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FEBRUARY 22 • 2024 | 7
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There is no cost to the stu-
dents and each faculty member 
— most of whom are already 
involved with the Coalition — 
is working voluntarily.
We intend to tackle difficult 
issues, including Israel-related 
questions, and encourage frank 
dialogues and open minds. A 
key objective of the Academy 
is to foster new and sustainable 
relationships between the stu-
dents.
At the Coalition, which 
is comprised of a partner-
ship between the Jewish 
Community Relations Council/
AJC, the Council of Baptist 
Pastors of Detroit and Vicinity, 
the Urban League, the ADL 
and the NAACP Michigan 
Conference, we often stress 
that what unites the two com-
munities is stronger than what 
divides us. The people who 
hate one community invariably 
lump in the other one as well. 
 As best stated by Dr. Martin 
Luther King, Jr., “We may have 
arrived in different ships, but 
we’re all in the same boat now.”
The Coalition has thrived 
as a result of lots of passionate 
people who are committed to 
fighting racism and antisemi-
tism and promoting solidarity 
between both communities. 
Sixty years ago, Black and 
Jewish Freedom Fighters in 
the South marched together, 
and some died together. It 
was a time when strong bonds 
between the communities 
were forged. We are confident 
that the Coalition’s Leadership 
Academy will help create lead-
ers who will be better equipped 
to carry that torch into the next 
generation. 

Mark Jacobs is the co-director of 

the Coalition for Black and Jewish 

Unity. If you are interested in learning 

more about the Coalition Leadership 

Academy, contact Tamara Lopes at (510) 

684-8985 or lopes@jcrcajc.org.

AMERICAN SUPPORT FOR 
ISRAEL IS IMPRESSIVE
The United States rose to the 
occasion in two ways: govern-
mental support for Israel and 
support from the second larg-
est Jewish population in the 
world. It was and is still good 
to see President Joe Biden 
state his support for Israel, and 
the U.S. sending supplies and 
armaments to the Jewish state. 
The support from American 
Jews has been beyond impres-
sive, raising over $1 billion for 
Israel within a month after 
Oct. 7. 
The Jewish community in 
Detroit has raised over $30 
million for Israel, as well as 
countless supplies and volun-
teering. Support is ongoing. 

BUT SUPPORT IN 
AMERICA IS NOT 
UNIVERSAL
Although I have studied 
American history for many 
years, perhaps I am still naïve, 
or just amazed, once again, 
that so many Americans 
lack any basic understanding 
of Middle East politics and 
actors. Forlornly, I had hoped 
for better.
Instead, according to the 
Anti-Defamation League, 
antisemitism has increased by 
360% in the U.S. Moreover, 
many American college cam-
puses, allegedly places for 
open, frank, thoughtful and 
respectful dialogue, are now 
venues for pro-Palestinian pro-
tests that deride Jews and Israel 
as evil. 
Pro-Palestinian groups on 
campus organize aggressive 
rallies and intimidate Jewish 
and other students who might 
disagree. A recent poll demon-
strated that few of the students 
spouting “From the River to 
the Sea” actually understand 
the history or meaning of this 
slogan. 

It’s not just antisemitism on 
campus. Take, for example, 
a protest at New York City’s 
Memorial Sloan Kettering 
Cancer Center in January. 
Its leaders urged participants 
to sling anti-Zionist and 
antisemitic tropes at kids in 
the cancer ward who were 
watching the protesters. Noble, 
hey? 
Worse are those who 
promote misinformation or 
justify the Hamas attack as 
credible “resistance” from 
“militants.
” This bogus stance 
was also promoted locally 
in several rallies in Metro 
Detroit. One congresswoman 
from Metro Detroit — I don’t 
even have to name her, do 
I? — had to be pressured into 
acknowledging that the attack 
on Israel was indeed a terrible 
act. She was also censured by 
Congress.
Meanwhile, the mainstream 
media continue to call Hamas 
members “militants,
” instead 
of terrorists, even though the 
European Union, Canada, the 
U.S. and other nations have 
formally designated Hamas as 
a terrorist organization. 
In short, words matter. They 
always have. 
 
MAYBE ONLY ISRAELIS 
REALLY UNDERSTAND 
THE IMPACT OF THIS 
WAR ON ISRAEL
To read about Israelis as they 
cope with the war generates 
great empathy and sadness, 
as well as admiration for their 
courage. Many of us here in 
America have friends and 
family in Israel. We may have 
lost someone we know. 
Most of us, however, cannot 
really understand living in 
Israel at this time. This is a 
personal war. Most, if not all, 
Israelis feel the loss of someone 
they know who was killed or 
wounded in action or during 

an attack on civilians, or one of 
the unfortunate hostages. And 
we are not diving into shelters 
with our children when the 
sirens sound.

NO ONE KNOWS 
HOW IT WILL END
One can read a lot of op-eds 
with solutions for the end of 
the war, or speculations on 
how it will end. While these 
articles might be interesting 
reading, only a couple of truths 
exist.
First, the elimination of 
Hamas or similar terror groups 
— there are too many to list 
here — is a tremendously 
difficult task. Although they 
have been seriously damaged, 
they are still firing rockets 
into Israel and fighting the 
IDF. It is also clear that they 
are not a reliable negotiating 
partner. The last Hamas 
terrorist standing will declare 
victory no matter how many 
innocents have died because of 
his/her actions.
When reading the reports on 
the war, it also appears obvious 
that Hamas miscalculated the 
intensity of Israel’s response 
and the resolve of Israelis. 
According to the reports from 
Israel, the vast majority of its 
citizens continue to support 
the war effort, despite growing 
international pressures to end 
it. They are tired of terrorism. 
The old saying, “enough is 
enough,
” is the reality for Israel.
I hope I can soon read about 
an end to the war, the end of 
Hamas and the release of all 
the hostages. 
I am certain I will not read 
about Israel’s demise. I just 
wish I could read about Israel 
at peace with all its neigh-
bors. 

Mike Smith is the Alene and Graham 

Landeau Archivist for the Detroit Jewish 

News Foundation. 

READING THE WAR 
continued from page 4