The House's anti-semitism in colleges hearing recalls the old McCarthy witch hunt

[j brown's body]

You don’t have to like anti-Israel language or activism to be worried about congressional demands to suppress it. These hearings are highly unusual; it’s hard to think of a time since the anti-Communist House Un-American Activities Committee when Congress has made such an effort to investigate disfavored ideologies in academe.

There is no question that in recent months there have been incidents of blatant, unacceptable antisemitism at Columbia ...But just as the existence of Communists in America didn’t justify McCarthyism, the rhetorical grotesqueries of parts of the campus left don’t make it OK for Congress to demand that universities curtail denunciations of Israel while it wages a brutal war on Gaza.

The chilling effect of these investigations is already clear nationwide. Just this week, the University of Southern California canceled the graduation speech of its valedictorian, Asna Tabassum, a Muslim criticized by some Jewish groups for her pro-Palestinian social media activity. The decision, the school’s provost said in a statement, is “consistent with the fundamental legal obligation — including the expectations of federal regulators — that universities act to protect students and keep our campus community safe,” making it clear administrators are feeling government pressure.

Such pressure is the point: Republicans want to silence Israel’s opponents. In one of the hearing’s most farcical moments, Rick Allen, a Republican from Georgia, asked Shafik whether she knew Genesis 12:3. She didn’t recall the biblical passage offhand, so he explained it to her. “It was the covenant that God made with Abraham, and that covenant was real clear: ‘If you bless Israel I will bless you, if you curse Israel I will curse you,’” he said, explaining how this compact was confirmed in the New Testament.

“Do you consider that a serious issue?” Allen asked heatedly. “Do you want Columbia University to be cursed by God?” Shafik responded, “Definitely not.”

Link

Are Americans okay with punishing pro-Palestinian speech so we won't be cursed by God, or by the Republican Party?

 

[mrjurrs]

You don’t have to like anti-Israel language or activism to be worried about congressional demands to suppress it. These hearings are highly unusual; it’s hard to think of a time since the anti-Communist House Un-American Activities Committee when Congress has made such an effort to investigate disfavored ideologies in academe.

There is no question that in recent months there have been incidents of blatant, unacceptable antisemitism at Columbia ...But just as the existence of Communists in America didn’t justify McCarthyism, the rhetorical grotesqueries of parts of the campus left don’t make it OK for Congress to demand that universities curtail denunciations of Israel while it wages a brutal war on Gaza.

The chilling effect of these investigations is already clear nationwide. Just this week, the University of Southern California canceled the graduation speech of its valedictorian, Asna Tabassum, a Muslim criticized by some Jewish groups for her pro-Palestinian social media activity. The decision, the school’s provost said in a statement, is “consistent with the fundamental legal obligation — including the expectations of federal regulators — that universities act to protect students and keep our campus community safe,” making it clear administrators are feeling government pressure.

Such pressure is the point: Republicans want to silence Israel’s opponents. In one of the hearing’s most farcical moments, Rick Allen, a Republican from Georgia, asked Shafik whether she knew Genesis 12:3. She didn’t recall the biblical passage offhand, so he explained it to her. “It was the covenant that God made with Abraham, and that covenant was real clear: ‘If you bless Israel I will bless you, if you curse Israel I will curse you,’” he said, explaining how this compact was confirmed in the New Testament.

“Do you consider that a serious issue?” Allen asked heatedly. “Do you want Columbia University to be cursed by God?” Shafik responded, “Definitely not.”

Link

Are Americans okay with punishing pro-Palestinian speech so we won't be cursed by God, or by the Republican Party?

Solid analogy.

 

[Fearandloathing]

You don’t have to like anti-Israel language or activism to be worried about congressional demands to suppress it. These hearings are highly unusual; it’s hard to think of a time since the anti-Communist House Un-American Activities Committee when Congress has made such an effort to investigate disfavored ideologies in academe.

There is no question that in recent months there have been incidents of blatant, unacceptable antisemitism at Columbia ...But just as the existence of Communists in America didn’t justify McCarthyism, the rhetorical grotesqueries of parts of the campus left don’t make it OK for Congress to demand that universities curtail denunciations of Israel while it wages a brutal war on Gaza.

The chilling effect of these investigations is already clear nationwide. Just this week, the University of Southern California canceled the graduation speech of its valedictorian, Asna Tabassum, a Muslim criticized by some Jewish groups for her pro-Palestinian social media activity. The decision, the school’s provost said in a statement, is “consistent with the fundamental legal obligation — including the expectations of federal regulators — that universities act to protect students and keep our campus community safe,” making it clear administrators are feeling government pressure.

Such pressure is the point: Republicans want to silence Israel’s opponents. In one of the hearing’s most farcical moments, Rick Allen, a Republican from Georgia, asked Shafik whether she knew Genesis 12:3. She didn’t recall the biblical passage offhand, so he explained it to her. “It was the covenant that God made with Abraham, and that covenant was real clear: ‘If you bless Israel I will bless you, if you curse Israel I will curse you,’” he said, explaining how this compact was confirmed in the New Testament.

“Do you consider that a serious issue?” Allen asked heatedly. “Do you want Columbia University to be cursed by God?” Shafik responded, “Definitely not.”

Link

Are Americans okay with punishing pro-Palestinian speech so we won't be cursed by God, or by the Republican Party?

"Antisemitism" to me is an easy catch-call with which to hurl abuse at any critics. I lived in Montreal with the second highest Jewish population in Canada during the six day war. if you didn't take their side, you could get rocks thrown at you! You were "anti-semite" if you didn't contribute to the "Save Israel War fund"

You can't criticize Israel without being labelled an anti-semite. But you can't criticize Hamas at all or risk having your home fire bombed.

I'm sick of all of it. It's always violence based. And it's always an issue from a far away, shit bag of a place everyone is trying to escape.

This is Canada. Leave your ****ing hate at the door, leave your issues in your homeland. We didn't open our doors to either group for you to bring you hatred and violence to shores.


I would support a ban on immigration of both groups until they grow up.