Editor's Letter
Redressing Campus Hate
T
hick strands of anti-Jewish and anti-Zionist senti-
expression of being anti-Semitic. The presence of this symp-
tom has always been a reliable indicator of ill health on cam-
ment are woven into the fabric of many institutions
of higher education — from community colleges
pus, according to the CCR report.
to Ivy League schools. Yet Jews are more apt to balk than
Rebuke Deception
confront them. We're more inclined to argue among ourselves
Marcus concedes that the federal government must be more
about what we should stand for than denounce the hatred
adept at tracking campus hate, including anti-Semitism. But
and bigotry spreading exponentially
on campuses across the land.
anecdotal evidence and nongovernmental accounts seem to
In the interest of trying to get along, indicate that anti-Semitism on campus today is worse than
we get stampeded. How foolish is that? 20 years ago. "Many Jewish college students and faculty have
Hatred is an aggressive malignancy.
told me that our findings have validated things that they have
been saying for quite some time, but which college adminis-
Take it from Kenneth Marcus,
America's chief civil rights watchdog
trators hadn't previously taken seriously," says Marcus.
whom I interviewed last week: "Silence
The IN continues to monitor vicious lies by pro-Palestinian
student groups at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor
is an ally of hate:'
To freeze up in the wake of ethnical- and Wayne State University in Detroit against the "apartheid
ly or culturally rooted campus strife is state of Israel." The administration at each university has
to embolden propagandists and apolo- stalwartly rejected repeated calls to divest from multinational
gists. It weakens Jewish
corporations doing business in Israel.
On many campuses, anti-Zionist propaganda
resolve to seek legal or administrative redress
invokes anti-Semitic defamations like the medi-
for hate incidents on campus.
eval Jewish blood libel or Nazi stereotypes of Jews
Next week, Marcus, staff director of the U.S.
as contemptuous and conspiratorial. There are
Commission on Civil Rights (CCR), will keynote
the Middle East studies classes that openly deride
a local symposium on "Campus Anti-Semitism:
Everyone's Problem." He'll appear with Aryeh
Israel. Such incitement is light years from legiti-
mate criticism of Israeli policy. Marcus, a veteran
Weinberg, a fellow at the Institute for Jewish
civil rights lawyer, puts it bluntly: "Anti-Semitic
and Community Research and co-author of
bigotry is as contemptible when disguised as poli-
the book The UnCivil University. The San
Francisco-based Institute gave key testimony
tics as it is in its more traditional forms:'
So don't be duped.
before the CCR to identify the nature and extent
The CCR found that anti-Semitic harassment
of anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist sizzle on cam- Kenneth Mar C U S
pus. It's alarming that the top U.S. civil rights
— when severe, persistent or pervasive enough
— may actually violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of
agency was compelled to hold special hearings in 2005 and
1964. Of concern are equal educational opportunities on
issue the 2006 report, "Campus Anti-Semitism."
campuses that readily accept public funds.
Weighty Work
The CCR report delves into the lapses in standards of aca-
The Washington-based CCR believes anti-Semitic harassment demic integrity and oversight that have allowed recurrent or
mutated anti-Semitism to conveniently morph into pro-Israel
on campus won't subside until a critical mass of students
demonizing, which is more widely condoned.
and faculty develops armor made of knowledge, concern and
courage to condemn all campus hate, not just acts targeting
Clearly, the Jewish community must sharpen its focus on
campus. Linda Stulberg of StandWithUs/Michigan distilled
Jews or Israel. Confronting intimidation and intolerance as
anti-American assures that anti-Semitism won't be just a
why: "We have a responsibility to become educated and
Jewish, and thus limited, concern.
engaged to protect our students and to challenge academia
when necessary so that anti-Semitism is no less acceptable
The challenge is to isolate campus hate while protecting
than any other manifestation of racism or hatred."
rights and sustaining the public trust. The burden falls to
To stand pat is to risk compromising the intellectual and
campus administrators. Says Marcus: "They need to assume a
leadership role in combating ethnic and religious harassment, even physical security of our students. Robust debate is a
cornerstone on campus. But ridicule championed simply as a
including anti-Semitism, while also safeguarding the prin-
clash of ideas mocks the very essence of campus life. I1
ciples of academic freedom."
The commission wants all students on campus, whatever
Kenneth Marcus and Aryeh Weinberg will speak at 7 p.m. Monday,
their background, to know the rights they have to repel dis-
March 26, at a free StandWithUs/Michigan program at Temple Israel,
crimination and harassment. This includes the protections
available to express religious and political beliefs without fear 5725 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield. Appearances also are set
for Wayne State and U-M. Call (248) 432-1384.
of retaliation or retribution from campus authorities.
Given the Jewish propensity to back away from confronta-
tion, I'm not surprised that the CCR found that many Jewish
0 : Does all the anti-Semitic hate on campus
students are clueless to what their rights are. The commission
La surprise you?
vows to launch a public education campaign to change that.
ti)
I— c,
I don't want First Amendment freedoms trampled. Blasting
Z z When does tough talk mutate into an
Israeli foreign policy certainly is in bounds. But campuses
0 0 anti-Semitic rant?
should not be cauldrons for uncivil behavior. The UnCivil
a. 0
University cites as an egregious example the ideology and
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March 22 2007
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