The Christian Post's top 10 stories of 2023 (part 1)
8. Antisemitism explodes on college campuses following Hamas terror attacks
Amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, which began after the terrorist group attacked southern Israeli communities on Oct. 7, tensions on American college campuses have heightened, raising concerns about antisemitism.
The terror group’s attacks against Israel resulted in the deaths of at least 1,200 people, thousands of injuries, and the kidnapping of around 240 people. In response, Israel launched a ground offensive in Gaza to eradicate Hamas and free the hostages, including Americans.
In addition to covering developments in the ongoing war, The Christian Post also reported on the anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiment on college campuses throughout the country.
Shortly after Hamas carried out one of the deadliest attacks in Israel’s history, a non-faculty instructor at Standford University singled out three Jewish students during a session for the undergraduate course “Civil, Liberal and Global Education.”
The instructor told the Jewish students to gather their belongings and stand against the wall, claiming that this is what Israel does to Palestinians. He also referred to the Hamas terrorists who invaded Israel as “freedom fighters.”
At one point, the instructor also asked how many Jews died in the Holocaust. When a student answered that 6 million Jews died in the Holocaust, the instructor said, “Colonizers killed more than 6 million. Israel is a colonizer.”
Stanford President Richard Saller and Provost Jenny Martinez released a letter on Oct. 11 explaining that the school is investigating the situation.
While the letter did not disclose the instructor’s identity, The Daily Mail and Campus Reform reported that his name is Ameer Hasan Loggins. The instructor was a teacher to former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who made headlines in 2016 by refusing to stand for the national anthem and wearing socks depicting cops as pigs.
Another incident that drew concern about antisemitism on college campuses took place at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in late October. Jewish students were forced to take refuge in a library as anti-Jewish demonstrators pounded on the locked doors and held signs expressing support for Palestine against the windows.
New York City Council member Inna Vernikov shared a video on social media of the protestors standing outside of the library doors, chanting “Free Palestine,” and some of the demonstrators in the video can be seen holding sticks.
According to the Jewish students that Vernikov spoke to, faculty members had canceled classes and offered extra credit to those who participated in the demonstration, and Cooper Union faculty members allegedly joined the students in the protest. While the protest was supposed to be held off campus, the demonstrators stormed the school building instead.
The students said there were around 100 individuals protesting and only about 12 campus security guards. Vernikov also reported that when the police showed up, Cooper Union reportedly did not allow them on school grounds.
“The DEAN of the school was ESCORTED out of the building through a SAFE back door exit by campus security. Then later allegedly claimed everything and everyone was safe,” the council member wrote.
Another incident that took place shortly after Hamas’ terrorist attack involved students from Harvard University releasing a letter that condemned Israel and not the violence committed against Israelis. Over 30 student groups signed the letter, which referred to Israel as an “apartheid regime.”
The letter drew condemnation from former students and faculty, including Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, a Harvard law school alumnus. In an Oct. 9 tweet, Cruz questioned how Harvard students could support a terrorist group, stating that their “blazing hatred & antisemitism [is] utterly blinding.”
Harvard University President Claudine Gay released a statement on Oct. 10 condemning the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas. She clarified that the views of students or student groups do not speak for the university as a whole.
Gay’s responses during a recent congressional hearing have also led to concern about how the university addresses antisemitism, and the university president’s testimony has sparked multiple calls for her to resign.
During a hearing earlier this month, Gay testified before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce alongside Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth and former University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill.
At one point during the hearing, Rep. Elisa Stefanik, R-N.Y., asked Gay and the other university presidents if calling for the genocide of Jews violated their code of conduct on bullying or harassment. The Harvard president responded that it could be considered a violation, depending on the context.
In response to Gay’s testimony, the law firm Edelson PC announced earlier this month that it would not be interviewing students on campus during the university’s 2024 Spring Interview Program. As Reuters reported, the firm has also decided not to partake in Harvard’s on-campus interviewing event in August, where Edelson hires most of its summer associates.
Jay Edelson, the firm’s CEO, stated in a letter to Harvard Law School's director of recruitment and operations that Gay’s testimony “deeply concerned” the law firm despite the apology she issued shortly after the hearing.
“As an expert in political and social studies, Dr. Gay certainly knew to expect the types of questions that would be asked of her,” the letter stated. “Indeed, her colleagues answered the question before Dr. Gay was asked to do so and had time to anticipate and consider her answer.”
“Factoring in her extensive experience and preparation with a crisis management team, Dr. Gay's testimony before Congress cannot be seen as merely a slip of the tongue.”
On Dec. 7, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce announced an investigation into Harvard, Penn and MIT, expressing dissatisfaction with the university presidents' answers about how their schools address antisemitism.
During the hearing, none of the university presidents provided a direct answer to Stefanik’s question about whether calling for the genocide of Jews violated the code of conduct for their respective schools. Magill resigned not long after the hearing due to the backlash surrounding her testimony.
Samantha Kamman contributed to this report.