Jewish Student at Bates College: ‘My Friends Wish I Was Dead’
“She’s a racist bigot and the only question we should be asking ourselves is if she really believes the violent, racist lies she’s been spreading.”
This is stunning. This kind of hatred would not be permitted against any other group.
Phoebe Stern writes at Tablet Mag:
My Friends Wish I Was Dead
What does it mean to be a Zionist student on a college campus today? I have friends at schools all over the country who are struggling. People who are afraid to wear their necklace with a Star of David for fear of repercussions. To be a Zionist is to be an outcast. Classmates think that you are supporting a genocidal, apartheid state. They don’t care enough to hear your story. They don’t care that you lost dear friends and are mourning the pre-Oct. 7 Israel that will never exist again. They turn a blind eye to facts and choose to look only at social media posts that support their antisemitic narrative. What’s the point of arguing with such people? I am reminded of Golda Meir’s line, “You cannot negotiate peace with someone who has come to kill you.”
Now they have come for me. The antisemitic posts began on Oct. 7, and swung into a higher gear after I spent a week volunteering in Israel over Bates College’s spring break in late February. I pulled three choice quotes of what my fellow students had to say about me. Spoiler: They apparently wish me dead.
“Big nose mafia going to cancel me but man you know who should’ve finished the job.”
“Phoebe Stern did [go to Israel] … She fat and ugly anyways … just because she supports genocide doesn’t mean we get to be misogynistic.”
“She’s a racist bigot and the only question we should be asking ourselves is if she really believes the violent, racist lies she’s been spreading.”
My mind was reeling. Other Jewish friends at Bates were also attacked. They were accused of being racists and bigots, in writing, both online and on their dorm doors. One post from a Bates classmate advocated that “Hitler should’ve finished off the job.” People were using the anonymity of social media to spread lies and put words in my mouth, that I was going around campus telling people that my Arab peers want to kill me—a sentence that I have never uttered in my life, and wholeheartedly disagree with.
I couldn’t help but compare these angry, self-righteous, and ill-informed students with people I met in Israel. We visited the hospital in Beersheba. As soon as I stepped through the doors, the nasty comments faded. I had the privilege of getting to hear the stories of injured soldiers.
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Comments
donors should spend their money else where … students might consider studying in Israel.
I wudnt go to any concerts near the boarder however.
It’s sad that as a Jewish parent I’m wondering if my children even have a future here in the United States anymore. It looks increasingly like a no, as who wants to be constantly facing this type of discrimination, bias and hatred while constantly being told it doesn’t exist and it’s your fault anyway. be a good little Jew and do what you are told, meaning betray your history, people, culture, values, and common sense. Yes in Israel there is the threat of war and terrorism but no threat from the actual citizens, who aren’t trying to blame all of their sad ,sorry life issues on you for the crime of existing. This why Israel exists in the first place and why there is mandatory military conscription because we have known for some time that no one is going to stand up for us but ourselves.
To Schmuul,
I am sorry to inform you, but the leftist Jewish citizens of Israel are trying to destroy their country just like the leftists in America are hard at work, trying to destroy America.
From advocating, a peace deal and hostage release without an attack on Raffa, to advocating that leftist Supreme Court justices, choose their own successors, to the previous policy of only allowing citizens one pistol and 50 rounds of ammo , Israeli leftists are trying their hardest to destroy their own country.
My Jewish family has decided to arm ourselves, vote, and fight back if it comes to that
So sorry to see this happening in the United States. All my adult life, the question has been how could the Germans have supported Nazi hatred of their own assimilated Jews. Today, we are seeing it happen here in the US. Just replace Nazi with Palestinians. The Germans at least had the excuse of horrific post-WWI inflation, fear of the Bolsheviks in Russia, and internal political instability.. Nothing is seriously threatening the US except our own stupidity. We have raised a generation of irrational, easily manipulated, and arrogant children, who believe they are adults capable of reshaping their world. They deserve the dystopia they are creating.
At breakfast today, one of the ladies is Jewish and talked extensively of how her family is adjustring to the spreading antisemitism. Another friend, a super liberal, listened attentively, but the unspoken “but” was pretty loud. She condemns Hamas … but …. and there is no but. There is no excuse for the behavior of October 7, there is no explanation. But ever so sensitive liberals are trying hard to see both sides. And they fail to see that the Hamas savagery has turned into a win for Hamas. That means there will be another incident.
It needs to be noted that Jews do not stand united in the US. Jeffrey Katzenberg, a Jew, is co-chair of Biden’s campaign. And Biden has been such a pilar of strength for the Jewish community. In Israel, I’ve read of continuing, large scale demonstrations demanding Netanyetu negotiate the release of the hostages. Wow, that’s placing a giant target on the back of every living Israeli. Oct. 7 was basically a hostage-taking raid, and hasn’t that proven to be an effective tactic. Bet they use it again.
All my adult life, the question has been how could the Germans have supported Nazi hatred of their own assimilated Jews.
For decades I was asked “How could they let that happen?” And for at least 30 years, as America has gone from “No king but Jesus” to “All hail the omnipotent State!”, my answer has been, “They are now you.”
“There is no excuse for the behavior of October 7, there is no explanation.”
Hamas is your enemy. It is their duty to kill you. They are just simply doing what they are supposed to do.
To paraphrase an old bit of snark…
Whoever told you
that looks good on youthey wish you were dead, is not your friend.if muslims are really against what happened on 9 11 2001 to america
then why didnt we and why dont we ever hear those denunciations? of the muslim led attack onto america
This saddens me–there is no reason for Jewish students to have to go through this–half of the idiots protesting don’t even know what they’re protesting
How many Germans knew what they were hating?
Too many would rather conform than question. Written or spoken alone does not make something true. We are not lemmings, we are human beings made in the image of G-d. People who flock are no better than sheep.
May God protect Israel and his chosen people everywhere. Where fear is rampant, may courage be contagious. May all who trust in the Lord have stout hearts, clear heads, and steady hands.