In the safe spaces on campus, no Jews allowed

[anna7602]

www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2016/09/15/in-the-safe-spaces-on-campus-no-jews-allowed/


By Anthony Berteaux September 15


This article is excerpted from a longer piece in the Tower.



When Arielle Mokhtarzadeh arrived at University of California, Berkeley, to attend the annual Students of Color Conference, she had no way of knowing that she would be leaving as a victim of anti-Semitism.



The conference has maintained a reputation for 27 years as being a “safe space” where students of color, as well as white progressive allies, can discuss issues of structural and cultural inequality on college campuses.


For Mokhtarzadeh, an Iranian Jew at UCLA, her freshman year was punctuated by incidents of anti-Semitism that were both personal and met with national controversy. She was shocked during her first quarter in school, when students entered the Bruin Cafe to see the phrase “Hitler did nothing wrong” etched into a table. Months later, Mokhtarzadeh’s friend Rachel Beyda was temporarily denied a student government leadership position based solely on her Jewish identity, an event that made news nationwide.



The campus was supposed to be her new home, her new safe space — so why didn’t she feel that way? She went to the conference hoping for some answers.

But on the first day there, she was horrified when the discussion became an attack on Israel — and soon devolved into attacks on the Jews.



“Over the course of what was probably no longer than an hour, my history was denied, the murder of my people was justified, and a movement whose sole purpose is the destruction of the Jewish homeland was glorified. Statements were made justifying the ruthless murder of innocent Israeli civilians, blatantly denying Jewish indigeneity in the land, and denying the Holocaust in which six million Jews were murdered,” she said. “Why anyone in their right mind would accept these slanders as truths baffles me. But they did. These statements, and others, were met with endless snaps and cheers. I was taken aback.”



Mokhtarzadeh walked out on the verge of tears. “It was in that moment, during that conference, that I realized that every identity and every intersection of identity was to be welcomed and championed in progressive spaces — except mine.”

The recent surge of progressive activism on college campuses across the country has led to many debates on the merits of concepts such as “microaggressions” and “safe spaces” in educational settings that should respect free speech and dialogue. Student uprisings against racial injustice and discrimination at Yale, the University of Missouri and dozens of other universities have shown the power of students who have banded together against institutionalized racism in academia and the student body.



But little has been said about how the idea of “intersectionality” — the idea that all struggles are connected and must be combated by allies — has created a dubious bond between the progressive movement and pro-Palestinian activists who often engage in the same racist and discriminatory discourse they claim to fight. As a result of this alliance, progressive Jewish students are often subjected to a double standard not applied to their peers — an Israel litmus test to prove their loyalties to social justice.

Progressive Jewish students have said they feel like they have to hide their Jewish identity in order to belong in these movements. Such was the case of Michael Stephenson, a Jewish sophomore at the University of Missouri who participated in the racial justice protests last fall, and yet felt his Jewish identity undercut his “social justice” credibility. He told the Jewish Week newspaper that there were countless moments when his social justice cred was questioned, including statements that “bordered on anti-Semitism.”



While the effectiveness of campus protests is worthy of debate, it should remain undeniable — and undeniably troubling — that the progressive college movement, and specifically pro-Palestinian groups within it, have pushed anti-Semitic rhetoric in the name of progressive values. For example, the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter at Northeastern University likes to fashion itself a progressive organization, but in 2012 the school’s SJP adviser was recorded telling members to be proud to be called an anti-Semite — to wear it as a “sign of distinction. This proves that I’m working for the right side, the just cause.”

The ramifications of ignoring the normalization of anti-Semitism cannot be understated: The most recent FBI hate crime report found that 58.2 percent of hate crimes motivated by religious bias were targeted at Jews. Jews make up 2.2 percent of the American population, so the FBI’s statistics make it clear that Jews are the most disproportionately attacked religious group in America. It should be troubling to everyone that an SJP member at Temple University physically assaulted a pro-Israel Jewish student two years ago, calling him a “Zionist baby killer.” But it should be far more troubling that the SJP chapter at Temple (like all SJP chapters) promotes itself as a progressive organization, claiming solidarity with movements such as Black Lives Matter.

Another incident occurred at UC Santa Cruz, when Jewish student Daniel Bernstein, an elected representative on his college council, received a message from the SJP-aligned chair of the student council instructing him to abstain from a vote on divestment from Israel because he was elected with a “Jewish agenda.”



“I was literally in awe,” Bernstein said. “Just the phrase ‘Jewish agenda’ is so volatile and anti-Semitic. To think that my own council members think that I am unable to uphold their beliefs and ideals in the greater student assembly because I am Jewish is beyond anything I ever thought would be told to me.”



Northeastern University’s SJP chapter was so persistent in anti-Semitic harassment — from defacing the statue of a Jewish donor to disrupting Holocaust awareness events — that the university was forced to temporarily suspend the organization in 2014. The SJP chapter at Vassar College even tweeted Nazi propaganda from 1944.

When these events happen, there are no outcries from the progressive community. Tyler Fredricks, a student at Duke, has noticed the variation in responses from the SJP-aligned progressive crowd when instances of anti-Semitism occur.

“When someone wrote ‘No n—–s, whites only’ on a Black Lives Matter flyer, the Duke community held a march where over a hundred students marched and rallied in support. They did the same thing when someone wrote a homophobic slur in the dorms,” Fredricks said. “When someone wrote anti-Semitic comments on a Duke Friends of Israel flyer, there was no march, rally or campus outrage.”



This pattern has made Jews of all ages question their place within higher education. “Jewish students and their parents are intensely apprehensive and insecure about this movement,” Mark Yudof, the former president of the University of California system, told the New York Times. “I hear it all the time: Where can I send my kids that will be safe for them as Jews?”



Two more questions come to mind: If the progressives who have fought against racial injustice and bigotry for so long eventually become the ones who perpetuate it, who will remain to call them out? At this rate, if anti-Semitism is normalized through the efforts of the rising progressive movements on college campuses, what will the future look like for Jewish college students?

Outreach is imperative now. This means making the progressive community understand the ramifications of anti-Semitic speech. Engaging this audience — through trips to Israel, visits to Holocaust museums, and even simply interacting with Jewish students — can help change the narrative.

[barcelonagirl]

What a conflict!

While I belive it is possible to be anti-zionism and not anti-semetic I hate that honest critical discussion of Israel evolved into anti-semetism.

At least RU has the Chabad house.

[bugandbibs]

I have major issues with Israel but none of them are anti-Semitic in nature. It's become a bully. That can be talked about without insulting Judaism and being hateful towards Jewish people.

Derogatory and hateful speech towards any group of people should not be tolerated.

[orriskitten]

I'm trying to not get too emotional in regards to the responses to this article... I might have to come back later but do need to put this out there.

You don't have problems with Jews, but let's make sure we talk more about the Israel hatred instead after reading this article. Sounds good to me and like it isn't an attack or a distraction from those being attacked.

Derogatory and hateful speech towards any group of people should not be tolerated. Except Israelis. Right?

This article was hardly about Israel, but about Jewish students being attacked individually and the responses here talk more about Israel. Things like this really hit a bad place for me.

[barcelonagirl]

Sorry Israel lost me when it admitted to forced sterilization of black Jewish refugees.

Frankly, I don't see how a visit to Israel would help people understand the plight of Americans. Visiting synagogues in this country would be a more powerful and less political aka divisive.

[andwhat]

This is such a complicated issue and I am not well-versed enough to really speak on it. But I can see how people who are anti-Zionist can venture over into anti-Semitism. And there are just flat out anti-Semites out there. People should definitely be able to feel safe on campuses. I think universities need to figure out a way to allow there to be free idea exchange and not restrict true dialogue, but they are also responsible for making their students feel safe. And this is for all groups. It is a very hard task to have.

[orriskitten]

Sept 17, 2016 9:21:35 GMT -5 barcelonagirl said:

Sorry Israel lost me when it admitted to forced sterilization of black Jewish refugees.

Frankly, I don't see how a visit to Israel would help people understand the plight of Americans. Visiting synagogues in this country would be a more powerful and less political aka divisive.

My biggest issue is to not associate all Jews with Israel from the get go. Like some PPs have said, not all Jews support the actions of the government in Israel. Judaism exists world wide.

Please stop distracting from the attacks on individuals NOT in Israel and not participating in pro-Israel organizations.

As to visiting synagogues, I would support that assuming people respected the practices and the people within. With attacks on synagogues, they are hardly a safe space anymore to begin with. Maybe having Jews welcome in student organizations that aren't just for Jews might be helpful.

[Cicero]

Sept 17, 2016 7:53:16 GMT -5 @bunnybean said:

Right, being anti-Semitic and ant-Israel are two different things. I know many Leftist Jews who know that, and are anti-apartheid Israel.

However, while there very well may have been something anti-Semitic written on the Duke Students for Israel flyer, just having a problem Israel politically isn't anti-semitism.

ETA: issuu.com/dukechronicle/docs/121113_news/1

Turns out, a Students for Justice in Palestine event/wall replica had been vandalized by one of the Students for Israel students. So, it's a complicated issue clearly, and we only heard one side in this article.

FWIW I have personally walked through an SJP rally/demonstration off campus in Durham. The things they were saying were massively anti Semitic. My friend was visiting and was wearing her Star of David pendant. Someone yelled something nasty enough to her that I told them to fuck off back to campus when we were walking by. Based on that I pretty much believe everything written here as it relates to Duke shenanigans.

[heyjude]

Sept 17, 2016 10:00:45 GMT -5 neener said:

Sept 17, 2016 9:21:35 GMT -5 barcelonagirl said:

Sorry Israel lost me when it admitted to forced sterilization of black Jewish refugees.

Frankly, I don't see how a visit to Israel would help people understand the plight of Americans. Visiting synagogues in this country would be a more powerful and less political aka divisive.

Can you share a source for this?

I met with South Sudanese refugees in Tel Aviv and while many other issues were mentioned, I have never heard this. I am not saying I don't believe it, but I consider myself relatively educated on this particular issue and didn't hear anything about it from the refugees I met or the NGOs.

I do believe it's important to be able to speak freely against the Israeli government and its policies. I do not support the occupation as I know it's unsustainable for Israel's long-term existence, plus it's obviously a barrier to a viable Palestinian state. I am a Zionist - I want there to be a democratic Jewish state in Israel. But I know that can't exist with both the occupation and the constant violent threats to Israel's existence. There are valid narratives and issues that both sides need to recognize and compromise on in order to be able to move forward. I don't know if or when that will ever happen, but I try to do my part as an American Jewish educator to teach that loving Israel and Zionism do not mean blind support for all of the government's policies.

www.google.com/amp/www.forbes.com/sites/eliseknutsen/2013/01/28/israel-foribly-injected-african-immigrant-women-with-birth-control/amp/?client=safari

Israel is a political entity and it does not get immunity from the political decisions it makes that are detrimental to others. No nation is. This is a separate issue from its religious founding and the Jewish faith.

[barcelonagirl]

Sept 17, 2016 10:00:45 GMT -5 neener said:

Sept 17, 2016 9:21:35 GMT -5 barcelonagirl said:

Sorry Israel lost me when it admitted to forced sterilization of black Jewish refugees.

Frankly, I don't see how a visit to Israel would help people understand the plight of Americans. Visiting synagogues in this country would be a more powerful and less political aka divisive.

Can you share a source for this?

www.haaretz.com/news/israel/israel-admits-ethiopian-women-were-given-birth-control-shots.premium-1.496519?v=B41FAF0E493F45EFB51A755677FDB329

[heyjude]

Sept 17, 2016 9:00:35 GMT -5 neener said:

This is a complicated issue with a lot of nuance, obviously. Most articles I read on this subject simply can't bring the necessary level of nuance to the conversation. I rarely see it online conversations, either.

However, much of what is being called anti-Zionism IS antisemitism. It's a thin mask to allow hate speech toward Jewish people and it's truly at its worst in academia right now. I lived in Berkeley and it is a hostile climate for Jewish students. The climate around the world has become more hostile as well - look at the attacks in France. They aren't isolated and while they're being done by so-called anti-Zionists, the victims were French Jews. That's antisemitism.

Wait. French Jews were targeted or French Jews made up some of the victims? There's a significant difference here.

[orval]

Sept 17, 2016 11:03:32 GMT -5 heyjude said:

Sept 17, 2016 9:00:35 GMT -5 neener said:

This is a complicated issue with a lot of nuance, obviously. Most articles I read on this subject simply can't bring the necessary level of nuance to the conversation. I rarely see it online conversations, either.

However, much of what is being called anti-Zionism IS antisemitism. It's a thin mask to allow hate speech toward Jewish people and it's truly at its worst in academia right now. I lived in Berkeley and it is a hostile climate for Jewish students. The climate around the world has become more hostile as well - look at the attacks in France. They aren't isolated and while they're being done by so-called anti-Zionists, the victims were French Jews. That's antisemitism.

Wait. French Jews were targeted or French Jews made up some of the victims? There's a significant difference here.

A kosher deli was attacked the same day as the Charlie Hebdo attack.

[heyjude]

Sept 17, 2016 11:14:30 GMT -5 orval said:

Sept 17, 2016 11:03:32 GMT -5 heyjude said:

Wait. French Jews were targeted or French Jews made up some of the victims? There's a significant difference here.

A kosher deli was attacked the same day as the Charlie Hebdo attack.

Okay. That would definitely be targeting French Jews.

[barcelonagirl]

I hate banning speech of all kinds but I don't think talks about safe spaces designed for American social issues should ever involve international entities.

[andwhat]

Sept 17, 2016 11:48:31 GMT -5 barcelonagirl said:

I hate banning speech of all kinds but I don't think talks about safe spaces designed for American social issues should ever involve international entities.

Why? This was Berkeley's Students of Color Conference. I am going to assume Berkeley has international students of color.

[ESF]

Even "allies" suffer from the same problem as everyone else, which is this need to have a perfect victim. I think many on the so-called progressive left see Jewish people as less sympathetic than well, every other POC or religious minority. I think that's because there's more of a tendency to just assume that a Jewish person, particularly those who are open and proud of their identity and faith must support every heinous thing the Israeli government has ever done.

I'm very sorry that this happened to this woman, and I hope she can find a more supportive circle.

ETA:

I want to clarify my second to last sentence, because it was terribly worded and doesn't communicate what I was trying to say.

It should have said "has ever done and is accused to having been done."

There's indisputably bad acts (forced sterilization) and then there's the fact that there are still people who take issue with the fact that Israel should have a right to defend itself, and then not only presume the Jewish person is in 100% agreement with all actions of the state but also do not want to hear or understand why Israeli national security is actually important.

I apologize for my poor word choice and any offense I may have caused.

[AJL]

I have so much to say about this. SO much. I'm out at lunch but will get back to this when I can better put my thoughts together and not just go off on a really pissed off rant regarding some of these comments.

[mrsdewinter]

I have to go volunteer for HRC right now and I will try to come back to this later and elaborate. But yeah, I am incredibly bothered by some of the responses to this thread.

[barcelonagirl]

Sept 17, 2016 11:57:25 GMT -5 andwhat said:

Sept 17, 2016 11:48:31 GMT -5 barcelonagirl said:

I hate banning speech of all kinds but I don't think talks about safe spaces designed for American social issues should ever involve international entities.

Why? This was Berkeley's Students of Color Conference. I am going to assume Berkeley has international students of color.

Because talks about Israel deflect from what the forum was supposed to be about. They needed that Pastor who redirected Trump to talk about Flint. I'm sure the students of color have enough to talk about without bringing any other country up.

I just don't think it was the appropriate forum.

[MrsAxilla]

Sept 17, 2016 12:29:13 GMT -5 ESF said:

Even "allies" suffer from the same problem as everyone else, which is this need to have a perfect victim. I think many on the so-called progressive left see Jewish people as less sympathetic than well, every other POC or religious minority. I think that's because there's more of a tendency to just assume that a Jewish person, particularly those who are open and proud of their identity and faith must support every heinous thing the Israeli government has ever done.

I'm very sorry that this happened to this woman, and I hope she can find a more supportive circle.

There's that.  I think there's also an element of Jews "passing" as non-Jews, meaning American Jews are well integrated and many have the "privilege" of keeping their religion private if they wish.  If no one knows you're Jewish, how can you possibly experience anti-semitism?  Which is, of course, absurd.

[hopecounts]

I will say as a non-Jew some of these comments come off very blame the group for the bad acts of a few.
Are there serious issues with Israeli policies?
Absolutely but blaming all Jews for those choices is pretty awful.

[barcelonagirl]

I just don't see why you can't have a conversation about how fucked up it is to see "Hitler was right" as an American Jew without bringing up Israel.




And the article isn't clear but I believe it was the non-Jews that started it:(
Where is that Pastor again?

[mouse]

I don't know about anyone else, but I have been told that questioning the formation of modern Israel is the same as questioning Israel's right to exist. That questioning the tactics of Israeli apartheid would also bring the end of modern Israel. And that ultimately, anything anti-occupation or pro-Palestine is anti-Semitic.

I have also seen pro-Palestine arguments that rely on unstated anti-Jewish sentiments and stereotypes and descend into blatant anti-Jewish slurs at the slightest touch. To the point where I have come to question how often anti-occupation stances come from anti-Jewish beliefs.

I think you can oppose the occupation or support the creation of an independent Palestine without being anti-Jewish or wishing to abolish the state of Israel. But I think you need to watch yourself and watch what those around you are claiming and saying. I don't think the left has done a good job of this.

[MrsAxilla]

Sept 17, 2016 15:01:46 GMT -5 mouse said:

I don't know about anyone else, but I have been told that questioning the formation of modern Israel is the same as questioning Israel's right to exist. That questioning the tactics of Israeli apartheid would also bring the end of modern Israel. And that ultimately, anything anti-occupation or pro-Palestine is anti-Semitic.

I have not been taught this, nor was DH. As children, sure, those issues were simplified as "we must always support Israel", and I think many Jews start there, but this is complicated and nuanced and certainly there is a wide range of views within the Jewish community.

[mouse]

Sept 17, 2016 15:31:07 GMT -5 MrsAxilla said:

Sept 17, 2016 15:01:46 GMT -5 mouse said:

I don't know about anyone else, but I have been told that questioning the formation of modern Israel is the same as questioning Israel's right to exist. That questioning the tactics of Israeli apartheid would also bring the end of modern Israel. And that ultimately, anything anti-occupation or pro-Palestine is anti-Semitic.

I have not been taught this, nor was DH. As children, sure, those issues were simplified as "we must always support Israel", and I think many Jews start there, but this is complicated and nuanced and certainly there is a wide range of views within the Jewish community.

Oh, I know there is, I hope I didn't imply otherwise. And it certainly isn't fair to generalize from this one experience.

Also, the question of Israel is deeply personal for many Jewish people. The friend I was in the above discussion with (not the one who accused me of anti-semitism) had lived in Israel and had seen the aftermath of suicide bombings first hand. I'm sure it was enraging to hear me discussing pros and cons of a divided state as if Israel isn't fighting for its existence. I wish I had been more sensitive to that.

[AJL]

I've come and gone back and forth on this issues so many times and still can't articulate what I want to. So I'll just say that all students deserve a safe place. Anti-Semitism is alive and well in 2016 United States. I've been a victim of it just this year. We face it all the time. 

Progressives often talk out both sides of their mouths re: bigotry toward Jews.  Don't dare act racist or bigoted or discriminatory to the black and Latino and Native and LGBTQ and feminist communities. For some reason being Jew is still pretty seen as open season from the bigots. 

I'm sad that this thread couldn't talk about anti-Semitism in America. and devolved into a geo-political discussion.  

[pixy0stix]

Everyone deserves a safe place. If we were talking about a Muslim student, the "but in Israel" equivalent wouldn't have happened.

[mrsdewinter]

Trying to collect my thoughts here. It's interesting that WRT an article that talks about students actively being discriminated against because of their identity, and about how that group is a highly disproportionate target of hate crimes, many of the initial responses here weren't about showing empathy or allyship but rather focusing on "But Israel." That's the exact problem the article is talking about. Israel has done some awful things, but to hold those up in response to examples of anti-Semitism in America comes across as justification of those anti-Semitic acts, even though I am sure no one here intended that. Jews are not a monolith and we are not collectively or individually responsible for the actions of the Israeli government.
I think everyone would easily recognize bigotry and Islamophobia if an article about Muslims being discriminated against was met with examples of heinous things committed by Saudi Arabia or ISIS or another political entity that claims to act in the name of Islam, and rightly so. Muslims shouldn't be blamed or expected to answer for every awful thing. We need to extend that same understanding to Jews.

Yes, one can criticize Israel without being anti-Semitic. I think any Jewish person of intelligence recognizes that. But the examples in this article were clear, blatant anti-Semitism against Jews here in America. I agree with previous posters that there may be perception that Jews are not really minorities or oppressed, perhaps because we are largely white and affluent here in the U.S., but we are a legit religious minority in the U.S. and I hope when we say we do experience discrimination and Othering and microaggressions and violence, that people will believe us. I hope people can trust that we recognize anti-Semitism when we see it because we have those lived experiences and an inherited history going back centuries.

It saddens me that some people might believe that I can't be truly committed to social justice because I'm a Jew. In fact, my Jewishness has always informed my commitment to anti-racism and social justice, to the extent that I cannot separate them. If someone believes a Jewish person cannot impartially sit on a student government or be an ally to other oppressed groups, that's not about Israeli policy and geopolitics, that's anti-Semitism. Furthermore, the resurgence of anti-Semitism should scare everyone who cares about human rights and equality. If this prejudice cannot be defeated even after one of the most horrible and well documented genocides in history (still within living memory), then that is a dark omen for any group trying to fight oppression.

[Deleted]

"Hitler did nothing wrong" etched into a table? That is some of the vilest shit I've ever heard of.

[AJL]

Sept 17, 2016 17:53:56 GMT -5 @bunnybean said:

Absolutely, the student who was kept from holding a student government position solely because she is Jewish, that's definitely anti-Semitic and horrible. That's completely unacceptable.

Why do I feel like there is an iminent "but" coming after your posts on this topic?