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UNC Has Become a Beacon for Jew Hatred; No One Seems to Care
Students sit on the steps of Wilson Library on the campus of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, US, Sept. 20, 2018. Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Drake
On November 24, a group of 50 students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) — the majority of whom are Jewish — sent a letter to a US senator, saying that “Jewish students at UNC do not feel safe.”
The letter states:
After October 7th, the day of the [Hamas] terror attack, anti-Jewish rhetoric hit an all-time high. A Jewish student with an Israeli flag on his back had drinks thrown at him in our dining hall. Members of the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) threatened several peaceful protesters with violence, and some brandished pocket knives and threatened our members.
A Professor [who is Israeli] was pushed down a flight of stairs by these protesters who proceeded to pour drinks on him. Jewish students across campus are being harassed by student “reporters” so they can continue to publish antisemitic-driven narratives. Posters for SJP and other affiliated organizations across campus depict terrorists flying into Israel and the Hamas missiles aimed at Israel.
A signatory of this letter told me that on October 12, at SJP’s pro-Hamas Day of Resistance Rally at UNC, Jewish students who were silently counter-protesting were approached by two masked activists who allegedly said, “Let’s fight” and allegedly brandished knives.
Before the rally, SJP publicly “recommended” anti-Israel protestors wear “face coverings” to this outdoor event, even though UNC policy states that masks may not be worn to “conceal identity.”
In early December, I was at a local breakfast establishment near campus, and was chatting with a woman who was in town to tour UNC. She told me that her tour guide said UNC’s campus had become unsafe due to SJP rallies.
On Nov. 28, I attended and reported on the event “No Peace Without Justice: A Round-Table Talk about Social Justice in Palestine,” hosted by numerous departments at UNC.
One of the speakers, Dr. Rania Masri, said: “Oct. 7 for many of us from the region was a beautiful day.”
Masri spoke with pride and admiration for Hamas and their paragliders, saying she is not “the least bit apologetic of the violence of the oppressed or the occupied.”
Several panelists openly agreed with her. None challenged Masri, or appeared concerned about her calls to eliminate Israel. Masri went on to say, “Let us demand the eradication of Zionism. Let us have that be our goal.”
The absence of a question and answer period meant that nothing could be challenged by audience members.
On December 10, Masri posted a video on Facebook that glorified Hamas and called Hamas “our heroes.” How could UNC subject Jewish students — or any students — to such a vile and hateful person?
Not only did UNC host this antisemitic event, but plenty of free pizza was provided.
One event sponsor — UNC’s Student Life & Leadership — has even kept the event flier posted on their Instagram and Facebook accounts.
A week before leaving UNC to take a position at another university, UNC’s Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz responded via email to concerned community members without even mentioning the word antisemitism. His weak response profoundly disappointed the Jewish community.
On December 9, UNC faculty published a petition letter titled “UNC Faculty stand against antisemitism, insist on respectful engagement with challenging topics.” It gained over 100 faculty signatures in just its first day.
The letter reviews evidence first reported in The Algemeiner and then states: “Sponsorship by academic units and the failure to disavow the [November 28] event after the fact implicitly sanctions antisemitic speech that harms people and is wholly at odds with the values of our campus community and institution.”
Jessica Smith, Distinguished Professor of Public Law and Government, told me:
The purpose of our letter was twofold. First, to ask our colleagues to join us in condemning antisemitic hate speech that occurred at a UNC-sponsored event, calling October 7th a “beautiful day.” And second, to join us in calling for balanced and respectful dialogue on controversial issues … Free speech and academic freedom provide the right to speak. They do not, however, provide a shield from criticism for antisemitic hate speech.
In 2019, UNC hosted a conference that featured an antisemitic rap performance, which led to UNC entering into a Resolution Agreement with the US Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR), requiring UNC “to ensure that students enrolled in the university are not subjected to a hostile environment.”
On December 7, 2023, a Title VI complaint was filed with OCR. It concludes that Jewish students at UNC should not be “marinated in blatant antisemitism.”
“The fact that the Resolution Agreement executed in 2019 has been violated in 2023 indicates very clearly that stronger remedies are called for today,” it says. “The OCR should impose such remedies as soon as it is able to do so.”
For years, UNC has tolerated and fostered a campus climate that is hostile towards Jewish and pro-Israel students. When will UNC finally act to end this hostility so that Jewish students are afforded — like all other students — a safe and productive campus environment?
Peter Reitzes writes about issues related to antisemitism and Israel.
The post UNC Has Become a Beacon for Jew Hatred; No One Seems to Care first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself. Really?
JNS.org – If I asked you to name the most famous line in the Bible, what would you answer? While Shema Yisrael (“Hear O’Israel”) might get many votes, I imagine that the winning line would be “love thy neighbor as thyself” (Leviticus 19:18). Some religions refer to it as the Golden Rule, but all would agree that it is fundamental to any moral lifestyle. And it appears this week in our Torah reading, Kedoshim.
This is quite a tall order. Can we be expected to love other people as much as we love ourselves? Surely, this is an idealistic expectation. And yet, the Creator knows us better than we know ourselves. How can His Torah be so unrealistic?
The biblical commentaries offer a variety of explanations. Some, like Rambam (Maimonides), say that the focus should be on our behavior, rather than our feelings. We are expected to try our best or to treat others “as if” we genuinely love them.
Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, in his classic text called the Tanya, argues that the actual feelings of love are, in fact, achievable provided that we focus on a person’s spirituality rather than how they present themselves physically. If we can put the soul over the body, we can do it.
Allow me to share the interpretation of the Ramban (Nachmanides), a 13th-century Torah scholar from Spain. His interpretation of the verses preceding love thy neighbor is classic and powerful, yet simple and straightforward.
“Do not hate your brother in your heart. You shall rebuke him, but do not bear a sin because of him” by embarrassing him in public. “Do not take revenge, and do not bear a grudge against your people. You shall love your fellow as yourself, I am God” (Leviticus 19:17-18).
What is the connection between these verses? Why is revenge and grudge-bearing in the same paragraph as love your fellow as yourself?
A careful reading shows that within these two verses are no less than six biblical commandments. But what is their sequence all about, and what is the connection between them?
The Ramban explains it beautifully, showing how the sequence of verses is deliberate and highlighting the Torah’s profound yet practical advice on how to maintain healthy relationships.
Someone wronged you? Don’t hate him in your heart. Speak to him. Don’t let it fester until it bursts, and makes you bitter and sick.
Instead, talk it out. Confront the person. Of course, do it respectfully. Don’t embarrass anyone in public, so that you don’t bear a sin because of them. But don’t let your hurt eat you up. Communicate!
If you approach the person who wronged you—not with hate in your heart but with respectful reproof—one of two things will happen. Either he or she will apologize and explain their perspective on the matter. Or that it was a misunderstanding and will get sorted out between you. Either way, you will feel happier and healthier.
Then you will not feel the need to take revenge or even to bear a grudge.
Here, says the Ramban, is the connection between these two verses. And if you follow this advice, only then will you be able to observe the commandment to Love Thy Neighbor. If you never tell him why you are upset, another may be completely unaware of his or her wrongdoing, and it will remain as a wound inside you and may never go away.
To sum up: Honest communication is the key to loving people.
Now, tell me the truth. Did you know that not taking revenge is a biblical commandment? In some cultures in Africa, revenge is a mitzvah! I’ve heard radio talk-show hosts invite listeners to share how they took “sweet revenge” on someone, as if it’s some kind of accomplishment.
Furthermore, did you know that bearing a grudge is forbidden by biblical law?
Here in South Africa, people refer to a grudge by its Yiddish name, a faribel. In other countries, people call it a broiges. Whatever the terminology, the Torah states explicitly: “Thou shalt not bear a grudge!” Do not keep a faribel, a broiges or resentment of any kind toward someone you believe wronged you. Talk to that person. Share your feelings honestly. If you do it respectfully and do not demean the other’s dignity, then it can be resolved. Only then will you be able to love your fellow as yourself.
May all our grudges and feelings of resentment toward others be dealt with honestly and respectfully. May all our grudges be resolved as soon as possible. Then we will all be in a much better position to love our neighbors as ourselves.
The post Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself. Really? first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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‘Nonsense’: Huckabee Shoots Down Report Trump to Endorse Palestinian Statehood
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee looks on during the day he visits the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem’s Old City, April 18, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
i24 News – US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Saturday dismissed as nonsensical the report that President Donald Trump would endorse Palestinian statehood during his tour to the Persian Gulf this week.
“This report is nonsense,” Huckabee harrumphed on his X account, blasting the Jerusalem Post as needing better sourced reporting. “Israel doesn’t have a better friend than the president of the United States.”
Trump is set to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The leader’s first trip overseas since he took office comes as Trump seeks the Gulf countries’ support in regional conflicts, including the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and curbing Iran’s advancing nuclear program.
However, reports citing administration insiders claimed that Trump has also set his sights on the ambitious goal of expanding the Abraham Accords. These agreements, initially signed in 2020, normalized relations between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. The accords are widely held to be among the most important achievements of the first Trump administration.
The post ‘Nonsense’: Huckabee Shoots Down Report Trump to Endorse Palestinian Statehood first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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US to Put Military Option Back on Table If No Immediate Progress in Iran Talks
US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy-designate Steve Witkoff gives a speech at the inaugural parade inside Capital One Arena on the inauguration day of Trump’s second presidential term, in Washington, DC, Jan. 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Carlos Barria
i24 News – Unless significant progress is registered in Sunday’s round of nuclear talks with Iran, the US will consider putting the military option back on the table, sources close to US envoy Steve Witkoff told i24NEWS.
American and Iranian representatives voiced optimism after the previous talks that took place in Oman and Rome, saying there was a friendly atmosphere despite the two countries’ decades of enmity.
However the two sides are not believed to have thrashed out the all-important technical details, and basic questions remain.
The source has also underscored the significance of the administration’s choice of Michael Anton, the State Department’s policy planning director, as the lead representative in the nuclear talks’ technical phases.
Anton is “an Iran expert and someone who knows how to cut a deal with Iran,” the source said, saying that the choice reflected Trump’s desire to secure the deal.
The post US to Put Military Option Back on Table If No Immediate Progress in Iran Talks first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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