MARCH 28 • 2024 | 7
J
N
continued on page 8
continued on page 8
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