep. Mike Johnson] has shown courageous leadership and moral clarity in taking bold action to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the American Jewish community against unprecedented levels of antisemitism, and resolutely defended the State of Israel as it continues to fight an existential war against Iran and its terrorist proxies,” RJC wrote on X/Twitter.
“Speaker Johnson has more than earned our full-throated and enthusiastic support to lead the Republican Majority in the 119th Congress,” RJC added.
The RJC’s endorsement comes as Johnson has launched a bid to keep his position as speaker of the House of Representatives. Johnson has received immense criticism from the far-right wing of the Republican party after he helped push through a spending bill that failed to raise the federal debt limit. Over the holiday season, Johnson has faced a rebellion from lawmakers within his party and has had to work alongside Democrats to keep the federal government running, calling into question the extent of his support among fellow Republicans.
Over the course of his term as speaker, Johnson has established himself as a stalwart ally of Israel. Last May, the speaker delivered a keynote speech at the US Embassy of Israel, in which he vowed that America will stand with the Jewish state “in their time of greatest need.” Johnson spearheaded an invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address the US Congress, calling out Democrats for expressing half-hearted support to the Jewish state. He subsequently blasted Vice President Kamala Harris for skipping Netanyahu’s address, suggesting that Harris sought to mollify pro-Palestine activists during her failed presidential campaign.
Johnson also placed the “Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act”—legislation which would strip tax-exempt status from charities that lend support to terrorism—on the floor of the House of Representatives. The legislation narrowly passed in the House of Representatives in November.
The post Republican Jewish Coalition Endorses Mike Johnson to Retain Speaker of the House Role first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Ritchie Torres Blasts Columbia Over ‘Intifada’ Student Publication, Calls For ‘Revolution’ Against ‘Far-Left’
US Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) speaks during the House Financial Services Committee hearing in Washington, DC, Sept. 30, 2021. Photo: Al Drago/Pool via REUTERS
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) blasted Columbia University over the weekend over their lackadaisical approach to combating antisemitism, excoriating the Ivy League institution for allowing a terrorist-supporting student group to exist on campus.
“Columbia University is so embedded in anti-Israel propaganda that it has a publication entitled, quote, ‘The Columbia Intifada.’ What is needed in our society is a revolution of the responsible against the intifada idiocy of the far-left,” Torres said in a statement on Sunday.
Earlier this month, the prestigious university came under fire after it was revealed that ‘Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine’—a cohort of anti-Israel student activists—distributed a publication titled ‘The Columbia Intifada’ around campus. Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) reportedly printed 1,000 copies of the publication, which included articles titled “Zionist Peace Means Palestinian Blood,”and “The Myth of the Two-State Solution.”
When pressed about the publication, Columbia University criticized the students involved and indicated that it would consider administering punishment.
“Using the Columbia name for a publication that glorifies violence and makes individuals in our community feel targeted in any way is a breach of our values,” Columbia said in a statement.
“As we have said repeatedly, discrimination and promoting violence or terror is not acceptable and antithetical to what our community stands for. We are investigating this incident through our applicable offices and policies,” the university continued.
Though the publication is not officially recognized by Columbia University, critics argue that it indicates a thriving anti-Israel sentiment on the prestigious campus.
This is not the first time that Torres has lambasted Columbia over their failure to protect Jewish students on campus. Over the past year, Torres has repeatedly condemned the campus for allowing pro-Palestine students to chant slogans perceived by many to be antisemitic. He has also called Columbia’s anti-Israel professors “pseudo-intellectuals.”
In addition, the congressman has commended New York University (NYU) for expanding its anti-harassment and non-discrimination policies to protect students who support the existence of Israel. NYU’s new hate speech policies state that deploying “code words like ‘Zionist’” do not necessarily shield students from violating the university conduct policies. He has called on Columbia to implement a similar policy.
In the year following the Hamas terrorist group’s slaughter of roughly 1200 people throughout southern Israel, Columbia has become a hotbed of pro-Palestine protests. Immediately following the Oct. 7 massacre, a litany of Columbia student groups issued statements expressing approval of the Hamas attacks and assigning blame exclusively to Israel. A mob of pro-Palestinian protesters held a demonstration in front of the City University of New York Hillel on Tuesday, shouting at Jewish students to get “out of the Middle East” and “go back to Brooklyn.”
Many Columbia campus groups have implemented policies banning self-professed “Zionists” from membership, effectively excluding the majority of Jewish students. Columbia University student Khymani James publicly stated that Zionists “don’t deserve to live.” The Ivy League university has not confirmed if James has been permanently expelled from the campus.
The post Ritchie Torres Blasts Columbia Over ‘Intifada’ Student Publication, Calls For ‘Revolution’ Against ‘Far-Left’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.