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How Should We Respond to Pro-Hamas College Rallies?
“Glory to Hamas.” Is there any civil response possible to this chant?
During the past few weeks, events at American universities have unfolded thick and fast. Columbia University was at the center of attention. We could hardly believe our ears when we heard the slogans shouted by hundreds of students on campus, and even more radically outside the university gates.
Jewish students were harassed, beaten, and prevented from entering some of the spaces on campus. Slogans such as “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” and “Globalize the Intifada” were heard at many American universities. The first slogan takes up almost verbatim the wording of the Hamas charter of 2017, which calls for the “liberation” of the territory on which Israel is located. What else can this mean other than the desire to eradicate Israel, and at least the acceptance of murder and ethnic cleansing against Jews as part of this “liberation”?
Hamas has not only repeatedly affirmed this goal verbally and in writing, but put it into practice to the best of its ability on October 7, 2023. And Hamas has vowed that as long as it retains power, it will try to repeat October 7 over and over.
Anyone who does not want to be misunderstood should therefore explicitly distance themselves from Hamas. But the protesters are not doing that.
The call to “globalize the intifada” is no less murderous. Both the first and second intifadas were violent, and Israeli civilians were targeted — in cafés, buses, and on the street. This terror is now to be globalized?
My university, Indiana University in the Midwest, is not exactly known as a trouble spot. Still, there have been some protests by students and professors here. We are not an Ivy League university, but one of the Big Ten research universities, known for the Jacobs School of Music, the Kelly School of Business, the McKinsey Institute, and the Maurer School of Law, among others.
Around 10 percent of the almost 50,000 students on our campus in Bloomington are Jewish. Since April 25, there has been an encampment “for unconditional solidarity with Palestine” opposite the Chabad House, where many Jewish students come and go. Some of the slogans, chanted verbally and put on posters, seem to be aimed directly at Jews.
Not all of the slogans are implicitly murderous. Some merely demonize Israel — for example, the claim that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, which is presented as an indisputable fact through constant repetition. You can show solidarity with the Palestinian victims of the war (started by Hamas), you can condemn the war, you can be very partial to the Palestinians — but the accusation of genocide is slander.
The false claim to genocide is so pernicious, because it justifies all the hate directed at Israel — and at those who don’t explicitly condemn Israel.
There is a certain logic to this. If one is truly convinced that Israel is in the process of deliberately exterminating an entire people, then not only is Israel is reprehensible, but all those people who support and normalize Israel, or are Zionists themselves, are evil — that means most Jews.
The dynamic is similar to the medieval accusation of ritual murder. Anyone who was really convinced that Jews were murdering Christian children in order to use their blood for their rituals understandably wanted to put an end to it by any means necessary — even with violence. “Resistance by all means” does not allow for criticism of the barbarity of Hamas.
Not all students who write and shout such slogans are aware of their meaning, and their effect on Jewish students.
I spoke to students who held up a poster that equated campus police, the KKK, and “IOF.” But it took one of the masked organizers, who came running to block our conversation, to clarify what IOF meant. The students didn’t know. “Israel Offense Forces or Israel Occupying Forces” — he wasn’t quite sure either. But the message that comes across to the Jewish students who pass by these posters is that the country they feel deeply connected to is being demonized in a way that condemns them at the same time.
Many of the protesting students may be astonishingly ignorant and naive. Not so the organizers. There has been a rapid, sectarian radicalization among them over the past six months. Shortly after October 7, I had a discussion with the president of the Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC) at our university on the university radio station. Even though we disagreed on many points, he condemned Hamas, at least in private conversation. And he asked Jewish acquaintances whether they were doing okay. A week ago, I looked at his Twitter profile. “Glory to Hamas” was written there. For him, Israel is “a demonic, irredeemable society that never has and never will have ever [have] a single right to exist.” He equates Zionists, i.e. all those who do not condemn Israel, with the Nazis. Zionists, he writes, are “indigenous to hell.”
The PSC plays a key role in calling for the campus protests, and regularly reports on the protest camp on its Instagram page. There is a lot of applause for this — also from an Iranian account called “Mahdi_Alavi.” He encourages students to read Ayatollah Khamenei’s letter to the youth of Europe and North America. There were love and applause emojis in the comments, but no objections.
Another key leader of the protests, who is particularly good at reaching other students via megaphone, also provides an insight into his thinking on social media. He writes about the Israeli army on X: “They lied about mass rape so they themselves could mass rape,” and has denied the unimaginably brutal sexual violence of the murderers of October 7. He also takes a liking to Hamas. It is “morally superior to Israel in every way that matters.”
What is the answer to such pro-Hamas propaganda? The Jewish students played loud music by Jewish-American musicians such as Matisyahu and Israeli pop songs, drew attention to the hostages, and posed with Israeli flags in front of the encampment where implicit and explicit Hamas sympathizers were present.
A similar response came from Rabbi Levi Cunin. The group “Faculty & Staff for Israel” had called for a rally on May 2. A politics professor known at the university for being anti-Israel and tearing down posters of the hostages filmed the entire event, possibly to intimidate participants. When Rabbi Cunin, while giving a speech, became aware of him, he turned to him and shouted in his face “And when there are antisemites who come to [our] anti-Hamas rally, what do you say? Am Israel Chai!” Long live the people of Israel.
And indeed they shall.
Günther Jikeli holds the Erna B. Rosenfeld Professorship at the Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism in the Borns Jewish Studies Program at Indiana University. He heads the research lab “Social Media & Hate.”
The post How Should We Respond to Pro-Hamas College Rallies? first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Viral Video of Jewish Tourists Assaulted in Florence Sparks Outrage Amid Surge in Antisemitic Attacks in Italy
Demonstrators participate in a pro-Palestinian protest in Piazza Duomo in Milan, Italy, on Nov. 23, 2024. Photo: Alessandro Bremec/NurPhoto via Reuters Connect
A viral video of two Jewish American tourists being assaulted in Florence has sparked outrage and condemnation from Italy’s Jewish community — among the latest in a surge of antisemitic attacks targeting Jews in the country and reflecting rising anti-Israel sentiment.
In the video widely circulated on social media, two visibly Jewish men are seen walking down a street in Florence, a city in central Italy, when an unknown individual approaches them and asks where they are from.
After one of the men replies that they are from New York, the assailant begins shouting antisemitic insults — including “Free Palestine, f**ker” — before lashing his belt against the pavement.
The American tourist then tries to respond, but the man begins shouting “shut up!” and “no speaking, you f**ker!” before striking the pavement with his belt once more.
The video then captures the two men fleeing the scene as they try to escape the assailant.
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After the video went viral on Sunday on an Instagram page with nearly 300,000 followers, Italian authorities began efforts to track down the person who posted it.
Local police have launched an investigation and are reviewing CCTV footage in an effort to identify the assailant, Italian media reported.
The Italy-Israel Association of Florence (AIIF) strongly condemned the recent attack, urging authorities to act swiftly to protect the local Jewish community.
“These events cannot be downplayed or dismissed as isolated cases. Antisemitism has once again openly surfaced in our streets, and this should be a concern for all of civil society,” AIIF President Emanuele Cocollini said in a statement.
“City, regional, and police authorities have a duty to act firmly: ensure protection, issue an unequivocal political and cultural response, and isolate and stop those who spread hatred,” Cocollini continued.
Enrico Fink, president of the Jewish Community of Florence, also condemned the incident, describing the footage as “horrifying.”
“It is not only for us to express our outrage, but for those whose slogans and causes are being exploited to spread hatred, violence, and racism. I hope that even today, our voice of indignation will not be the only one heard,” Fink said in a statement.
The incident comes amid a surge in antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment across Europe and around the world since the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
In Italy, Jewish individuals have been facing a surge in hostility and targeted attacks, including vandalism of murals and businesses, as well as physical assaults. Community leaders have warned that such incidents are becoming more frequent amid growing tensions related to the war in Gaza.
According to a new survey by SWG, an Italian polling and research firm, about 15 percent of Italians believe that physical assaults on Jewish people are “entirely or fairly justifiable.”
Released on Tuesday, the poll also found that 18 percent of Italians consider antisemitic graffiti acceptable, while nearly 20 percent believe it is reasonable to attack pro-Israel professors or refuse service to Israeli customers.
Two weeks ago, an American Orthodox Jewish couple was physically assaulted in Venice by a group of anti-Israel agitators, who shouted “Free Palestine” among other intended insults.
Earlier this summer, a Jewish man from France and his child were verbally assaulted at a gas station near Milan by a group of pro-Palestinian activists who shouted antisemitic slurs after seeing the child wearing a kippah, yelling phrases such as “Free Palestine” and “murderers” as they passed by.
In a separate incident, a masked individual targeted a synagogue in Rome, spray-painting a swastika and antisemitic slogans — “Sieg Heil” (“Hail Victory”) and “Juden Raus” (“Jews Out”) — on a sign near the entrance.
In May, a restaurant in Naples forced an Israeli family to leave, telling them, “Zionists are not welcome here.”
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Trump Administration Sues Anti-Israel Activists, Organizations Over Protest Outside New Jersey Synagogue
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest near the Met Gala, an annual fundraising gala held for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, in New York City, US, May 5, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ryan Murphy
The Trump administration has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against several New Jersey activists and organizations, alleging they disrupted a synagogue service in West Orange during a heated protest last year.
The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the District of New Jersey, names members of American Muslims for Palestine–New Jersey, the Party for Socialism and Liberation–New Jersey, and individual activists as defendants. Prosecutors say the group violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act — a law usually applied to abortion clinics but that also protects houses of worship.
According to the complaint filed on Monday, the incident occurred on Nov. 13, 2024, at Congregation Ohr Torah. The synagogue was reportedly hosting a memorial and real estate presentation promoting the sale of property in Israeli communities in the West Bank originally scheduled take place at the home of organizer Moshe Glick. When protesters threatened to demonstrate outside his residence, the event was moved to the synagogue.
Federal prosecutors allege that demonstrators ignored police instructions, stormed synagogue property, and used vuvuzelas — long plastic horns — to drown out speakers. The complaint describes several confrontations, including one protester allegedly blowing a vuvuzela directly in Glick’s ear, sparking a physical clash. Another congregant, 65-year-old David Silberberg, was allegedly put in a chokehold and forced to the ground after intervening. A stink bomb was also reportedly thrown into the crowd.
The US Justice Department is seeking both monetary damages and a permanent injunction. Proposed restrictions would bar defendants from coming within 50 feet of the synagogue or Glick’s home and prohibit them from protesting within 500 feet of any place of worship during services. Civil penalties of more than $84,000 per defendant are also being pursued. Essex County prosecutors had previously suggested that pro-Israel counter-protesters instigated the violence, highlighting conflicting accounts of the chaotic scene.
“Those who target houses of worship and violate our federal laws protecting people of faith are on notice that they will face the consequences,” Justice Department Civil Rights Division head Harmeet Dhillon said in a statement.
Attorneys for Glick and other attendees have defended their actions as self-defense and criticized local prosecutors’ handling of the case. Representatives for the defendants and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The case marks one of the Trump administration’s most aggressive uses of the FACE Act against activists in a religious context, setting the stage for a legal fight over the limits of protest and the protection of worshippers.
In recent years, New Jersey has witnessed a striking uptick in antisemitic incidents, sparking alarm in Jewish and civil-rights communities statewide. According to data from the Anti-Defamation League, 2024 saw 719 reported acts in the state, the third highest total in the nation, including harassment, vandalism, and assaults. Even though the number represents a modest drop from 2023’s peak of 830, the figures remain historically elevated and far above pre-2022 levels. In 2023 alone, New Jersey recorded a 22 percent increase in bias incidents, with anti-Jewish bias making up more than one-fifth of all reports to law enforcement. State legislators have responded by pushing for a formal, statewide definition of antisemitism to better guide law enforcement and educational institutions in identifying and prosecuting such acts.
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Charlie Kirk’s Words Crush the Conspiracy: Private Letter to Netanyahu Reveals a Steadfast Supporter of Israel
Charlie Kirk speaking at the inauguration of Donald Trump in January 2025. Photo: Brian Snyder via Reuters Connect
A newly published letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist assassinated earlier this month, offers a potent rebuttal to conspiracy theories alleging that the prominent podcaster had turned against the Jewish state in the months before his death.
Far from drifting away from his long record of support for the Jewish state, Kirk’s own words show him urging Netanyahu to develop a stronger social media defense of Israel in what he described as a deteriorating “information war” online and in universities. However, Kirk did also offer distinct notes of criticism in his correspondence.
“One of my greatest joys as a Christian is advocating for Israel and forming alliances with Jews in the fight to protect Judeo-Christian civilization,” Kirk wrote at the top of his letter, which the New York Post reported on Monday. Addressing Netanyahu directly, Kirk said he sought “to lay out our concerns and outline potential remedies. Everything written here is from a place of deep love for Israel and the Jewish people.” He warned that “as Muhammadism spreads into Western societies, it’s critical that Jews and Christians stay united in the effort to contain and roll back radical Islam and Sharia law.”
Kirk lamented that “Israel is losing the information war and needs a ‘communications intervention.” He described how anti-Israel invective infects the questions he receives on his campus tours and has infiltrated “young MAGA circles.” He called the situation “a five-alarm fire,” warning that anti-Israel narratives — ranging from “apartheid state” claims to conspiracy theories about Jews orchestrating US foreign policy — had shattered support among the young political right.
Describing his engagement with Jewish ideas, Kirk wrote that “I spent endless hours with Dennis Prager over the years studying the Torah.”
The letter, written earlier this year and running seven pages, mixes personal testimony with detailed social media messaging recommendations. Kirk recounted how, on Easter, he felt “bombarded with messages about the Israeli army making it difficult for Christians to access church in Jerusalem” and frustrated that no official response came quickly from Jerusalem. “Pro-Israel surrogates like me should not be in charge of fact checking every piece of anti-Israel misinformation that pours into social media,” he wrote, adding that “sometimes, it feels like I’m defending Israel in public more than your own government.”
Kirk decried a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t dynamic in online pro-Israel advocacy.
“I’m accused of being a paid apologist for Israel when I defend her; however, if I don’t defend Israel strongly enough, I’m accused of being antisemitic,” he wrote. “I know you’ve got a seven-front war and my kvetching pales in comparison. But I’m trying to convey to you that Israel is losing support even in conservative circles.”
Kirk described how even at events put on by his organization Turning Point USA that draw thousands of students, he faced constant hostile questioning about Israel. “On my recent campus tours, half the questions I get are about Israel and they’re all negative,” Kirk said. He stressed that his commitment was unwavering: “I often spend half my time on these campus tours defending Jews and Israel which I’m proud to do because I love Israel and love the Jewish faith.”
Among the proposals Kirk advanced was the creation of an “Israel Truth Network,” a one-stop information hub and social media presence that could debunk common accusations and showcase the decency of Israeli society. He urged Netanyahu to establish a rapid response media team, to send former hostages on US speaking tours, and to highlight stories of ordinary Israelis through campaigns like “Dude, you got us wrong!” He pressed Israel to generate original, English-language content for TikTok, podcasts, and other platforms rather than depending on American allies, stressing that “Israel needs to learn to fish (i.e. create your own content) and be more self-reliant when it comes to your communications strategy.”
Kirk urged Netanyahu to model his own communications team on that of US President Donald Trump. He wrote that “the [resident has strong fighters like Stephen Miller and Karoline Leavitt who battle the press every day. Honestly, I don’t even know if you have a press secretary. You are an eloquent defender of Israel, but you need a team of information warriors out there pushing back every day in real time.” At the time Kirk wrote his letter on May 2, Omer Dostri served as Netanyahu’s press secretary.
Kirk also warned that young people on the right remain deeply skeptical of intelligence assessments after the Iraq war and COVID-19, making it essential that Israelis themselves — not just Americans — make the case against Iran’s nuclear ambitions. He emphasized that Netanyahu should think of Israel’s public diplomacy like a political campaign: “Right now, there’s essentially a massive negative ad campaign spreading on social media. These negative ads are defining this candidate. Like any campaign, the first task is to define the candidate.”
While most of the letter offered praise of Israel, on the subject of COVID-19 vaccines and other topics, Kirk did present criticisms and skepticism.
“Our generation was also lied to by the governments of Israel and the US that COVID vaccines were safe and effective,” he wrote. “Israel intelligence missed the boat on Oct. 7, but we’re asked to trust Israeli intelligence 100 percent that Iran is on the cusp of obtaining nuclear weapons. Young conservatives are very skeptical of government proclamations.”
Kirk stated that he understood social media “as well as anyone in the world” and that “from my vantage point, Israel has retreated from social media without a fight. How are you going to win over younger generations if you’re starting out in retreat on social media?”
He advised filling communications staffs with people in their twenties and thirties who “grew up with cell phones and social media — not pay phones and TV news,” and implored Netanyahu to stop treating TikTok as a sideshow. “My campus tour last fall and this spring have received approximately five billion impressions,” Kirk noted, adding that Israel should take advantage of platforms like X, where Elon Musk is “a good friend to Israel.”
The Turning Point USA leader suggested a campaign model for the Jewish state. “You should perhaps consider reshaping your Hasbara Department into more of a political campaign headquarters with campaign narrative experts,” he wrote. “Hasbara could be the mothership hosting ITN where the messaging campaign can be created and then distributed to all the pro-Israel groups and thought leaders.”
In his conclusion, Kirk told the prime minister that “the status quo is not working. Israel is getting crushed on social media and you are losing younger generations of Americans, even among MAGA conservatives.” He stressed that his concerns stemmed from his faith: “The Holy Land is so important to my life, and it pains me to see support for Israel slip away.”
The letter countered claims from some of Kirk’s erstwhile allies that he started drifting away from the Jewish state. As The Algemeiner reported on Sept. 17, Grayzone editor Max Blumenthal, a pro-Iran journalist and fierce critic of Israel, published a story alleging that pro-Israel figures — including billionaire investor Bill Ackman — had staged an “intervention” to pressure Kirk over his views. That report, denied by Ackman and Kirk’s own producer Andrew Kolvet, was nevertheless taken up by far-right podcaster Candace Owens and US Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who have previously promoted antisemitic tropes and accused Israel of genocide.
Days later, as The Algemeiner reported on Sept. 22, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson used his eulogy for Kirk to weave antisemitic innuendo, appearing to blame Jews for both the crucifixion of Jesus and Kirk’s murder.
Carlson’s comments drew condemnation from prominent conservative and pro-Israel voices, who warned that such rhetoric threatened to poison the Republican Party.