Stephen Kessler | ‘Safe spaces,’ scapegoats and philosemitism

Stephen Kessler | ‘Safe spaces,’ scapegoats and philosemitism

Let’s stipulate that among the pro-Palestinian demonstrators on college campuses protesting Israel’s devastating assault on Gaza in retaliation for the Oct. 7, 2023, atrocities by Hamas there were and are individuals who conflate Zionism and Judaism, or Zionists and Jews, and hate both. Let’s also be clear that some criticism of Israeli government policy, including by heterodox Jews like me, is rooted in Jewish values of justice and moral conduc…

Antisemitic ‘Activists’ Have Turned My Campus Into A Battleground Of Intimidation

When I enrolled at Indiana University I never thought I would see my peers graffiti “DIVEST NOW” across campus buildings and sidewalks. Now, to make matters worse, those same activists are threatening the university itself with ultimatums and demands. “IU has until January 13 to respond, or we escalate.” As a Jewish student at IU, ...