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I want to begin by saluting Gov. Kathy Hochul for working to stem the atmosphere of hate developing on college campuses in our state. Hers is but one voice, but it is an important one and we need more.
The anti-Israel demonstrations occurring across the globe and on U.S. college campuses are very disturbing because they signal a resurfacing of a virulent antisemitism as occurred in Germany under the Nazis leading to the prohibition of Jews from working in most jobs and professions, the loss of their German citizenship and to the horrors of Nov. 9, 1938, known as Kristallnacht or the Night of Broken Glass when 600 synagogues, 7,000 Jewish owned businesses and institutions were burned or destroyed, 91 Jews killed and 30,000 Jewish men sent to concentration camps.
Antisemitism has existed in the world since the Jews were dispersed from Palestine nearly 2000 years ago. In the United States, while generally nonviolent, antisemitism created an atmosphere in the 1930's that led to a situation where German Jews were not accorded refugee status by the U.S. In fact, the U.S. had no refugee policy so those seeking to escape from Nazi persecution had to navigate a deliberate and slow immigration process. While 110,000 Jewish refugees escaped to the U.S. many hundreds of thousands more who applied to immigrate were unsuccessful.
Contrary to the view of some this new antisemitism is not the creation of MAGA Republicans. There certainly are small radical right wing groups that espouse antisemitism, but they are not in the mainstream, nor do they teach on college campuses as do far left intellectuals.
This new antisemitism is the creation of the far left faculties at many of our most prestigious universities. True to the tenets of the Marxist doctrine of "Critical Race Theory" they see the world as made up of the oppressed, in this case the Palestinians, and the oppressor seen in this case to be Israel.
While the "Squad" in the House has long accepted these radical views now other elements of the National Democratic Party have now adopted them and it is becoming the party of the far left. I wonder what Presidents' Harry Truman, John Kennedy, the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynahan, or the late House Speaker "Tip" O'Neil would say about their party now?
Unfortunately, these far left faculties have been able to foist their views on impressionable young people thought of as our best and brightest and as our future leaders. Sadly, these young peoples' worldview has been shaped in many cases by years of instruction in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion which developed out of Critical Race Theory in our secondary schools.
The young people who have been drawn into these protests also suffer from the way history has been taught and not taught in our schools for the last twenty years. It's apparent that they have a superficial knowledge of U.S. and world history and I suspect they know little or nothing of the history of the Middle East, or of the history of the Jewish and Palestinian people and if presented with a map of the region would have great difficulty identifying the countries. Many have also been exposed to history textbooks that portray our nation as an oppressor emphasizing its faults and ignoring the singular place this nation has occupied for more than 250 years. As someone who was a college history major and has always loved the subject, all this pains me.
What of the future? Israel will win this battle and destroy Hamas. I believe this is necessary. Then with the installation of a government in Gaza that truly represents the Palestinian people they will no longer fear being used by Hamas as human shields, and they will no longer live under Hamas' brutal fascist dictatorship.
However, I am very concerned that those who will lead this nation in decades to come may remain infected with the disease of antisemitism and if that is the case, in a nation that has become so secularized in recent years, it does not bode well for the future.
Finally, I find the announcement by the Biden administration of an effort to work on a strategy to combat Islamophobia short sighted, and clueless because nothing was said about combating the antisemitism engulfing our college campuses and cities with attacks on Jews who have every reason to fear for their lives. It should be noted that in 2022 there were 1122 hate crimes committed against Jews versus 128 committed against Muslims in the U.S. It has been reported that the real reason for the announcement were polls showing that Arab Americans support for Biden is in the tank. However, I don't believe it is a serious effort because Vice President Kamala Harris, famous for her lack of follow through, has been placed in charge.
Thomas Kirkpatrick is a Silver Creek resident. Send comments to editorial@observertoday.com