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How Do Progressive College Protestors Justify Support from Hamas and Iran?
Pro-Hamas demonstrators at Columbia University in New York City, US, April 29, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs
“Dear university students in the United States of America, you are standing on the right side of history. You have now formed a branch of the Resistance Front and have begun an honorable struggle in the face of your government’s ruthless pressure — which openly supports Zionists.”
This was the tweet from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei earlier this week, which had been viewed 11 million times at the time of writing.
What Khamenei tweeted — and he has recently evolved into a regular, almost obsessive tweeter — marks a disturbing trend: the increasing alignment of progressive groups in the United States with regimes and movements that starkly contrast with the values they claim to uphold and be fighting for.
Being hailed by Iran is not something a progressive activist in the West — concerned with freedom of speech, LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, the right to protest, and the dangers of autocracy — should want on their resume.
It’s not just Iran. Hamas has also gone on record to support the protests. In April, Hamas spokesperson Izzat Al-Risheq accused President Biden of “violating the individual rights and the right to expression through arresting university students and faculty members for their rejection of the genocide to which our Palestinian people are being subjected in the Gaza Strip at the hands of the neo-Nazi Zionists.”
And the love affair goes both ways. At an anti-Israel protest at Stanford University, the FBI was called in after a protester was seen wearing a Hamas headband. Meanwhile, at the Columbia protests, students chanted “Hamas, we love you. We support your rockets too.”
In recent years, detailed analyses by political scientists and historians have highlighted the developing partnership between far-leftists and Islamic extremists — an alliance that has escalated exponentially since October 7th. The studies reveal how far-leftists and Islamic extremists have found common ground in their vehement opposition to alleged Western imperialism, capitalism, and perceived global dominance. This unlikely alliance is driven by a shared narrative of victimhood that compels them to resist a common enemy: the liberal democratic values of the West.
British author and academic Dave Rich, who serves as the Director of Policy at the Community Security Trust in the UK, has tackled the eager support for antisemitism by the far left.
In his 2016 book The Left’s Jewish Problem: Jeremy Corbyn, Israel and Anti‑Semitism, he argues that “the far-left’s willingness to overlook, and even embrace, the antisemitism inherent in Islamic extremism stems from a shared narrative of victimhood and oppression.” This is why this unlikely alliance often resorts to anti-Semitic tropes, suggesting that a shadowy Zionist elite controls global politics and economy, thereby oppressing the downtrodden.
Clearly, the alliance between far-leftists and radical Islamists is utterly misguided. Firstly, for progressives, it is a betrayal of the fundamental values of human rights and equality that are the trumpeted mantras of this group. By aligning with regimes and movements that oppress women, persecute minorities, and suppress free speech and freedom of expression, these keffiyeh-toting protestors are contradicting the very principles they claim to champion.
Additionally, it is ridiculous for Islamic extremists to align with progressives, given their deep-seated opposition to the progressive values of secularism, gender equality, and LGBTQ rights.
Astonishingly, progressive activists are willfully ignoring the historical and ongoing violence perpetrated by Islamists, not just against Israelis and Jews — which they might support — but against Muslims, Christians, gays, and women. Aligning yourself with organizations and regimes that glorify and celebrate terror and violence, as was so starkly evident in the GoPro footage taken by the Hamas terrorists on October 7th, is about as egregious a blatant disregard for the sanctity of human life as is possible. How do progressives explain that to themselves?
Finally, this absurd partnership has succeeded in perpetuating harmful antisemitic myths that do nothing but fuel division and hatred. Isn’t progressivism meant to be about fostering solidarity and mutual understanding? Surely progressives recognize that in their eagerness to oppose Western policies, they are aligning themselves with individuals and entities whose values are fundamentally at odds with their own.
This week’s Torah portion Bechukotai contains a section that provides a stark warning about the consequences of either upholding or forsaking Divine commandments and foundational principles. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, in his commentary on Bechukotai, explains that the blessings and curses detailed in this portion are not just historical but serve as a moral and ethical compass for future generations. He explains, “The Torah warns us that societies are built on moral foundations. When those foundations are eroded, societies begin to unravel.”
Never has this warning seemed more relevant than today. With each passing week, we are witnessing Western society unravel more and more, and there appears to be no end in sight.
While my own ideals and views are right-of-center and conservative, I recognize the critical importance of debate and a marketplace of ideas that includes a robust left-of-center element. But somehow, somewhere, the left seems to have lost its compass. Aligning with regimes and movements that fundamentally contradict their values is not merely a perilous path; it is a sure route to destruction and devastation.
There is a saying in Jewish tradition: “Woe to the wicked, woe to their neighbors.” If you are connected to the wicked, that makes you wicked. The drift on the left towards aligning with Iran, Hamas, and other extremist entities is a clear example of the dangers of ignoring these timeless warnings.
There have always been crazy extremists on the far left — not just on the far right — whose views were abhorrent, and whose actions repulsive. But they were a small fraction of their group as a whole. The recent alarming growth on the left of those who totally sympathize and blindly identify with the views that define Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Muslim Brotherhood demands a deep rethink.
It is crucial for well-meaning activists for the Palestinian cause to reconsider their position and to return to their foundational values of justice, freedom, and human dignity, lest we all face the consequences of their misguided actions. It is not too late, but we are not far off from a point of no return. Let us do everything we can to make sure that never happens.
The post How Do Progressive College Protestors Justify Support from Hamas and Iran? first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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A pro-Israel rally at the University of Toronto was headlined by Columbia University professor Shai Davidai
Around 200 people gathered for a pro-Israel demonstration at University of Toronto’s downtown campus at King’s College Circle—which was the site of one of Canada’s largest pro-Palestinian encampments during May […]
The post A pro-Israel rally at the University of Toronto was headlined by Columbia University professor Shai Davidai appeared first on The Canadian Jewish News.
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‘Not Welcome’: New Pro-Hamas Campaign Aims to Abolish Hillel Campus Chapters
A statue of George Washington tied with a Palestinian flag and a keffiyeh inside a pro-Hamas encampment is pictured at George Washington University in Washington, DC, US, May 2, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Craig Hudson
The campus group National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) is waging a campaign to gut Jewish life in academia, calling for the abolition of Hillel International campus chapters, the largest collegiate organization for Jewish students in the world.
“Over the past several decades, Hillel has monopolized for Jewish campus life into a pipeline for pro-Israel indoctrination, genocide-apologia, and material support to the Zionist project and its crimes,” a social media account operating the campaign, titled #DropHillel, said in a manifesto published last week. “Across the country, Hillel chapters have invited Israeli soldiers to their campuses; promoted propaganda trips such as birthright; and organized charity drives for the Israeli military.”
It continued, “Such actions reveal Hillel’s ideological and material investment in Zionism, despite the organization’s facade as being simply a ‘Jewish cultural space.’”
DropHillel claims to be “Jewish-led,” although only a small minority of Jews oppose Zionism, and the group has been linked to and promoted by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapters.
Hillel International has provided Jewish students a home away from home during the academic year. However, NSJP says it wants to “weaken” it and “dismantle oppression.”
The idea has already been picked up by pro-Hamas student groups at one college, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, according to The Daily Tar Heel, the school’s official student newspaper. On Oct. 9, it reported, a member of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) unveiled the idea for “no more Hillel” during a rally which, among other things, demanded removing Israel from UNC’s study abroad program and adopting the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement. Addressing the comments to the paper days later, SJP, which has been linked to Islamist terrorist organizations, proclaimed that shuttering Hillel is a coveted goal of the anti-Zionist movement.
“Zionism is a racist supremacist ideology advocating for the creation and sustenance of an ethnostate through the expulsion and annihilation of native people,” the group told the paper. “Therefore, any group that advocates for a supremacist ideology — be it the KKK, the Proud Boys, Hillel, or Heels for Israel — should not be welcome on campus.”
The #DropHillel campaign came amid an unprecedented surge in anti-Israel incidents on college campuses, which, according to a report published last month by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), have reached crisis levels.
Revealing a “staggering” 477 percent increase in anti-Zionist activity involving assault, vandalism, and other phenomena, the report — titled “Anti-Israel Activism on US Campuses, 2023-2024” — painted a bleak picture of America’s higher education system poisoned by political extremism and hate.
“As the year progressed, Jewish students and Jewish groups on campus came under unrelenting scrutiny for any association, actual or perceived, with Israel or Zionism,” the report said. “This often led to the harassment of Jewish members of campus communities and vandalism of Jewish institutions. In some cases, it led to assault. These developments were underpinned by a steady stream of rhetoric from anti-Israel activists expressing explicit support for US-designated terrorists organizations, such as Hamas, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and others.”
The report added that 10 campuses accounted for 16 percent of all incidents tracked by ADL researchers, with Columbia University and the University of Michigan combining for 90 anti-Israel incidents — 52 and 38, respectively. Harvard University, the University of California – Los Angeles, Rutgers University New Brunswick, Stanford University, Cornell University, and others filled out the rest of the top 10. Violence, it continued, was most common at universities in the state of California, where anti-Zionist activists punched a Jewish student for filming him at a protest.
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.
The post ‘Not Welcome’: New Pro-Hamas Campaign Aims to Abolish Hillel Campus Chapters first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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‘Muslim for Trump’ Launches Initiatives in Key Battleground States, Says Candidate Will Bring ‘Peace’ to Gaza
Former US President Donald Trump is seen at a campaign event in South Carolina. Photo: Reuters/Sam Wolfe
The “Muslims for Trump” organization has officially launched initiatives to help elect Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to the White House, arguing that he would be more likely to end the war in Gaza than Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
In a statement released on Monday, the group said it will focus on recruiting Muslim voters in key battleground states such as Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina. The organization both praised Trump for his supposed “peace-focused” approach to ending the war in Gaza and condemned Harris for helping facilitate a so-called “genocide.”
“After meeting with President Trump, it was clear to me he is the right leader for Muslims to get behind,” Rabiul Chowdhury, co-founder of Muslims for Trump and former co-chair of the “Abandon Harris Movement,” said in a statement.
Chowdhury added that during his discussions with Trump, the former president vowed to “ending the escalation of wars and bringing peace to war-torn regions.” In contrast to Trump’s promise to stop the “bloodshed” in Gaza, he claimed, Harris has “recklessly pushed us toward World War III.”
Chowdhury, a self-described “peace advocate,” urged the Muslim community not to fall victim to supposed “misinformation” campaigns by the media and Democrats that paint the former president as hostile to immigrants. He claimed that the former president’s focus is on “ending war, not dividing families through false immigration claims.”
Samra Luqman, chair of the Michigan chapter of Muslims for Trump, underscored the need to punish the Biden administration for what he described as supporting a “genocide” in Gaza.
“The goal of this election is to hold the Biden administration accountable for a genocide. No amount of fear mongering or scare tactics will persuade my community into forgiving the mutilation, live-burning, and genocide of over 200,000 people,” he said.
According to data produced by the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, roughly 40,000 people have died in Gaza since the war began last October. Israel has said that its forces have killed about 20,000 Hamas terrorists during its military campaign.
Israel says it has gone to unprecedented lengths to try and avoid civilian casualties, noting its efforts to evacuate areas before it targets them and to warn residents of impending military operations with leaflets, text messages, and other forms of communication.
On the organization Muslims for Trump’s official website, it claims that the Abraham Accords, a series of historic, Trump administration-brokered normalization agreements between Israel and several countries in the Arab world, helped stabilize the Middle East. It also says that had Trump not lost the 2020 presidential race, the so-called “genocide” could have been prevented.
“Under Trump’s leadership, the Abraham Accords were brokered, fostering peaceful relations between Israel and several Arab countries. Supporters might argue that Trump’s diplomacy prioritized peace and stability in the Middle East, reducing the likelihood of large-scale conflicts like genocide,” the group wrote.
Over the course of his campaign, Trump has repeatedly touted his support for the Jewish state during his singular term in office. Trump has boasted about his administration’s work in fostering the Abraham Accords, promising to resume efforts to strengthen them if he were to win November’s US presidential election.
Harsh US sanctions levied on Iran under Trump crippled the Iranian economy and led its foreign exchange reserves to plummet. Trump and his Republican supporters in the US Congress have criticized the Biden administration for renewing billions of dollars in US sanctions waivers, which had the effect of unlocking frozen funds and allowing the country to access previously inaccessible hard currency.
Trump also recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, a strategic region on Israel’s northern border previously controlled by Syria, and also moved the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, recognizing the city as the Jewish state’s capital.
Despite Harris’s repeated efforts to woo Muslim voters, polling data indicates that the demographic has made a dramatic swing away from the Democratic Party. Polling data from the Arab American Institute reveals that Trump slightly edges Harris among Muslim voters by a margin of 42 to 41 percent. A report from the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) shows that Green Party candidate Jill Stein leads Harris and Trump with Muslim voters in the key swing states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Arizona.
The post ‘Muslim for Trump’ Launches Initiatives in Key Battleground States, Says Candidate Will Bring ‘Peace’ to Gaza first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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