Hundreds of Jewish Students at Columbia University Write Letter Defending Zionism
“Judaism cannot be separated from Israel.”
More Jewish college students should make their voices heard. It’s more important now than ever.
The New York Times reports:
In Letter, 540 Jewish Columbia Students Defend Zionism, Condemn Protests
A group of Jewish Columbia students has written an emotional and forceful public letter that takes on one of the most divisive issues on college campuses: whether opposition to Israel should be equated with antisemitism.
In the letter, the students argue that “Judaism cannot be separated from Israel.” They also charge that anti-Zionist Jews who deny Israel’s right to exist and stand with pro-Palestinian protesters “tokenize themselves” and try to delegitimize the experiences of Zionist Jews on campus.
Some of the students who signed the letter, which had 540 signatories as of Thursday morning, have already spoken publicly against Columbia for the antisemitism they say they have faced there. One student testified before Congress about the issue; others have been counterprotesters at pro-Palestinian rallies. Others have not spoken out before.
In all, by Thursday the letter was signed by just over 10 percent of the estimated 5,000 Jewish undergraduates and graduate students at Columbia and its affiliated colleges. All signatories gave their names, college affiliation and year of graduation, unlike some public letters, that allow for anonymous signatures.
Titled “In Our Name: A Message from Jewish Students at Columbia University,” the letter represents the views of students who state that they love Israel, even though they do not always agree with the actions of the Israeli government.
“Our love for Israel does not necessitate blind political conformity,” the letter stated. “It’s quite the opposite. For many of us, it is our deep love for and commitment to Israel that pushes us to object when its government acts in ways we find problematic.”
The letter did not specifically critique any Israeli actions, stating that “our visions for Israel differ dramatically from one another.” Yet, it continued, “we all come from a place of love and an aspiration for a better future for Israelis and Palestinians alike.”
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Comments
never again was the mantra after ww2 when it came to the j ews making sure they could and would defend themselves
now they have to have the street smarts to do the same as these college thuggs that attack them are just another branch of the nazi communistthuggs that create the chaos
arm yourselves israelites om the streets of america
vote against omar which has taken over the so called moderates of the dnc
It is not within our power to say that never again will Jews be killed defenselessly. It IS within our power to pledge that never again will we stand by idly or silently as people try to slaughter Jews.
Anonymous signatures?
“The toe nails, on the other hand, never grow at all.” – Tom Stoppard
Like Captain Culley in The Last Unicorn.
“All signatories gave their names, college affiliation and year of graduation, unlike some public letters, that allow for anonymous signatures.”
—Unlike the anonymous “signatures” in many of the anti-Israel letters, including one purporting to be from Columbia alumni (but who can tell?). Not to mention the masked demonstrators at Columbia and other campuses who refused to show their IDs to university authorities.
They must grow up to be ‘anonymous senior whitehouse officials’ in a New York Times-authored works citage page