Fighting Antisemitism Requires More Than Words
In just the past few weeks, American Jewry has witnessed a distressing rise in antisemitic violence-none more chilling than the May 22 shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, where two Israeli embassy staffers, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, were murdered in what authorities have called “horrific antisemitic violence.” Just days later, on June 1 in Boulder, Colorado, a Molotov cocktail attack struck a peaceful “Run For Their Lives” gathering supporting Israeli hostages-wounding a Holocaust survivor and injuring over a dozen people-when the assailant specifically targeted attendees he labeled “Zionist.” These are not isolated incidents lurking in the shadows, but bold, brazen acts of hatred carried out in broad daylight. While this surge in antisemitic violence has reached alarming new heights, it is the predictable outcome of a long-brewing crisis-one that has been unfolding for years on college campuses across the country.
A recent ADL survey confirms what many Jewish students already know from lived experience: antisemitic incidents on campuses have surged to historic levels. Flyers blaming Jews for global crises, students shouted down for wearing a kippah or an Israeli flag, guest speakers disinvited or attacked for being “Zionist”-the climate is no longer one of dialogue, but of silencing. At UC Berkeley’s Law School, for instance, nine student groups amended their bylaws to exclude speakers who support “Zionism”-a label that, for the vast majority of Jews, is inseparable from their cultural, religious, and ancestral identity.
As I’ve written previously,........
© The Times of Israel (Blogs)
