Trump’s Historic Rebuke of Campus Anti-Semitism

Could the increasingly anti-Semitic Left’s hatred for Trump be motivated in part by his indefatigable support for Jews and Israel? It certainly looks that way: as House Democrats, who failed to condemn anti-Semitism in the wake of Rep. Ilhan Omar’s brazenly anti-Semitic statements, continued to do all they could to frame and destroy him, President Trump last Wednesday, signed an executive order authorizing the Department of Education to act against anti-Semitism on American college and university campuses, and making it clear that Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, prohibiting discrimination based on race, color or national origin in programs or activities that receive federal money, “would apply to institutions that traffic in anti-Semitic hate,” that is, virtually every public institution of higher learning in America.

Something like this has been needed for a very long time. Campus groups, most notably the notorious Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), have grown increasingly aggressive in recent years, as the Left has intensified its embrace of opposition to Israel and open anti-Semitism. Jewish students and supporters of Israel on campuses have been shouted down, defamed, vilified, and physically menaced, with only a handful of groups providing any support for those students. Universities have become virtual one-party states in which only one point of view is allowed. Trump’s executive order opens up the possibility that they might become institutions of higher learning again.

It will take a great deal of effort. Harassment of Jewish and pro-Israel students has been going on for a long time. At Temple University in August 2014, SJP members called Daniel Vessal, a Camera on Campus fellow and a member of the Jewish fraternity AEPi, “kike” and “baby killer,” and punched him in the face. Vessal explained that when he tried to engage SJP members in dialogue, but “people at the table were calling me a ‘baby killer’…And then this kid just rocks me in the face as hard as he can. My glasses flew off. After a two-second blur I had no clue what had happened. I couldn’t believe the kid actually hit me. When the police came over and were filing the report the kids at the table were screaming ‘You Zionist pig, you racist, that’s what you get.’” Police did not arrest the attacker.

In May 2016, Eliana Kopley, a sophomore at the University of California at Irvine (UCI), was trying to enter a screening of an Israeli documentary about the IDF called “Beneath the Helmet” when she was accosted by an angry mob screaming “Long live the Intifada!” and “F**k Israel!” The protesters prevented her from entering the building where the film was being shown, and even chased her into a nearby building, where they pounded on the doors and windows while continuing to scream their slogans. Police ultimately escorted Kopley into the screening. The UCI chapter of the SJP was thrilled with this thuggery, and praised the mob.

Likewise in a November 2015 rally organized by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at Hunter College, a campus of the City University of New York (CUNY), protesters brandishing signs reading “Boycott Israel” and “Zionists out of CUNY” screamed at Jewish students: “Zionists go home!,” “Zionists out of CUNY!,” “Jews out of CUNY!,” “Get out of America!,” and “We should drag the Zionist down the street!” In February 2016 at Brooklyn College, a group of hard-Left students burst into a Faculty Council meeting and began chanting “Zionists off campus!” When a Jewish professor tried to get students to end their disruption of a Faculty Council meeting at Brooklyn College, they called him a “Zionist pig.”

It has become unsafe to be pro-Israel at an American university. As colleges grow more authoritarian in their Leftism, they have become increasingly inhospitable to students who oppose the Left’s pet causes. Now Trump has struck back against that. No wonder the Left hates him with such burning intensity. He is actually daring to stand up against them and oppose their open and virulent hatred of Jews.

Robert Spencer is the director of Jihad Watch and a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center. He is author of the New York Times bestsellers The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades) and The Truth About Muhammad. His latest book is The Palestinian Delusion: The Catastrophic History of the Middle East Peace Process. Follow him on Twitter here. Like him on Facebook here.

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felix1999

4 years ago

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Ziggy46

4 years ago

Reply to  felix1999

Amen, Felix!

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MAS

4 years ago

“ Could the increasingly anti-Semitic Left’s hatred for Trump be motivated in part by his indefatigable support for Jews and Israel?”

Partially. Mostly though because he won’t play by their sandbox rules for Republicans. He’s supposed to wet himself, say he’s sorry, and resign…

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Dennis

4 years ago

As a guy who has spent my lifetime involved with people of different diversities, religious, racial and otherwise, I am constrained to comment on this article, an article that again, as is the ability of this author, speaks truth, this time about the extreme overt anti-Semitism that seems to be the rule rather than the exception, here and elsewhere around the world. Having been friends with, and having become acquainted with many different people, I have always wondered what spurs people on to committing acts of violence, based on their hate for others, not their own kind? My own experiences with people who were different from me had always essentially been positive. Sure nothing was perfect, but I never could understand what motivated people to commit violence triggered by their hate. Most people are peaceful and tolerant had been my experience with those with whom I came in contact, and those of the Jewish persuasion were certainly in that category. Why were they so hated by others? The Jewish people seem to me to be reasonably bright, industrious, competitive, and tolerant and history established that they supported those who might be down and out. Therefore, why were they being subject to the anti-Semitism which has seemingly been around for eons? What is it that makes these people the whipping people of the world, although I venture to say they are not the only ones who suffer that fate? Is it jealousy of some kind, or envy or unmeritorious accusations? Obviously, they do not drink the blood of babies, they are not warlike, and they have contributed many great things in favor of human society. They do not force their belief system on others and they do not actually claim that they are the only acceptable belief system. I recognize that there are belief systems out there (Islam) that promote hate and violence against the Jewish people, a hate that has no legitimate basis, but much of that anti-Semitism seems to be built into others who are not influenced by the inanity of Islamic anti-Semitism. I believe we all must speak out against those who promote hate that triggers violence. We must prosecute those who do so! We must stand up to stop the preaching of this hate and violence, lest we allow severe consequences, and I commend President Trump for his courage to stand up against anti-Semitism. Now that I got all that off my chest, let me end this commentary by WISHING YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR AND A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND CHANUKAH.

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Worsethanitlooks

4 years ago

Reply to  Dennis

As the State of Israel has conclusively demonstrated thousands of times, rational thinking and rule of law will never reduce arab-islamic anti-semitism and violence against Jews. When confronted with barbarism, and extremist religious ideology, machine guns, walls and assassinations are a far more effective deterrent to violence against Jews. An eye for an eye & tons of concrete may not be the long-term solution but it saves lives.

There is ample evidence that the number of Israeli victims of arab terror is directly proportional to Israel’s response. Two actions have dramatically reduced the number of jewish terror victims in Israel since the Intifada. Construction of the wall separating Judea & Samaria which reduced terrorist access, and the 2014 Gaza war which increased the kill ratio (50:1 or higher). The latter has gotten the attention of Hamas. Now they know that every dead Jew will result in 50-100 dead Gazans. Fear is still the greatest motivator.

Until European & American Jews learn to defend themselves, the violence perpetuated against them will increase. Trump’s EO is a symbolic gesture but not nearly as effective as a baseball bat.

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StevenRobert

4 years ago

Reply to  Worsethanitlooks

When they’re trying to kill you, there’s no disproportionate response.

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ed

4 years ago

Reply to  Dennis

Thank you Dennis….your comments are always insightful and spot-on. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours !!

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John Acord

4 years ago

This is an excellent first step.The next is to pulmogate a similar order putting all universities on notice that suppression free speech will also lead to their loss of federal funding. How could the liberals object to that?

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Larenzo1

4 years ago

It is past time for these groups that engage in violence must pay a steep price for there crimes. They do not have the right to attack physically those with different opinions. This means those that engage in violence must see some real jail time and removed from campus.

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StevenRobert

4 years ago

I have also considered if the left’s opposition to Trump could be related to his affection for Jewish causes such as moving the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and support in other ways for Israel and against anti-semitism, such as his acceptance of The Golan as part os Israel. This also extends to his opposition to Iran, which makes no secret of it’s intent to destroy Israel and also the US, referring to them as little and great Satan.
The prior administration opposed Israel in the UN during the period when Obama was leaving the White House after Trump won the election and actually seemed to be involved in secret agreements with Iran and releasing billions of dollars to Iran in secret transfers of plane loads of cash and precious metals, during which the leftist media remained almost mute.
It’s become too obvious to disregard or ignore. Rather than opposing policy, the left makes vague insinuations about Trump’s character, accuses him and supporters of being “White Supremists”, “”Orange”, probably not relating to Norther Ireland, all kinds of accusations that he’s a Russian agent. They have reached the point of being either frantic or perhaps fanatical and don’t have a logical or rational argument.
Perhaps anti-semitism has spread from being just against Jews to their supporters as well, including Trump in that group.

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