By: Jonah Beckenstein

Aren’t universities supposed to be beacons of academic freedom? Shouldn’t diverse viewpoints be respected? Here we are in 2024, living in a new reality where Canadian educational institutions that pride themselves on fostering inclusive environments allow the spread of disinformation and targeted fear-mongering on campus.

Even after many administrations condemned encampments as a form of protest, they have failed to take appropriate action. Almost half of Canadians also oppose encampments as a form of protest, believing they should be dismantled. While many of these encampments pose as student-led and student-run, the administration at the University of Alberta encampment estimated that only 25% of encampment participants were students.

Beyond the overt anti-Semitism perpetuated at these encampments, these extremists pose a severe threat to Western values and society. If glorifying terrorist organizations and Intifadas (periods of Palestinian terrorism that killed many Israeli civilians) is not enough, how about glorifying Che Guevara, a mass murderer?

Hidden within the agenda of the extremist anti-Israel encampment movement lie anti-Canadian values. Allowing the presence of hate speech on campuses is a threat to everyone, not just Jews. When hate speech is coupled with harassment, intimidation, violence and support for Islamic terrorism, society needs to take a stand.

Masking hatred for Jews under a socially acceptable anti-Israel lens has created a campus environment that allows antisemitism and ostracizes and creates social ramifications for those with opposing and different views.

How can we combat these movements? Stand with Jewish students, one........

© Edmonton Sun