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I 

found my why. Why did I 
decide to go to Israel with my 
daughter at this time during 
a war? Some would say that it is 
unsafe. Some may say that this 
is not the right time. I know my 
why.

On 9-11, I lost my husband, 
Kenny, to terrorism when 
the World Trade Center was 
attacked and he was trapped on 
the top floors of the first tower 
hit by the plane. This is why 
my why led me to Israel. While 
suffering the lifelong effect as 
a spouse of a 9-11 victim and 
standing today because of the 
support system of family and 
friends and even strangers, it’s 
central to my being to pay it 
forward to the people of Israel in 
their time of need. My daughter, 
Maya, and I did just that.

When our Excel Mission trip 
to Israel began, the group was 
introduced to Tomer Zisser; 
my life story runs parallel 

to Tomer’s. I see a photo of 
Tomer with her late husband, 
Ilay, just married and starting 
to build their home together 
in the moshav/kibbutz where 
Tomer’s parents live. Ilay was a 
high-ranking soldier, beloved by 
his peers and most beloved by 
Tomar for they were each other’s 
best friend. Tomar described 
Ilay as kind, loving, brilliant — 
played chess like a champ and 
taught himself to play the guitar. 
Since his death, Tomer is 
trying to live for both of them 
and carry on with their shared 
plans. He wanted her to go 
back to school and get her 
master’s — finish building their 
home and live a long happy, 
meaningful life. She hears his 
voice in her head reminding her 
of her strength. 
Tomer and I had a private 
talk in the rain while in Hostage 
Square in Tel Aviv. The rain 
allowed us to huddle close and 

hide our matching tears as we 
shared our common bond. Our 
connection became even more 
special when Maya joined us in 
that huddle and spoke to Tomer 
with such compassion, knowl-
edge and empathy — once again, 
demonstrating her transforma-
tion into a caring and capable 
young woman who knows the 
meaning of tikkun olam. 
While walking through 

Hostage Square, I was over-
whelmed by the poster-lined 
walls of the kidnapped children, 
woman and men of Israel. In Tel 
Aviv’s Hostage Square, like NYC 
of 2001, no one would ever 
think to desecrate or rip down 
posters of victims. It made me 
remember how the world came 
together in times of tragedy 
not too long ago, but now it 
seems that anger and misguided 

Karen Simon and 
daughter Maya

OR DRAGA

REAL LIFE EXAMPLES
After several presentations, we 
broke into smaller discussion 
groups, where I learned of what 
other faculty have experienced. 
One highly accomplished senior 
professor reported on feeling 
isolated because the professional 
organizations on which she had 
always relied had condemned 
Israel as an apartheid state and 
white settler colony guilty of 
genocide. 
The organizations she spoke 
of were anything but marginal. 
The AAUP — the largest associ-
ation of faculty and academics, 
traditionally champion of aca-
demic freedom — in February 
2024 called for an immediate 
ceasefire without condemning 

Hamas to show solidarity with 
Palestinian unions and faculty. 
The National Women’s Studies 
Association issued its condem-
nation of Israel with no mention 
of Hamas only four days after 
the slaughter of 1,200 and the 
kidnapping of 251 Israelis. The 
association did not need any 
time to know who the bad guys 
were. The academic hostility to 
Israel has a history. 
The American Studies 
Association and Association for 
Asian American Studies were 
in the vanguard of activism 
against Israel as they were the 
first two professional bodies that 
endorsed the BDS movement in 
2013, to be followed two years 
later by the National Women’s 

Studies Association. 
Not to be outdone, the 
Anthropology national associ-
ation hopped on the BDS train 
in 2023, after voting against the 
boycott seven years earlier. The 
Radical Caucus at the MLA 
national convention on Jan. 6, 
2024, called a special meeting of 
delegates to issue a statement of 
support for pro-Palestinian stu-
dents and faculty; the delegates 
rejected a counterproposal that 
called for protecting the free 
speech rights and safety of all 
students no matter their politics. 
According to eyewitnesses, 
during the debate over the res-
olution, speakers pointing to 
the Hamas hostage taking and 
sexual assaults were met with 

hissing for even bringing up 
Hamas violence. The Executive 
Committee framed the emer-
gency in a one-sided way by 
singling out the pro-Palestinian 
academics who needed the most 
support and protection. The 
truly vulnerable were “those who 
have been targeted for speaking 
out against Israel’s violence in 
Gaza.
” The ”
opponents” of Israel’s 
actions have been “suffering 
harassment, doxing and threats 
related to their teaching, writing 
and speech on issues related to 
Palestine.
” The threats originate 
“outside the university,
” which 
has become subject to “donor 
influence on hiring and other 
issues of collegial process.
” 
Aggression comes only from 

essay
Finding Hope

HAMAS AND ACADEMIA continued from page 6

KAREN SIMON SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

