U.S. “Toy Soldiers”: My Brothers and Sisters, Who Are Your Keepers?

”Had the peoples and the nations known how much harm they brought upon themselves by destroying the Temple of Jerusalem, they would have wept more than the children of Israel” – TALMUD 

The title of my paper was inspired by the film, Au Revoir, Les’Enfants. The film, written and directed my Louis Malle, is based on his experience while attending a boarding school for boys. 

The film tells the story of Julien and his friendship with Jean Bonnet at a Catholic boarding school in France during WWII. In the school’s kitchen staff works a young man, Joseph, who is disciplined by the school’s Père Jean for stealing. Joseph takes revenge by notifying the Gestapo that Père Jean is secretly sheltering three Jewish boys, including Jean Bonnet.

The Gestapo lines up Père Jean and the three Jewish boys. He condemns Père Jean’s actions as criminal blaming the French people for being disobedient and showing weakness. As the officers command all four to march out, Père Jean shouts back to the remaining children: “Au revoir, les enfants! À bientôt!” 

In the end, the voice of Julien is heard “Bonnet, Negus and Dupre died at Auschwitz; Father Jean at Gusen I (Mauthausen). The school reopened its doors in October. More than 40 years have passed, but I’ll remember every second of that January morning until the day I die.”

I too remember my friend Anna from middle school. Anna and I were teased in the playground. For me, being chased by boys was nothing more than annoying; similar to bugs bugging you. Of course, this was how I remembered it. Others may have a different memory. It seemed harmless until it became bullying.

Anna, or as some boys referred to her, “Anna Banana,” had short, curly, brown hair. She endured more than name calling; she was pushed and kicked. Fighting off the bullies, I remained close to her side, but after leaving middle school, I did not see Anna again. I had said goodbye for the last time to my friend, and to the past.

Looking forward to attending high school, I was now living in the present enjoying my classes and meeting new friends. My new friends became part of my international team; a group of students whose background stemmed from all seven continents. In time, my future would reflect my past and include friends from around the globe.   

Soon, I was already planning what I’d do after graduation. I have always had a sense of urgency. It’s as if I anticipated exciting moments to come. Delightfully, the future did not disappoint me. In my adventurous travels and going overseas professionally, I came to know people from all over the world, becoming close to some. Still, I came to see that life in their country was worlds apart from mine.

Suddenly, the future arrived. Yet, I find myself back in the schoolyard. But, things have changed. Childish teasing and throwing a handball has turned into adults assaulting with a deadly weapon. In the U.S., violent acts get lost in the politically correct translation of “hate crimes.” News of violent attacks on Jewish Americans by fellow Americans, White and African American, are bloody criminal.  

I am reminded of the words by the Irish band U2 and their song, “Sunday Bloody Sunday”:

“I can’t believe the news today

Oh, I can’t close my eyes

And make it go away

How long?

How long must we sing this song?

How long, how long?”

Across the North Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, another battle cry endures between Israel and Palestine where Israeli young soldiers defend their State as some Palestinians youth feel compelled to attack. Only it’s not only on Sundays:

“Broken bottles under children’s feet

Bodies strewn across the dead end street

But I won’t heed the battle call

It puts my back up

Puts my back up against the wall”

Hate: Fruits of the Poisonous Anti-Semitic Tree

“The crisis taking place in the world, and in the minds and hearts of black men everywhere, is not produced by the star of David, but by the old, rugged Roman cross on which Christendom’s most celebrated Jew was murdered. And not by Jews.”  – James Baldwin, 1967

Hatred can and has led to violence directed at people of faith: Christian, Muslim, and Jewish. The recent Monsey stabbings in New York were “perpetuated by persons who look like me” says Bishop Dr. Victor Brown. To be clear, they were committed “within a pocket of African Americans” adds Rabbi Mark Golub, President of Jewish Broadcasting System (JBS).

Why has the media and government not pointed this out? Does it matter? Yes, as Rabbi Golub notes, “We don’t want to pretend it isn’t coming from the African American community.” Again, to be clear, Rabbi Golub points out, “They were not carried out by the young…..these were grown adults…let’s not fall into the trap of labeling young people…these are adults…” Bishop Dr. Victor Brown notes, “when there is a crisis, panic sets in… react. The blame game…takes the attention off from where it needs to be…” Yes, and I would add that the focus needs to be on teachers who negatively influence the young, who in time become adults whose learned “hate crimes” turns them into criminals.

Attacks on Jews have been increasing in the U.S. and Europe. According to a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) report: Jews the target of overwhelming number of religious-based hate crimes, November 12, 2019,  “Hate crimes motivated by religious bias accounted for 1,550 offenses, and the majority of those — 57.8% — were anti-Jewish.”

Governor Andrew Cuomo stated, “Call it what it is, domestic terrorism.” He adds, “Hate emanates from Washington D.C.”  Governor, Sir, as to the Monsey and other similar attacks, let’s be very clear, “call it what it is,” African Americans attacking Jewish Americans. Hate and racism emanated from African Americans in your city New York, not Washington D.C.

Is antisemitism “under the guise of ‘hate speech’” as Rabbi Mark Golub questioned. No doubt. And the increased number of violent attacks on Jews has served to solidify the threat. People know it’s happening. But is anyone listening? Is anyone speaking up?

The late Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor, reminds us of the dangers of silence,“In those times to be Jewish in those places meant to carry a death certificate.” How was this possible? As Wiesel points out, “It happened in 1944…The entire free world knew about Auschwitz…Washington knew. London knew. The Vatican knew.” Wiesel, I’m sorry to say that in these times everyone knows and still few lack the will.

Kinderstem or “A Child’s Voice” expressed a will. Anne Frank gave us a living testament to those dark days written in The Diary of a Young Girl. From her I learned that the bestialities of men I had witnessed as a child were not imagined. As children we are told to be silent. Anne, my childhood friend lived in silence being bullied during her 11^th, 12^th, and 13^th birthdays. Anne Frank lived in silence and persecution for several years dying before her 16^th birthday.

Silence seems prevalent, notes Thane Rosenbaum, law professor and author, referring to the Crown Heights attacks in New York, “no one wants to acknowledge that an African American committed these crimes.” Yes, Thane, and this appears to include the Mayor of New York who reportedly said, “This is Trump’s fault.” Mr. Mayor, why are you steering the blame away from your city? Do you have something to hide? Do you not want to get to the root of the problem?

Speaking on the recent attack in Monsey, New York, Betty Ehrenberg, Executive Director for World Jewish Congress-United States and North America, as well as Editor of WSJs Iran Update, noted that when speaking with members of the Jewish community, the tendency is to ask “Why is this happening to us? Maybe we are sometimes falling short…not living up to our destiny.” 

Rabbi Golub responded, “It upsets me…what I heard…antisemitism relates to Jews not living up to our destiny.”I agree with Rabbi Golub. I find Ehrenberg’s line of questioning misguided.    Politically correct forums by “justice warriors” justify their said experience with injustice by projecting their feeling of victimhood onto those they call out as having “white privilege” attempting to make them feel guilty. Caution to those who entertain these “justice warriors” ideas of guilt by questioning yourself as such thinking is dangerous and can lead to your silence. To be fair, Ehrenbergsaw Rabbi Golub’s interpretation of her words as a misunderstanding.

Witnessing before my eyes the growth of the poisonous anti-semitic tree, I find myself in a unique position to share my academic experience and knowledge on the topic of antisemitism. As faculty assistant at university, I worked in the offices of Technology, Business, and Campus Housing. As a student attending university from 2010-2016, I had front row seats to classes in the Humanities and Liberal Arts departments.

Moreover, I was able to tap into the beat of campus life by observing and listening to students. The biggest predictor of what was to transpire off campus was that of student life on campus. A clear trigger that infused the strongest reaction from students was the transition between White House administrations.

From Presidents George W. Bush to Barack Obama to Donald J. Trump, the level of phobias, patriotism, nationalism, and antisemitism were readily apparent on campuses. And the strangest irony of all appears to be how similar in behavior and communicating on and offline the politically correct students labeled “snowflakes” and “justice warriors” tend to be with the current President. Both are criticized for their thin skin and little to no use of logic, reason, and evidence in their dialogues. However, the one thing they did not and apparently still do not share, is their stance on U.S.-Israel foreign relations, specifically on the rising issue of antisemitism.

I think it best to look to the roots of antisemitism of the past century in Europe and the U.S to understand attacks from both white and black America.  

Anti-Semitism: Roots of its Dissonance

“The beast of antisemitism we awakened on our watch…” Dovid Efune, Editor-in-Chief of The Algemeiner Journal

Although antisemitism goes back centuries, to understand the current rise one has to refer to the last century, the 1920’s, shortly before Hitler arrived at the scene.  As my Professor in the class, History and Development of Jewish Thought, points out, “We need to examine what role scholars in all fields might play in studying the root causes of evil—  the conditions that breed evil—   and in seeking thereby to alleviate needless suffering.”

In my research, I find it started with what appeared as the innocuous removal of a few liberties leading to full-scale atrocities.  But by then, a beast had been unleashed and it was too late.  According to a 1930s scholar who witnessed the unleashing of the beast first-hand, “Worst of all, worse even than the individual suffering of today amongst the Jews, is the creation of a national mentality bred on such hate as that which the German feels for the Jews.”  Past historians would be disheartened to see the antisemitism that has transpired since. And still, they too would be surprised.  

However, many of us continue to ask, and I imagine those in concentration camps did as well, how and why did people let this happen?  Willy Brandt, who was Mayor of Berlin in 1957 and later the Chancellor of Germany, gives us his perspective, “In the life of a people, the crucial moment takes place when the people allow power to end up in the hands of criminals. . . Because afterward you can’t do anything.” I agree with Brandt’s premise but I question his conclusion. Power can be restored to the law. We are responsible for future generations. We have the wisdom of hindsight and the gift of insight. There is power in the spirits of the past to do anything.

Presently, Mayors, and other government officials, need to seriously listen to the words of Mayor Brandt who saw first-hand the results of no law and order, where inaction can lead to unleashing a hell you cannot control. In the U.S., antisemitism arising from some members of the “White Supremacy” has long been attributed to their identifying and targeting members of a non-Christian faith, Jewish. Antisemitism from some African Americans may best be explained by the words of a man who understood hate – James Baldwin. Although he may not speak for all, his words are a clear window into hate, “I also know that if today I refuse to hate Jews, or anybody else, it is because I know how it feels to be hated.”

In April 9, 1967, James Baldwin explained in his paper, Negroes Are Anti-Semitic Because They’re Anti-White, “The root of anti-Semitism among Negroes is, ironically, the relationship of colored peoples–all over the globe–to the Christian world.” I asked myself, what exactly is this ‘Christian world’ being that it is made up of white and colored people? More specifically how do some African Americans see this ‘Christian world?’ Apparently, a world of capitalist run corporations.

Yet, says Baldwin, “I don’t think that General Electric or General Motors…or Mobil Oil or Coca Cola or Pepsi-Cola or Firestone or the Board of Education or the textbook industry or Hollywood or Broadway or television–or Wall Street… or Washington–are controlled by Jews. I think they are controlled by Americans, and the American Negro situation is a direct result of this control…”  Let’s think about that. Control correlates with power. Lack of power can put one at risk of being ruled or oppressed. Sure, some African Americans are economically advantaged or are in a position of power or influence but there are few.

Dialogue? According to Baldwin, “A genuinely candid confrontation between American Negroes and American Jews would certainly prove of inestimable value. But the aspirations of the country are wretchedly middle-class and the middle class can never afford candor.” Would Baldwin be surprised to see that the middle-class is disappearing?  Will the wretched inherit the earth?

“Wretched of the Earth”

In 1955, Aimé Césaire versed the cries of the ‘wretched of the earth, “Come, now! The Indians massacred, the Moslem world drained of itself, the Chinese world defiled and perverted for a good century; the Negro world disqualified; mighty voices stilled forever…” And who better to speak of the “wretched of the earth” than he whose book bears this title, Frantz Fanon.

Fanon, like Césaire, did not speak in riddles. Fanon states “Seen through its eyes its mission has nothing to do with transforming nations….which today put on the mask of neo-colonialism.” I take this to mean that there is a hidden agenda, which capitalizes on a country’s resources while feigning peace and friendship. Fanon adds, “The national economy, formerly protected, is today literally controlled.”

Coming back to Baldwin and control, he adds “anti-Semitism among Negroes, inevitable as it may be, and understandable, alas, as it is, does not operate to menace this control, but only to confirm it. It is not the Jew who controls the American drama. It is the Christian.” And so we’re back to the dominate faith. Are the ruling corporations, Christians, creating economic instability resulting in communities pinned neighbor against neighbor? Still, amongst some non-white communities, their image of God, or his son Jesus Christ, is a white male with blonde hair and blue eyes?

And what of the “white man”? Where does his antisemitism lie? In that they are not the truly “chosen people” they once believed themselves to be? Why? Two possible reasons: First, the solid infrastructure of economic stability that once put them on a high four-legged pedestal has quickly given way leaving them resting on three legs and for some tittering on one. Baldwin states, “the danger in the minds and hearts of most white Americans is the loss of their identity.”  Of course, this reality appears to be even more abysmal for non-whites as they have been told their identity is not “superior” and many believed it.

Second, the bombardment of media reciting over and over how whites are now becoming the minority and non-whites the majority “adds fuel to the fire.” But while “power in numbers” works for groups that stand up against their ruling lords through revolutions it does little when being integrated within multiple systems with the economic one at the top. In this sphere, the power belongs to the minority, the 1% or what Baldwin refers to the Christian, the group that controls “American drama.”

Racism paints a broad brush over the intricate roots of white prejudice. Specifically, the perspective of some “whites” may be summed up as: “Blacks, know your place!”; “Latinos and Muslims, get out of my space!”; and “Jews, You’ve taken my place!” Shines light on the importance of class, country and sphere of influence.

However, in the current political environment in the U.S., the words of Gabriel Schoenfeld still resonate today. In his 2004 book, The Return of Anti-Semitism, Schoenfeld writes, “One is less likely to find anti-Semites today in beer halls and trailer parks than on college campuses and among the opinion makers of the media elite.”

Still, for the students, a more pressing issue, real or imagined, takes center stage; Solidarity with those whom they identified as also needing a “safe space.” And no better system than the education system to sell them on this idea.

Believing that for most their two choices were to either enter the education pipeline where you could “pay to play” or the prison pipeline where you paid in years or life, a large number of students applied to schools where they and admissions saw as likely to be accepted. One does not have to be a teacher to note that their writing skill ability reflected that at the middle school level. Yes, college is not for everyone, say some in government. Too little, too late, for those holding a graduate degree in one hand and a student loan contract in the other, yet at best with a high school level proficiency.

Student Anti-Semitism on College Campus

After researching the topic, listening and speaking to scholars, and listening to student discussions on antisemitism on college campus, I’ve concluded that it is difficult to change what has been absorbed in the hearts and minds of people whose way of thinking has been formed in their adolescence, promoted via social media, and solidified in the halls of academia. I’ve taken this view based on my first-hand experience attending university from 2010-2016.

In class dialogues on the subject of the Israel-Palestine conflict, the majority of students sided with Palestine. Attempting to engage in conversation offering my points with supportive basis, some ignored me, others angrily rejected a debate. Persisting, I asked fellow students if they had spoken with university presidents of associations or leaders of the Muslim and Jewish Community. Rejecting the idea as unnecessary, they mistakenly stated that it was difficult to reach Jewish organizations. To their surprise, I corrected them by responding that I had met with both members of Muslim and Jewish associations. 

I followed up with multiple questions: Showing them a map, I asked them to point to where each country is. When and where did you first hear of Israel and Palestine. Are you familiar with the Qur’an or the Tanakh? Their responses: DON’T KNOW. UNIVERSITY. NO. I concluded by asking, what experience, knowledge, and evidence did they base their arguments on? Responses ranged from social media to or silence.

Students, defending whom they see as another victim of a powerful state, Israel, have made Palestine the “poster child” for what they see as the victim of human rights violations. But, did anyone visit or ask the people and government leaders of Palestine and Israel for their views? Did anyone speak with Palestinian Americans? Did anyone speak with campus associations representing Muslims and Jews? Did anyone engage in conversations with faith leaders and schools representing each faith? And did anyone speak with the accused, Jewish Americans? I did.

Soon, student’s response turned to surprise and anger, when I noted that I had visited Mosques and Synagogues engaging with Imams and Rabbis as well as members of their respective communities. Lastly, I pointed out to the students that their programs planned trips to Africa and South America. If they really wanted to learn more of the Israel-Palestinian conflict and show solidarity with Palestine, why not travel there?

A student who described himself as descendant of Latin America shared his interest of converting to Islam. Hatred and criticism of Jews or Israel was also shared. I pointed out to him that his antipathy of Jews was similar to that of members of the “White Supremacy” and had he considered joining them instead? He was not at all pleased. I think this makes my point. Simply pointing out important facts and figures that contradicted their views on race and class was sufficient to “unfriend” me. My not being bullied into taking their side against Israel was necessary to alienate me.

I came away thinking that much of the students’ discord did not stem from a conflict thousands of miles away but had taken root with their own family and the country of their ancestors, as well as their new found country, the U.S.A. Unable to hold either accountable, their easy recourse was to target Israel and the Jewish people as the “fall guy.” Transference from their native country, to their adopted one, and then to Israel.  

Antisemitism for these students appeared to grow out of the roots of fear, hate, ignorance, and anger, constantly being fed by the fertilizer of victimization. Some, upon graduation may outgrow these roots as they will no longer have access to the sustenance.  Others, who see themselves as “brown” and underprivileged will grow the branch of envy seeing Jews as the privileged.

Yet, as Baldwin reminds us, “if one blames the Jew for having become a white American, one may perfectly well, if one is black, be speaking out of nothing more than envy.” Yet, what of those who are genuinely concerned over the suffering the conflict has caused? What do they want? Change. Human Rights. Fair enough, but why Israel and not other countries in the Middle East or across the globe? I pointed to the then rising issues in Hong Kong and Egypt.

Or, in the Americas. Several students proudly said they or their parents were from Mexico or South America. I informed Mexican American students protesting against Israel and showing solidarity with Palestine, of the recent violent deaths of students in Mexico. I pointed to news articles reporting that just 10 days after the celebration of Mexican Independence Day, the people of Mexico had tears in their eyes but they were not tears of joy and pride.

On September 26, 2014, 43 students from Raul Isidro Burgos Rural, Teacher’s College in Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico reportedly went missing. What was to be a planned protest against “government education reform” reportedly became a kidnapping for hire and murder scheme. The plot ultimately led to the arrest of the mayor reiterating the “unholy union of Mexico’s political institutions and organized crime.”

Six tormenting weeks later, on November 7^th, the families were told of the findings of human remains. Unfortunately, the bodies were so badly decomposed they were unidentifiable. Conflict between the people of Mexico and its government is not new. Historically, “the state of Guerrero, rural and poor, has a history of anti-government mobilizations” and this recent act shined light on inequality and corruption in Mexico.

My point to the Mexican American students in the class: You are in your right to show solidarity with the peoples of Palestine. But why do you overlook the recent slaughter of Mexican students, like yourself?  Few students showed interest. The teacher simply resorted to question my interest in the topic. When students and faculty fail to also take interest in conflicts from the places whence they come from, they are engaging on a dangerous path being led by a “pied piper.”

The “Pied Piper” and Dangerous Liaisons

“Step by step
Heart to heart
Left, right, left
We all fall down
Like toy soldiers
Bit by bit torn apart
We never win
But the battle wages on
For toy soldiers”

I found the lyrics of the song by the American singer-songwriter Martika relevant. In these times, young minds are facing multiple challenges in the “real world” only to face more in academia. With the exception of some truly fine professors and scholars, what I witnessed as a student on today’s college campuses is disconcerting. My major class requirements include a couple of cross discipline classes. Attending them I learned that some teachers have fostered dangerous liaisons in universities.

One the first day of class, one of the teachers, the “pied piper,” shared her own feelings of inadequacy and lack of confidence when she first attended college finding it necessary to cry in the process. The story of her college experience incited fear, hate, anger, and racism promoting victimization through notions of “microaggressions.” Clearly, “misery loves company.” I felt sorry for her and some of her students, until she threatened me with a lower grade.

On the second week of class, she put up a PowerPoint slide with an image of people holding a sign that read “Diversity = White Genocide.” Not only did she not explain the slide, she called on students seeking their reactions. I stated that individuals demonstrating such a provocative sign were irresponsible and disrespectful to the victims of genocides.

The teacher was not alone in irresponsibly misappropriating historical events. I came away realizing that some minority groups had hijacked the tragedy of the Holocaust while denigrating the very people who endured its suffering and replacing it with their own idea of victimization.

“Oppression Olympics”

I’m looking forward to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. I respect and admire Olympians who through their sacrifice and years of training excel in a given sport.  One can juxtapose this to the current culture some Humanities and Liberal Arts schools on college campuses which have made oppression a sport.

Reading the syllabus in one class, I noted the statement “this is not a graduate seminar in Kumbaya or the Oppression Olympics.” Ironically, that was exactly what several of the students promoted. Instead of “constructive and respectful…group norms” they resorted to “group think” and identity politics. What was it like?

Picture sports stadiums where teams cheer themselves for always winning and never losing a game. Why? Because in these spaces, the mentality is there are no “stick and stones” that “may break my bones” but “words CAN hurt me.” In the “Oppression Olympics” every identity group is a victim by choice. How does one safely speak out amidst mob rule? Sign up to be a victim.

Goal of victims?  Emasculation appears to be one goal. As some articles have explained “…it is about encouraging young men to feel guilty about being born male…” and white. Moreover, such ideas are found in countless universities. Why academic settings?  Some would argue it is because there is a demand for these ideas of identifying with the oppressed and schools are happy to supply the platform. Seems no different than social media, except the one’s mouthpiece is exchanged for data and the other $$$.

Power of Identity

James Baldwin offers his perspective American identity:

“What is really at question is whether Americans already have an identity or are still sufficiently flexible to achieve one. This is a painfully complicated question, for what now appears to be the American identity is really a bewildering and sometimes demoralizing blend of nostalgia and opportunism. For example, the Irish who march on St. Patrick’s Day, do not, after all, have any desire to go back to Ireland. They do not intend to go back to live there, though they may dream of going back there to die. …The Russian Jews here have no desire to return to Russia either, and they have not departed in great clouds for Israel. But they have the authority of knowing it is there.”

According to Ido Aharoni, Global Distinguished Professor for International Relations at New York University’s Faculty of Arts and Science, “Being Jewish is something that you have to work on.” Visiting a Jewish private school, I learned that Hebrew language and prayer is done in an effort to maintain identity and reinforce the students Jewish Heritage.

By contrast, a Muslim school I visited teaches Arabic as an elective, it is not part of the core curriculum. However, like instruction in the Qur’an, the Arabic language is part of the overall curriculum. Arabic language and prayer is done in an effort to maintain identity. The language policy impacts the children which in essence supports the vision and mission of the school to main the identity and culture through language and religion.

Both schools teachings appear to instill students with a sense of empowerment. As national and global events have demonstrated, it appears that as Natan Sharansky points out in his book, Defending Identity, coauthored with Shira Wolosky Weiss, “one universal quality of identity is that it gives life meaning beyond life itself …  a connection to the world.”

Identity also transcends nationalities.  For example, Sharansky is said to be born in Ukraine. He was not a witness to the Holocaust but is said to have witnessed the terrible aftermath and understood what it was to be a prisoner and persecuted. Sharansky writes:

“I was born in 1948 into this destructive society where tens of millions were

killed, deported, exiled to Siberia, starved to death, or thrown into the

Gulag.  I was a typical, assimilated Soviet Jew . . . I knew nothing of Jewish

religion, history, or culture, or Israel. . . Being Jewish, therefore, had only a

negative connotation.” 

Religion, history, and culture are learned from one’s family in the home. For those who did not endure Sharansky’s experience after the war, they may feel fortunate. However, practicing one’s cultural norms especially as it applies to religion has proven to be a feat for some. Speaking with students of Jewish and Muslim fate, I learned that university settings are not apt to provide spaces for them to practice these norms. For some, aspects of diet and prayer ritual were raised.

For example, I was welcomed by student members and asked to take part in observing Shabbat, “the seventh day of the Jewish week and is the day of rest and abstention from work as commanded by God.” The food for the event needed to be catered with the provision of it being Kosher. Similar food requisites are practiced by Muslims. Prayer is also significant.

The practice of the “Five Pillars” was not new to me. I did, however, learn that practicing them on college campuses can be a bit inconvenient and/or uncomfortable for some. On one occasion, a student walking back and forth caught my attention.  As the benches were all full, I thought she was looking for a place to sit. As I was getting ready to leave, I tried getting her attention to give her my seat. Leaving my backpack to save the spot, I went up to her to let her know. She thanked me and said she was actually waiting for the crowd to clear to engage in prayer. In the meantime, she was interested in talking with me as few people approach her. Why, I asked. She said because of what she wore, a burqa. She was pleasantly surprised that I came to speak with her. I decided to engage in a conversation and get to know her.

Hi, my name is Leticia. What is yours? Miriam, she replied. After a short conversation, I pointed out what I saw as the public’s apprehension and skepticism with those unfamiliar with the Muslim culture and religion.  It is twofold: For most, it is about wearing a black burqa, a dress many people are not accustom to seeing. For others, it is what it represents based on ignorance and media’s influence. Lastly, we shared each other’s interests. I learned of her love of art and she of my interest in foreign languages. Though I am still perfecting it, she was impressed with my Arabic.  

Miriam, agreeing with me, wished more people would be as brave as I.  I corrected her saying it was her that was brave. Brave in honoring her faith. Courageous in traveling thousands of miles away from her home to study in the U.S., a country where some see her as representing the enemy. I wished her a good day as I walked away. God willing she replied in Arabic. 

Looking out across the sky (we were up a few floors on a patio) Miriam then calculated the approximate direction before placing a small rug on the ground. She was, I imagine, positioning herself in the direction of Mecca. She then proceeded to engage in prayer.

Visiting a Mosque, I came across a group of female members who I was told by the Imam were students. When I posed the question as to what they saw of concern in their life as students, one replied, “stability.” I asked if she meant uncertainty. She answered, “No, there will always be uncertainty.” I asked her to elaborate and she responded that she wished to have stability in her life so she would not have to depend on anyone.

Another student shared her experience as a member of a Muslim Student Organization and the difficulties she and her group faced when protesting. She did not feel that Muslims were given fair representation as they were continuously harassed or attacked with pepper spray. The student responses appear to be shared by people of their ancestral country as well.

Nabeel Khoury, non-resident senior fellow with the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East at the Atlantic Council points out, “Arabs desire freedom, democracy…young people want to live in dignity.” The students I met at university, especially those of faith, face challenges few even envision. Real, not imagined. They are no different than those in the West who want to live in a stable economy to fulfill their aspirations. No, they don’t hate you for your freedoms. Some, like in Afghanistan and Iraq may hate that you squash their freedoms and took away their dignity when you stripped them of their land.

Although the idea of “identity politics” professed by some students and the term coined “snowflake” used to describe the millennial generation may be knew, the spaces provided, at a high cost, by U.S. universities is not new. In fact, it’s been leering behind the shadows.

“Shadow University”

According to two professors, Alan Charles Kors and Harvey A. Silverglate, who delved in these shadows, this “totalitarian mindset” goes back decades.  In their 1998 book, The Shadow University. The Betrayal of Liberty on America’s Campuses, their findings are both disturbing and relevant:

“Universities still set themselves apart from American society, but now they do so by enforcing their own politically correct worldview through censorship, double standards, and a judicial system without due process. Faculty and students who threaten the prevailing norms may be forced to undergo “thought reform.”

Professors’ Kors and Silverglate present examples of multiple legal cases disclosing the early beginnings of the end of free speech in all its forms. Their research “lay bare the totalitarian mindset that undergirds speech codes, conduct codes, and “campus life” bureaucracies through which a cadre of deans and counselors indoctrinate students and faculty in an ideology that favors group rights over individual rights, sacrificing free speech and academic freedom to spare the sensitives of currently favored groups.”  It is likely that in the course of shaping and reshaping student’s minds with a milieu of counter-productive real and imagined aggressions, students developed antipathy towards those who disagreed.

In the Chapter, “Sunlight is the Best Disinfectant”, Kors and Silverglate reference “Robert Bolt’s A Man for All Seasons:

“Richard Rich offers the perjured testimony that would send Sir Thomas More to the executioner…Looking at his false accuser with a mixture of pain and amusement, More said: ‘For Wales? Why, Richard, it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world. . . . But for Wales!’”

I am reminded of the famous quote, “Where you stand depends on where you sit.” Students, consider where your university sits. Then you will see for what it really stands. 

The authors conclude with, “Indeed….For administrative salary?…tenure?…promotion?…Our universities acutely need more men and women for all season…There should be no rewards for infamy.”

Sunlight may disinfect but it also creates shadows, especially in the spaces many young minds dwell. There they remained in their “safe space” full of confusion and lack of trust to the outside world becoming easy targets of persuasion for movements who like sirens called out to them.

The Socialist-Communist-Capitalist Connection

In these times, to be Jewish means being targeting from all directions. Richard B. Stone, Professor, Columbia University Law School argues that antisemitism arises from the “left, white supremacy, and Islam…” Yes, but do socialism, communism, and capitalism play a larger role?

On the first day of my Social & Political Philosophy class, the teacher began by informing students that “we’re not going to be reading a big book about old white men.” Instead, as his syllabus stipulated, students would focus on Marxism and Socialist theories. After class, I informed him that I signed up and paid to study the greats of Analytic and Continental philosophy. And yes, they were white men.

Referring to his syllabi, I informed him that there were classes where “white men” were likely not the authors (African American Studies, Chicano Studies, Gender Studies etc.). I did not enroll and pay for those classes. The teacher’s response, not pleased, was that he was abiding by the department’s curriculum. According to Kenneth Levin, “…curriculum in the humanities and the social sciences has changed, and that this has something to do with gender, race, and sexuality, but in what ways, precisely, few are sure.” I think it is a means of gratifying their agendas, personally and professionally. 

By contrast, in my professional academic experience this has not been the case. Perhaps, because as Levin concludes, “Physics, fundraising, athletics, microbiology, the medical schools, mathematics…business…are not in the hands of ideological zealots.”  Aren’t they? Have not the “zealots” seethed their way into departments relying on their need for funding? The business of education was inevitable. What better way to cement your legacy than having a school named after you. And what better way to obtain patents for profit and research that defends you in expert testimonials.

International student admission brings in profit through higher fees. It also brings in agents of communist countries looking to profit from intellectual property. How? Through the bridge forged between academia and the private sector, technology transfer.

Open lines of communication and open borders facilitate eCommerce on cyberspace and commodities on the ports through import/export trades. Herein lies the intricate beauty of capitalism: Trade via transportation facilitated and controlled by the government. Is it any wonder China is their biggest trading partner?

Blacklisted

Question the cause(s) and expect to be blacklisted or as one teacher said to me, “we teachers talk.” Of course, what she meant was expect to receive a lower grade if you question us. Little did she know of my experience working with faculty at another university. I was not surprised when I was denied a letter of recommendation, especially from non-tenured teachers. Unbeknownst to these teachers, I had already obtained references letters from those in higher academic and administrator positions in the school of my major.

Manipulation of students’ freedom of speech is very real. Teachers’ use of intimidation by exploitation of the system attempts the control of students. It takes the form of peer pressure. For example, the teacher would say that they would be attending a campus group meeting to show “solidarity.”  Never mind that you may not share their views.  As the class left to attend, those not joining them would receive glances including the teacher starring in your direction. Sure, she didn’t outright say you had to attend. It was implied.

Blacklisting of tenured-track teachers is also real. Where once “rate my professor” was intended to judge the difficulty of a class, “social media has also fundamentally shifted the balance of power in relationships between students and faculty; the latter increasingly fear what students might do to their reputations and careers by stirring up online mobs against them,” according to Jonathan Haidt, social psychologist and Thomas Cooley professor of ethical leadership at the NYU-Stern School of Business, authors of The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion.

Division also arises from mixing politics and pop culture. Consider the recent critique launched at the rapper Pitbull for his reported “controversial support of the duo Gente de Zona.” Mr. Worldwide, as he is also known, stated, “Music is music, politics is politics.”  Yet, he apologized, “I’m sorry Miami.” Still he adds, I did nothing wrong…I’m here to unite, not divide.” Media’s, Miami Herald, use of words appears divisive, “Pitbull’s words exploded like a bomb in Miami…” Could this be why he does not appear to be included in the half-time performances at the upcoming Super Bowl in Miami?

Ice Cream Socials

“I scream, you scream, we all scream for …”?   Media Socials!

Institutions of learning, “brick and mortar,” preceded those found on the tube and online with organizations and causes asking for support or funding. Social media platforms are no different than talk-shows where family and friends were outed on live T.V. 

As Haidt and Cooley point out “Social media makes it extraordinarily easy to join crusades, express solidarity and outrage, and shun traitors…” Question, so who is complaining? The public. Not private corporations? If one can turn a channel why not simply turn to a different webpage?

Internet facilitated the transition of spectators in a T.V. audience to become part of an online social show. “These first true ‘social-media natives’ may be different from members of previous generations in how they go about sharing their moral judgments and supporting one another in moral campaigns and conflicts.” On campus, some groups are ready to promote these campaigns. 

Students promoting the idea of justice in Palestine have evidently caused friction between Muslim and Jewish Associations who are working to promote peace within their own campus. Not surprisingly, “some American Jews are anti-Israel as a means of feeling more comfortable and accepted in a non-Jewish society” notes Kenneth Levin, psychiatrist and historian, author of “The Oslo Syndrome: Delusions of a People Under Siege.”

Bishop Brown explained anti-Semitic attacks by African Americans by noting “other factors…motivated by what they see…social media outlets…..we’re not born to hate…learned response…”  It appears campuses are anything but “safe spaces.” Instead of preparing students for the challenges in the real world, some campuses are creating an unhealthy environment that eventually transfers over to adulthood exacerbating youth crises and epidemics. Haidt and Cooley argument is clear:

“We do not mean to imply simple causation, but rates of mental illness in young adults have been rising, both on campus and off, in recent decades… The rate of emotional distress reported by students themselves is also high, and rising…“felt overwhelming anxiety” … Students seem to be reporting more emotional crises; many seem fragile, and this has surely changed the way university faculty and administrators interact with them. The question is whether some of those changes might be doing more harm than good.”  

What I see here is a socially manufactured phenomenon. Unless university leaders are elected outside the culture of left-wing politics, this situation will continue. Education was a matter of public policy but has become governed by business. Oversight of government?

Congress appears to be stuck between a rock and a hard place –Capitalism and 1^st Amendment. Even if the law of freedom of speech was to be “softened up” so as not to be extended to platforms, it is unrealistic to impose regulation let alone conduct oversight of billions of messages.

Alternative? Unlike cable, the online platform space is “free.” Why not have internet rates raised? Simple. Industry profits but users are punished.

Alternative? Government control? Sure, works effectively in communist countries.

Last alternative? Let the platforms stand or break them down. Capitalism will simply “harden up” and crush the paper and scissors of law and government.

Influencers and Followers

Rabbi Marc Schneier pointed to the Black-Jewish relation and powerful influence of Martin L. King, Jr., noting that “99% of humanity are followers, very few are influencers… we had an Elie Wiesel…we don’t have those personalities today…” Yes, but the question raised of why sport figures or other media personalities are not taking this role can be explained: It’s not their responsibility and not in their interest.

However, speaking on Martin L. King, Jr. the former NBA Basketball Hall of Fame player, Charles Barkley spoke of systemic racism noting that “you can’t just give up” and on needing to “take some responsibility.” Barkley, you have a point. Then again, so does James Baldwin:

“when white men rise up against oppression, they are heroes: when black men rise, they have reverted to their native savagery. Very few Americans, and very few Jews, have the courage to recognize that the America of which they dream and boast is not the America in which the Negro lives. It is a country which the Negro has never seen.”

Of course, you’ll find countless American celebrities and athletes promoting an app, gadget or service. Why? Compensation without political consequence or the risk of being found guilty by association.

Guilty by Association

Israel is said to be guilty by its association with the U.S.  For some, U.S. – Israel Alliance makes American Jews guilty by association and the targets of antisemitism. For others, the argument that the U.S. doesn’t simply give money to Israel but invests in Israel augments an already contentious situation. Yet, how do critics reconcile U.S. investments in other countries? Does a people being Zionist render them not admirable to invest in?  

Alfred Dreyfus, the 19^th century French army officer was stripped from his admirable titles. Dreyfus was “falsely accused and twice convicted of treason despite overwhelming evidence that he was innocent.” His crime, it appears was being Jewish, and so few believed him when he pleaded not guilty. But, few protested. Yet, through the power of truth and the written word, the author Émile Zola persevered to unmask the truth in J’Accuse…!  

Alan Dershowitz, Sir, you may know something about protesting and being falsely accused as your book’s title points to, Guilt by Accusation. To be fair counselor, you have not faced years of imprisonment as did Dreyfus. Today, in fact, some may argue that you are in a position of power few men can attest to by virtue of your being a white male, Jewish, and a lawyer. Your standing looks favorably in the eyes of the law, and ironically as it may be, it appears your accusers are using your “sphere of influence” against you. Perhaps a modern day Zola will unmask the truth!

Not knowing the truth, I agree with the assertion that the country needs to restore law and order and come back to an America where one is “innocent until proven guilty.” And yes, for all, not just the powerful white men. Yet as this has not occurred, the innocent, as the guilty, are being tried in the court of public opinion, only this so called “justice” is no lady and is not blind.

Guilt vs Responsibility

“One’s commitments to God can be undone by a simple incantation. One’s commitment to man, and certainly to the dead, cannot. Your contracts with the dead, the dead take with them, too late to cancel or modify their terms. They leave you no way out. Formidable players, the dead; they hold you and you are helpless.” – Elie Wiesel, The Oath 1973

At The Fifth World Holocaust Forum in Jerusalem, leaders from Israel, Germany, Russia, France, Great Britain, and others were present. The U.S.? It appears the Presidents’ campaigning for reelection took precedence.

What does it say of a country whose leader decides to not be present and so instead is represented by two separate officials, one representing the administration and one the competing party, Democrats. Madame House Speaker, your presence offends the dead. You dishonor the victims by disrespecting the living. Your apparent oversight of some of the newly appointed Democrats responsible for the affront on Israel has not been forgotten.

Speaking of guilt and responsibility, Germany’s President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, spoke of Germany’s guilt and responsibility stating that “Germany’s responsibility does not expire.”  Is there a difference between guilt and responsibility?

In my 2016 paper, Guilt & Responsibility: Voir Dire and U.S. Atonement For The Sins of the Father in Deutschland, I point to a 1973 interview with the former Chancellor of West Germany, Willy Brandt who reportedly made a distinction between guilt and responsibility, “Guilt is something to be imputed to an individual – never to a people or a generation. Responsibility is something else.” I wonder if the fourth Prime Minister of Israel, Golda Meir would have agreed.

On the Hammarskjold resettlement plan of Palestinian refugees, Prime Minister Meir is asked if she felt sorry for them. She reportedly replied, “Of course I do. But pity is not responsibility, and the responsibility for the Palestinians isn’t ours, it’s the Arabs.”  Meir is said to have pointed out that as refugees, Jews were “shut up in ghettos, persecuted, exterminated…and they came together again to found a nation…” Yes, and in time their resilience set the foundation for their homeland.

Referring to the Nazi regime under Hitler, Brandt reportedly replied, “I don’t feel guilty myself, and I think it’s neither just nor correct to attribute such a guilt complex to my people or my generation.”  But what is just? Certainly not what was done to Jewish refugees; people who for centuries longed for a home, a nation to call their own. Still, some have argued, “But that’s just what the people of Palestine want…to form a nation,” suggesting that a Palestinian state be on the West Bank. But do the people and their leader want the same thing? I point this out in my 2016 paper, Negotiating with Israel: Are Palestine’s Decisions Made For Good of the People or Leaders?

Recently, speaking of responsibility, German Chancellor Angela Merkel acknowledged the past actions of her country. Yet, critique points to some memorials, like in Berlin, which do not visibly describe the crime with the words, “Holocaust” or “Shoah.” Nor under whose regime and those complicit. It appears that a “painted veil” shields criminals and victims. However, Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of Myanmar, has reportedly not admitted guilt or accepted responsibility in the deaths of Muslims. Yet, The Guardian points to alleged human rights abuses and genocide by Myanmar soldiers.

To be fair, in the U.S. few have admitted both guilt and responsibility in the death of thousands of civilians in the 1989 Panama Invasion or what the Pentagon termed “Operation Just Cause.” Although U.S. invasions across the Middle East are not new to Americans, few are aware of the reported mass graves discovered as noted in the Award Winning 1992 documentary, “The Panama Deception.”

Viewed by citizens, government officials, CIA analysts, photographers and journalists (including those photographing the dead killed by soldiers), they concluded the operation was a genocide. According to an eyewitness in the documentary, “destroying a country to save it.”  Iraq, sound familiar? After viewing the documentary, you be the judge, deception or “just cause.” Remember, genocides may result from different causes. But none are justified.

The State of Israel is fully aware of the threat made by some of “destroying a country.” Israel, having the U.S. as a powerful ally puts you in a unique position where some may hold you guilty by association irrespective of not being responsible for U.S. foreign policy decisions or invasions. Nonetheless, U.S. – Israel Alliance makes American Jews guilty by association and the targets of antisemitism. Why are reports of antisemitism and genocide resurfacing? The bells are ringing reawakening past enemies.

Enemy Amongst U.S.

The known phrase, “ignorance is bliss” is not so blissful when the past reawakens us shining light on dark hidden truths. History of the Holocaust has been well-documented with its focus on Germany. However, occupied Poland too became a “wounded country: as Debbie Cenziper discloses in her book, Citizen 865: The Hunt for Hitler’s Hidden Soldiers in America.

Cenziper notes, in Lublin, the Trawniki Men in Warsaw became the foot soldiers of the Third Reich and proved to be “more vicious and vile than the S.S.” The lesson, or better still, the warning her book denotes is “how easy it was to turn people around and be loyal foot soldiers.” Poland’s history is a cautionary story of antisemitism undeterred.

Some question why Israel did not appear to show interest for hunting war criminals. Although they do not forget, I imagine it is because they do not dwell in the past and correctly focus on the “clear and present dangers,” of antisemitism. I find Cenziper’s book main point of hunting down “Hidden Soldiers in America” critical as it relates to what I see as “toy soldiers” on college campuses. Although some students may critique Israel’s policies, others fall victim to propaganda to “convince the enemy to fight for you” and incite antisemitism.

Charles Small, Founder and Director of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP), correctly points out that “we have to know the mind of our enemy…we need to respect our enemy enough to understand their culture, ideology, what they value and what their mission is.”   

Referring to the recent Monsey attacks, Rabbi Golub noted, “this is not the end of it…”  Right, Rabbi. I have found that it is the beginning, a beginning tracing the blueprint of the past.

Blueprint of Past Enemies

Jews have had enemies from empires to dictators.  Across the centuries, after rising, these rulers have fallen. And still, the Jews stand across the globe and in a new homeland, the State of Israel.

Rabbi Mark Golub, in his program, L’Chayim, has put forth the question, “Global Anti-Semitism. A New or Old Phenomenon?”  Sir, I disagree with the description on two points. First, phenomenon points to a unique individual or event; it is not. Second, while “Global Anti-Semitism” is old, its face changes so that it appears new.

Germany’s President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, appeared to caution us saying “the spirits of evil are emerging in a new guise.”  Survivors of the Shoah have not forgotten this evil. Neither did their old and new enemies. It readily appears the Fuhrer‘s blueprint was examined closely. Recall Nazism regime use of “brown army” and “black guards.” Let me be clear, there can be only one Fuhrer. What I see are nothing more than poor imitations by those who are simply attempting to utilize similar strategies and tactics.

I looked to the past where almost a century ago historians witnessed how youth was targeted. One such scholar was given a front row seat into a rising, “The Youth Movement” in Germany. As he points out, “For the young, National Socialism is primarily a spiritual movement…renewed ecstasy to endless achievement.” For the young, these words may sound enticing and appealing. That’s precisely the point.

How is it promoted?  By “A Common Mentality” in “Culture, The Press, and Education.”  Yes, little has changed. From business to government, one still hears of how culture trumps strategy. Perhaps, but in terms of communicating messages (True or False), nothing beats the press, except social media. So why not get U.S. students educated on the dangers of miseducation? Because the systems, as they run, are working for those promoting the messages, corporate owned media.

Unlike other countries that provided digital literacy to their young over two decades ago, the U.S. government “fell behind.” And while their citizens are made to think they’re to blame, it’s business as usual for industry, facilitated by tech.

Speaking of Germany in the 1930s, “German writers have pointed out, it was not the Nazis who started the idea of making education a field for Kulterwaffen – a clash between rival systems of Kulture: the Communists set the ball rolling, the Hitlerites merely kicked the goal.” One guess who set the “ball rolling” and who “kicked the goal” in the U.S.?

From the Bloody Streets of Ireland to Palestine

Rabbi Golub and scholars on his program, L’Chayim, have suggested drawing a comparison between Israel and Palestine with that of the U.S. and Canada. Gentlemen, it is at best unconvincing and at worst dangerously wrong. I find that given the history between Jews and Palestinians, a more compelling and ideal comparison would be that between the British and Irish, respectively. Let’s take for example, language. U.S. and Canada use of language is primarily English and French secondary. How do the Palestinians versed in Arabic feel in a world dominated by the Hebrew language all around them?

Rabbi, I’d like to draw your attention to the words of U2 “Where The Streets Have No Name”:

“The city’s a flood
And our love turns to rust
We’re beaten and blown by the wind
Trampled into dust

I’ll show you a place
High on the desert plain
Where the streets have no name…

We’re still building then burning down love”

My argument is supported by Israel-Palestine and Britain-Ireland’s commonalities: geographic proximity, historical civil wars and agreements/disagreements. For example, the “Good Friday Agreement” effected in December 1999 between the governments of Ireland and Britain. I wonder if the then U.S. President, Bill Clinton, having seen the compromise in Europe, felt the same could occur between Palestine and Israel. As Alan Dershowitz recently stated, “Bill Clinton said to Palestine, Arafat come to the table.”  Given what was put on the table a few days ago, I imagine the Palestine’s leadership longs to return to that table. Still, the table remains vacant.

Yet, another table appears to move in response to a movement, the “Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) is a Palestinian-led movement” also known as “BDS Movement.” The movement may be led by Palestinians, but the messenger speaks in a foreign tongue, English, from the U.K. and not that of the American Yankee.  Could this be to avoid any misunderstandings of the message getting lost in translation?

Boycotts – From Ireland to Palestine

Boycotting can be traced back to the late 19^th century during the Irish “Land War” to Captain Charles Boycott. Joyce Marlow’s 1973 book, Captain Boycott and the Irish. André Deutsch, points to the successful blacklisting of Captain Boycott later referred to as “organized isolation.”

Citizens and countries across the globe have participated in some form or fashion in boycotting. Although the intended action of boycotting may affect corporations and/or countries economically, the actual intent is to bring attention to a company or country’s conduct resulting in name brand or political implications. But what are the motivators?

A look at the 2004 article, “Why We Boycott: Consumer Motivations for Boycott Participation” by Jill Gabrielle Klein, N. Craig Smith, Andrew John offer key factors: “Four factors are found to predict boycott participation: the desire to make a difference, the scope for self-enhancement, counterarguments that inhibit boycotting, and the cost to the boycotter of constrained consumption.” I would add a fifth, as a counterattack using the enemy’s strategy.

After September 11, 2001, the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003. The President’s reasoning, aside from the WMDs that were not found, was somewhere along the lines of fighting them over there and not over here. Seems like a strategic move especially when one is unable to successfully fight one’s adversary on their home front.

Given the proximity between Israel and Palestine, it seems appealing to take the fight abroad. Of course, thanks to social media, “foot soldiers” can be recruited via online. Timing, preparation, and opportunity appears to have come together where “In 2005, Palestinian civil society organisations called for boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS).”  However, not just a response from the Middle East or Europe, but “a global citizens’ response.” Yes, Mr. President, it appears they liked your idea and so they too brought the fight to you.

Students across college campuses in the U.S. have taken to protest against the State of Israel. Interestingly, the use of boycotts against multinational companies is not new to citizens of the U.S. However the added ploys to divestments and sanctions reserved for nation against nation are being leveraged as well.

Movements, like that of (BDS), have its supporters and detractors. On examination of its website, the intended target, the State of Israel, appears guilty as charged. It can be argued that the statements are simply opinions with little to no valid evidence to support them devoid of logic or reason.

To be fair, critique of a government’s policies and what may be construed as injustice need not be characterized as discrimination of a people or in this case, antisemitism.  By the same token, Israel’s actions and the implications on the people of Israel and Palestine need not be imposed on Jews of other nations, as it paints an inaccurate generalization of Jews. 

It is important to remember that the BDS Movement webpages are presented in the English language. First rule of public speaking, know your audience, or intended audience. The movement appears to manifest its strategy “as a form of non-violent pressure on Israel.” Interestingly, Mohandas Gandhi was known to have promoted non-violence seeking India’s independence from Britain. Gandhi was successful. Yet, independence is not mentioned on the BDS site? Instead tripartite tactics: boycott, divestment, and sanctions. However, the idea of independence appears front and center for Palestine. Moreover, the site does not appear to draw its inspiration from India. But Africa, instead? Africa, a continent the U.S. identifies with profoundly, given their shared history with segregation.

Speaking of segregation and adding racism, in listening to some students in classes and on campuses, I found that economic instability in their families and communities has played a factor in their resentment of the “white man.” Gentrification exacerbated an already tenuous situation. Media reports highlight the increase number of African Americans and Latin Americans blaming the landlord, who for them is a Jew or “white man.” Now do you see the correlation between Captain Charles Boycott whose role was similar to that of a manager overseeing a property with the power to evict tenants?  

BDS and AIPAC: Goals? Accomplished?

“There’s many lost, but tell me who has won

The trench is dug within our hearts

And mothers, children, brothers, sisters torn apart…”

BDS goal? Solidarity. The “Palestinian civil society has called for a global citizens’ response of solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for freedom, justice and equality.”  Mission? It is unclear what the BDS mission is other than to call onto others to take actions on its behalf. It describes what it is along with its principle listing opinions critiquing Israel. The words on the pages include statements and opinions fused in such a way to appear as statements of facts. Given historical accounts, some may disagree.

What has BDS accomplished? According to its website, “BDS is having a major impact and is effectively challenging international support for Israeli apartheid and settler-colonialism.” As Rabbi Golub notes, “BDS making strong case that Israel is the bad guy.” Yes, but what specifically has it done for the Palestinian people? How does BDS reconcile that a segment of Palestinians work in Israeli factories and companies? 

Rabbi Golub and others have pointed out that BDS works against peace. Some may agree. According Golda Meir, the fourth Prime Minister of Israel, peace will be accomplished “when Arab mother loves their children more than they hate us.” BDS appears to take on the mantra of the U.S., “no justice, no peace.” Speaking of peace, the American Jewish organization with roots going back to early 1951 is American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

AIPAC’s goal? Peace. It “supports America’s efforts to help Israel achieve peace with its neighbors.” Mission? “The mission of AIPAC is to strengthen, protect and promote the U.S.-Israel relationship in ways that enhance the security of the United States and Israel.” But what has AIPAC accomplished? According to AIPAC, “Keeping America and Israel Secure.” Given the recent attacks on Jews in the U.S., some may disagree.

AIPAC appears transparent about what it is, “America’s Pro-Israel Lobby”, its U.S. bipartisan support, and what its mission is. BDS clearly states what it is, “Palestinian-led movement for freedom, justice and equality” but not who supports it or its mission other than “the BDS call.” The question remains, who exactly are the members of this “Palestinian civil society” and who are the “global citizens” they’re asking a “respond of solidarity”? It appears to be organizations that can identify with it, “BDS is now a vibrant global movement made up of unions, academic associations, churches and grassroots movements across the world.” Interesting, they included churches but not Mosques.

To be fair, those visiting the websites need to decipher both APAIC and BDS arguments and what can be construed as informal fallacies. Deductive arguments- In analyzing premises/conclusions, are arguments sound or unsound. Inductive arguments- In analyzing premises/conclusions are arguments strong or weak. Though one could point to several fallacies stated on both websites, the one I clearly see is the Fallacy of Relevance: “Appeal to the people: (indirect): Arguer appeals to reader/listener’s desire for security, love, respect, etc.”

Rabbi Golub, you partly describe BDS as an “immoral movement.” Sir, what is immoral are the actions and inactions of some university administrations and faculty. In and of itself, the BDS movement appears on its website to come across as inoffensive campaigning of a movement. However, I do take your point on what appears to be its underlying goal. And to your point, I find it is critical to consider the words of a historian of the early 1930s, that in the “final evaluation of the National Socialist revolution in Germany…Because it was comparatively bloodless we, too, readily lose sight of its extremely revolutionary aspects.”

On its face, neither the colleges nor the BDS movement appear to have done anything illegal. Moreover, the students seen to do all the work. Schools provide the “safe spaces” and social movements “move” the students appealing to their ideas of injustice. Ironically, movements and U.S. students are exercising their First Amendment rights while at the same time squashing the rights of those who oppose them.

As I noted above, some U.S. students in these “social justice programs” are being taught that “It’s not about fact or logic, it’s about emotion.”  Reader, your decision: Do you believe what you read or do you need and want to believe what you read?

Let’s “put the shoe on the other foot.” For example, if U.S. were to apply the tactics of BDS on say Latin American countries what may it look like?

B –Nation boycotts could lead to trade embargoes

D –Divestment in economic development or sending funds to family abroad

S –Sanction U.S. citizens and prospective immigrants traveling to and from Latin America and those crossing the U.S. border by imposing a Border Tax

Unlikely? Ask Cuba. Consider the recent U.S.- Mexico – Canada  trade agreement some may argue. Yes, but the U.S has found it easy to make and break deals. What would be the “deal breaker” ?  I imagine it would come before the November.

Lastly, “BDS upholds the simple principle that Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as the rest of humanity.” Who does the movement consider “the rest of humanity”?  Countries from all seven continents experience anti-Semitism, hate crimes, corruption and violence, islamophobia, xenophobia, human rights abuses and killing of Jews, Muslims, and Christians. Yet, the movement wants the “same rights as the rest of humanity”?

Speaking of Muslims and human rights, U.S. students who call themselves “justice warriors,” why not boycott China, India…? Speaking of occupation and the pipelines in Native American land, why not boycott U.S.?  Yes, these countries may be seen as Goliaths, but David was not afraid to fight Goliath. “Snowflakes”, you’re no David.

Students, all students, should have the right to voice their opinion and critique their country’s government and that of other nations. Americans, when criticizing Israel, do not forget, you do so in the safety of the U.S., where neither neighboring armies to the north or south has killed your fellow neighbors. Consider Israeli citizens, both Arab and Jewish, who must live under constant watch for their security given their proximity to the Arab countries that surround it.

One-sided arguments promoting “justice for Palestine” by “justice warriors” need to ask themselves after their four to eight year school terms end, as that of your president, where do you plan to be and where will you be sitting professionally? When doing so consider that “Where you stand, depends on where you sit.”   → “Safe spaces” or Truth?

Politically Incorrect ↔ Emotion ≠ Logic ≠ Truth ≠ Law?

With a background in law and government, I enjoy reading case law and legal magazines including American Lawyer and California Lawyer. In the section, Roundtable, various perspectives on subjects like Regulation, Intellectual Property, Anti-Trust, and so on are discussed and debated. Given the subject of law, they steer clear of fallacies, especially ad hominem attacks.

Roundtable discussions can also be found at panel discussion at institutes and think tanks. The Jewish Broadcasting System (JBS) offers similar platforms. L’Chayim, for example, has interviews and a roundtable forum where pertinent topics are discussed, antisemitism being one of them.

However, one is not likely to find such dialogue in some classrooms at U.S. universities. Why? Emotion and feelings was brought up by one of the teachers when I debated an argument by a student on the bases of lack of facts to substantiate it. She, the teacher, in turn said, “It’s not about logic, reason, or facts. It’s about feelings.” 

At first, I was taken aback by such an illogical statement given my schooling in critical thinking and the scientific method. Familiar with litigation, I understood her “logic” as she informed the class that she had worked with attorneys and jurors. Of course, her point made “sense” if one considers that sentimental appeal can and has won cases, not facts.  By simply tapping into the jurors hearts, you can, sometimes, change their minds to side with your client regardless of the truth.

Imam and Rabbi Speak Out

In my 2015 paper, Forming an Alliance Between Muslim and Jewish Organizations at University Campuses and Communities, I describe how I engaged in a Community Development action project, building and developing relationships with Faith Leaders and Presidents of campus associations. In my meeting with an Imam and Rabbi, I posed to each the question, “What do you see is the issue as it relates to the Muslim and Jewish communities?”

Listening to the Imam, I found he sees the main issue concerning the Muslim community is Islamophobia. In addition, he adds that politics plays a key role as it applies to the State of Israel. He made three key points:

1.Conflict between Israel and Palestine has served to exacerbate the situation and any possibility of an alliance between members of the two faiths. As an example, he referenced his interactions with interfaith groups. He finds that when engaging in dialogue, Rabbis and those representing the Jewish community feel it necessary to interject the State of Israel into the conversation regardless of agreeing not to do so which is detrimental to productive dialogue;

2. Power and influence of AIPAC on U.S. Government; and

3.U.S. increased funding and support for the State of lsrael. 

The Imam has a point. Israel-U.S. relationship appears to be mutually beneficial. According to the AIPAC website, “For more than 20 years, AIPAC has worked to prevent Iran from gaining a nuclear weapons capability in order to protect the security of the United States and our allies, including Israel.” However, Saudi Arabia-U.S. relationship also appears to be mutually beneficial.

AIPAC’s reference to Palestine points to BDS as the problem, “In seeking to impose such one-sided “solutions” on Israel, BDS efforts undermine the prospects for peace by relieving Palestinians of the need to negotiate with Israel and by promoting demands that forgo any expectation of compromise.”

What impedes dialogue may be attributed to the history and dissolution between both faiths. According to the Imam, this “wedge” came about in 1894 with Theodor Herzl and the beginnings of Zionism.  Zionism is defined as “the national movement for the return of the Jewish people to their homeland and the resumption of Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel.”

I derived, from the Imam’s past perspective, that in their long held goal for sovereignty, Israelis have amassed the animosity of others. Some believe that in their quest for restoring their homeland, Israelis and the Jewish community have sacrificed any attempt of peace with those of Islam faith. As noted earlier, separating faith and politics is difficult.

Referring to the Imam’s last two points, should one not also consider the power and influence of Saudi Arabia on U.S. Government and U.S. increased weapons trade and support for the Kingdom? 

Of course, the Imam’s critique of Israel may be seen as biased as his family resides in Palestine where conflict endures. Speaking with the Imam about his concern for his family and fellow Muslims, I could not help but be distracted by the large frame on the wall of his office. It was a magnificent photo image of Mecca surrounded by hundreds of people. Yes, Mecca is central to his faith, but where was the image of Palestine? 

Speaking with a Rabbi, I found his response began with the Israel-Palestine conflict, confirming the Imam’s point that Rabbis and those representing the Jewish community feel it necessary to interject the State of Israel into the conversation. As to the conflict, the Rabbi acknowledged that “more can be done.” As an example, the Rabbi pointed to student faith organizations which he saw as serving as a platform where “idealistic students hope to change things.” However, he critiqued the student organizations which make an unfair analogy of what they perceive as injustice to that of the genocide of the Jews.

Another critique the Rabbi noted was that of “outside forces” and when the “community gets too involved.” He explained that those who are not necessarily part of the conflict (i.e. media) exacerbate the situation. Also, members of the community who become aware of the situation at university campuses decide to get involve with the intent of helping but only make matters worse.

I found the Imam’s and Rabbi’s critiques relevant and important. I concluded by questioning how the same community who we think is helping may actually be hindering campus interfaith relations. Both agreed with my suggestion that part of the problem may be a generational gap between students and parents or adults in the community.

Campus Associations

I spoke with university presidents of student associations asking what their communities saw as obstacles for peace on campus.

In a conversation with the President of a Muslim association, he was brief and direct in his answers noting that although there have been high tensions in the past, there is less now and that they presently have a good relation with their counterpart. The solution he proposes is to have more tolerance and respect. In order to accomplish this, he pointed to the importance of students becoming educated in their history, their faith and that of others. I found knowledgeable and his suggestion for peace wise.

The President of a Jewish student organization pointed to antisemitism. She notes that students do not feel they have a safe space. She makes no regard for herself but voiced concern for her students as their generation is coming into a time in which social media has proven to be a war zone.

Politically speaking, she acknowledged that laws in Israel may not be perfect and could be more democratic in their dealing with the Israel-Palestine conflict. She feels that analyzing the situation and critical thinking is important for positive engagement with others. What troubles her is that while she and others are working at having dialogue with members of other faiths, there are those, which she calls “agitators and oppressors” which impede dialogue.

For example, students for equal rights for African Americans, Women Studies, Gender studies as well as the media. Nonetheless, she is cautiously optimistic that future generations will be able to have more positive relationships than those of previous generations. Our conversation was insightful and I felt a deep respect for how she selflessly did not think of herself but voiced concern for her students.

I found both Presidents exemplified true leadership in how they approached obstacles utilizing their experience and knowledge.

Countering Anti-Semitism, From One Century to the Next

Israelis not only need to defend their State, but Jewish Americans need to protect themselves from anti-Semitic attacks. Countering through multiple sectors is viable. Consider three:

First, presentation. Speak with Ido Aharoni who serves as Global Distinguished Professor for International Relations at New York University’s Faculty of Arts and Science.  He understands the importance of a victor perspective.

Second, target the location responding to trigger points – college campuses.

Countermeasures: 1.Bipartisan Action; 2. Comprehending Intersectionality; 3. Surveillance; 4. Campus severance; and 5. Law & Order:

1. Trim the branch of the tree where the bird nests – Higher Education. Leverage your organizations that work with bipartisan members of Congress to reengineer the academic statis quo. AIPAC, according to your site, “What We’ve Accomplished – With the support of our members nationwide, AIPAC works with Democrats and Republicans in Congress and leaders in the executive branch to protect and strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship.” Now, American youth needs to be protected. Do not forget. Herzl called for the First Zionist Congress leading to the World Zionist Organization.  Herzl’s prophetic words became the motto of the Zionist Movement, “If you will, it is no fairytale.” And will, the Jews had and have.

Recently, the Trump Administration has reportedly proposed cutting funding to universities that do not promote free speech. If “President Trump declares a war on antisemitism through an executive order,” then likewise, policy can be proposed to eliminate or restrict funding to universities who do not deter antisemitism and faculty who promote  or support it.

2. Intersectionality appears to interlink individuals from all backgrounds so as to provide a transport by way of sharing their identities via their “lived experience.” Two key factors: Conveniently appealing, but there’s a drawback. Option to “buy a le carte” is denied. Caveat clause: One needs to buy into and defend all causes a group has identified as victims. Note the similarities to that of consumerism. For example, bundling services in communications (cable, internet, and phone).

From all angles, it appears that rising antisemitism is a multi-dimensional orchestration connecting subsets into a prong led by a conductor. Picture it. One does not need to be an engineer to imagine multiple pipes leading into a faucet with one handle.  Now, rethink it. Anti-Semitic movements orchestrate and play the idea of intersectionality connecting multiple identities led by the conductor controlling the “faucet” that pours out cries of protest. The siren calls they hear as music are in actuality harsh noises of antisemitism shared online and taken to the streets.

3.The current generation grew up with technology making some victims of their own time and guilty of their own crime , surveillance. They may have the right to speak against anyone they wish.  But companies targeted by the BDS movement may retaliate by considering the prevalent use of surveillance programs to target them.  Corporations too can exercise their First Amendment rights.

Israel’s best are sought after by America’s military, business, medical, and technological corporations. AIPAC, though your mission is to “enhance the security of the United States,” students do not feel safe even though you’ve given “students the tools to find their voices in support of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship.” It is time to work with Israeli and U.S. tech companies and local law enforcement agencies equipped with surveillance data.

4. Revamping the campus experience by severance. As it applies to the U.S., the strategy may very well be severance, as counterproductive as that may sound. Why?  Three reasons: First, consider that the country was founded on the separation of Church and State; Second, the private schools I visited, Muslim and Jewish, appeared to have none of the issues endured in public schools as the focus of each private was heritage and learning specific; Three, campuses are already separated by departments so this idea is not new; and Fourth, when universities became privatized profiting as a business with left-wing agendas, they no longer stood as institutions of teaching adhering to the First Amendment. Some of these options may seem extreme. But these are dangerous times. It is time to act “by any means necessary.”

5. University policies include grade adjustments, suspension or expulsion for acts of plagiarism. Some campuses abide by the “honor code.” Why not institutionalize penalties similar to the justice system on students who dishonor the code of ethical conduct as it pertains to harassment, verbal and physical assaults?  On its face, this may be appealing. However, if a culture of reportedly corrupt staff and faculty (e.g. Physicians and Faculty facing allegations of sexual harassment and admission bribes) appears to be of little concern except to the victims, the appeal will be lost as the business of education hinders on there being a “student body” present to profit from tuition fees, the “honor code” be damned.

Third, Take the fight back to them by beating them at their own game. You may not be able to control what is communicated online but you can control the lines of communication. Leverage the Offices of Technology on campuses to control identifiable data utilizing algorithms.   

Education

Bishop Dr. Victor Brown, in response to New York attacks stated, “Lack of understanding and/or ignorance on the part of some African Americans…much needs to be done in terms of  education….” Yes Sir, but as I learned from Martin L. King, Jr.’s speech and the former Chairwoman of the United States Commission on Civil Rights, education alone cannot wholly address the aspect of morals and character.

In his 1948 speech at Morehouse College, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stated:        

The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think

critically. But education which stops with efficiency may prove the greatest

menace to society. The most dangerous criminal may be the man gifted with

reason but no morals. … We must remember that intelligence is not enough.

Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.

I asked Dr. Mary Frances Berry what her thoughts were on education, specifically as it pertained to Dr. King’s statement.  Dr. Berry is Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania.  She replied “I would hope that education would build character. I am not sure that there is any conscious effort to do that on the part of people who are in charge of education today.”  I agree with both Dr. King and Dr. Berry and reiterate why parents’ involvement is significant.

Parents               

One crucial factor left out of the conversations of antisemitism is the influence of parents. I pointed this out in my grad paper, Rethinking Education: The Significance of Parental Involvement. Clearly, teachers are responsible for teaching but parents are responsible for their children’s actions. It is not the responsibility of educators and parents to fix the complex problems of society.  It is their responsibility to lead and nurture.

Family, the core foundation of a child, is fundamental. Sadly, and to the benefit of those whose intent is in taking advantage of youth, most parents are unable to be fully involved in the academic life of their child due primarily to economic hardships, working multiple jobs. Others can but their priorities lie elsewhere. Yet, the few that are involved see the problem clearly.

Betty Ehrenberg, Executive Director for World Jewish Congress-United States and North America raised a very important concern. She shared that she is getting college campus “email requests from parents with messages like ‘where can I send my kids to school where they won’t be harassed by BDS?’ ” Unless a parent is able and willing to home-school, the only choice appears to be private school.

In my graduate studies, I conducted two Language Policy Analysis at two Private Schools, Jewish and Muslim, in the U.S. At the end of their 12 years, students gain knowledge of two languages which may serve as a distinct advantage when applying to higher education. However, such an advantage may not transfer over to campus/student life. 

Research shows, “Jewish students may be less involved in student religious groups on campus, leading to fewer experiences of community support for their beliefs.” Why? Two reasons I see is that they were not taught early on and did not join their community of faith. Second, if they did partake, some could not reconcile their teachings with those of the academic community, for they were unwelcomed because of their faith.

Also, I find that some members of the current generation are not entirely faith oriented, specifically Catholics. Listening to students, their antipathy towards the religious sector has grown from what they see as betrayal and loss of trust. Betrayal of a faith that does not accept them for who they are in respect to gender, their own negative experiences or reading those of others. Case in point, reported cases of sexual abuse of children in the Catholic church. Though not the cause of their hostility toward those of Jewish faith, there appears to be a strong correlation to demonizing those of faith, specifically Jews.

Adding to these feelings of resentment rooted on betrayal and trust are two critical factors: Reported allegations of sexual abuse of students by campus medical staff and admission scandals. Though not related to antisemitism per se, these occurrences exacerbate an already volatile environment that easily redirects hatred at those who are targeted as oppressors, transference in action.

Parents, of faith or secular, clearly have their work cut out for them as their teenagers are bombarded with messages from joining the armed service to applying to colleges. Yes, parents have a lot on their plate balancing home, work and raising their children. Still, parents need to “step up to the plate” and not simply rely on teachers who have become the broker for the “college pipeline.”  And like the “prison pipeline” students and parents alike will be the ones to pay heavily. Not for a crime but for the “right” of a mouthpiece.

If Parents had a vested interest would they take interest in curriculum and their child’s interest as parents that pay for private schools?  Goal of Administrations at public high schools is high graduation rates as they are publicly funded via government. Goal of Administrations at some universities is high admission fees and if that includes higher fees from international students and the continuous paid tuition from students changing majors the better.

It is not about policing student associations, let alone students for expressing freedom of speech. Isn’t that why they pay high tuition fees? It is about parents being the core influencer. Yes, your child can read about past great historic figures that inspire them. But you are in the present and have the power to influence them and their futures.  If you don’t step in, others will, on campus and online.

To be fair, students are not only influenced by their parents but are inspired by their teachers. Unfortunately, there are teachers who I felt did real harm by instigating or promoted students’ resentment against fellow students who disagreed with their “identity politics.” How are students supposed to help each other when respect for each other has been squashed?  Gagging speech can lead to a disregard of the idea that “if they see something, say something” to safeguard against a potential shooter.

Congress’ response to shootings on school campuses is disappointing.  Although the State cannot generally interfere in how a parent decides to raise their children at home, the State does have jurisdiction in public schools. If policies are put into law as to school curriculum, the same can be done as to security.  It is here where legislative policies need to be drafted and effectively implemented.

Consequently, addressing sentiments of Anti-Semitism early in high school is critical because “the lessons learned in classrooms today become the policies in the public square tomorrow,” according to Sandra H. Parker, Chair, Christians United for Israel, who also served as witness to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee Hearing. In other words, today’s students will reflect your nations’ political leaders, and if it is any indication of the partisanship seen in the last four years, “God help you.”

Past and Future Brave Heroes and Leaders

“I recorded what I saw. It was not a part of humanity. We will have a future because we are speaking truth.” –  Jan Karski

“You cannot continue to victimize someone else just because you yourself were a victim once – there has to be a limit.” – Edward Said

 “There can be no doubt that the average man blames much more than he praises. His instinct is to blame. If he is satisfied he says nothing; if he is not, he most illogically kicks up a row.” – Golda Meir

 “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

– Martin L. King, Jr.

“Great men have done great things here and will again and we can make America what America must become.” James Baldwin

Yes, honor brave, true heroes and leaders of the past:Karski, Said, Meir, King, Baldwin, Tubman, Malcom, Gandhi, Parks, Mandela, Washington… But they are in the past. Where are today’s leaders? What you have today are paid influencers – They are NOT leaders.

Let’s look to a future with brave heroes and true leaders.

Matlock’s State of U.S Address

As State and Nation leaders have given their addresses, I put forth mine:

I would like to begin by first recognizing the state of New York. Governor Andrew Cuomo posited his State of the State Address on January 8^th. Addressing crimes directed at the Jewish community, Gov. Cuomo stated, “…intolerable and we will not stand for it.” Sir, referring to your words that New Yorkers are “dreamers and doers,” let’s face reality and effectively address rising antisemitism. You stated, “we did not start it, but let us end it.” Yes and No.

Yes, the majority of New Yorkers did not start it.  No, your state cannot end it. Two reasons:  As Governor, your power lies in governing the State. You can govern law enforcement to enforce laws to deter future incidents. As U.S. President, Trump’s power lies in leading the “us”, the Nation. Each State of the Nation must balance both his domestic and foreign policies.

Governor, as the President’s power trumps yours, I offer my proposal for the power you do have with your state: Engage with figures like former Police Commissioner William Bratton and the 2020 Presidential Candidate Michael Bloomberg. Bracken’s reputation for effectively addressing crime in New York motivated the cities of Boston and Los Angeles to seek his experience. Bloomberg’s leadership skill inspired New Yorkers during his three-term tenure as Mayor of New York.  Gov. Cuomo, Sir, as the current strategy is not working, a partnership of the caliber of both Bracken and Bloomberg is required so that as you concluded, “not allow it to happen in this state…”

As it pertains to the attacks on Jews by African Americans, I think it best to consider Baldwin’s words, “The Jewish travail occurred across the sea and America rescued him from the house of bondage. But America is the house of bondage for the Negro, and no country can rescue him. What happens to the Negro here happens to him because he is an American.” These realities as seen through an African American need to be understood and considered before exercising judgment.

Seeing the world in non-linear form, I cannot help but think of those who see the irony as the world turns. I imagine the Japanese Kamikazes and German Nazis, if alive today, may find present day suicide bombers, anti-Semitic acts, and “hate crimes” ironic: White on Black, White on Muslim, White on Jew, Black on Black, Black on Jew, Muslim on Muslim, Muslim on Jew, Hindu on Muslim, Asian on Muslim…

Yes, the Jewish mantra is “never forget.”  But the people of Israel and Jewish Americans do not dwell in the past. They look to the future. Bring on the boycotts, divestment and sanctions. Though seventy years strong, the State of Israel has been thousands of years in the making through their faith and resilience. Support for Israel is strong.  As Sabra, Rochelle Etingin proudly stated “Israel will survive without you.”  Yes, Madame, but will they survive without her? The State of Israel may not make all the products the West buys. Yet, their scientific and technological innovation makes life possible.

I find hypocrisy and irony on the part of some of the “justice warriors” actions: Hypocrisy in their support or non-criticism of countries whose government laws and policies go against the ideas and rights they fight for in their studies on gender, women, African American, Chicano, etc. Irony in criticizing their President’s abuse of power appears no different than their own abuse of American freedom to penalize, insult, and silence those who disagree with them.

Failure in engaging in constructive conversations or debates has inflicted injustice not only on Jewish and Muslim students of America, Palestine, and Israel but incited hate around the world. Purposely or blindly, their actions are no different than their “Lady Justice” sculptor in the “halls of justice” they so fervently criticize for the injustices ruled against them.

Amidst campus scandals and student loan debt, the youth of America faces crises: suicide, substance abuse, depression, unemployment, homelessness…  Students, recall the saying, “charity starts at home.” Where’s the solidarity and protest against tuition hikes? Perhaps, it’s time to put “non-violent pressure” on your universities.

Nearing graduation, several of the students I came across appeared to have their spirit broken. Their faces appeared lost. The little enthusiasm they had was gone. Sitting across from me were not young minds excited to graduate. They appeared to be old, tired and bitter. How could they conquer the world? In time they may see that “It is better to create than to learn!” as Julius Caesar is noted in saying.

What was missing in them all along was passion. Passion to realize their ambitions and dreams. In six months’ time, some would be paying heavily for their right to a mouthpiece. In twelve months, others will ask, “What was all my protesting for?”

Brothers and Sisters, in and out of school, ask yourself:  What have I accomplished for myself, my family, and my community? Was my time and resources spent in higher learning for the betterment of my future? Or, am I simply another “toy soldier” taking up space, yelling and screaming for four or more years, in exchange for a cap, gown, and piece of paper?  Have the institutions profited at my expense as I am so easily replaced year after year? 

Sisters and Brothers, unless you have experienced Slavery, Genocide, Shoah, or War, your knowledge and sense of understanding for each may be veiled by those who do not respect the unique pain and suffering of each one.  Live in the present. In the words of a girl who became the first woman Israeli Prime Minister, Golda Meir, “Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.”  It is not about following in the footsteps of others. Be inspired by those in the past but forge your own path. The future is yours.

Brothers and Sisters, you are not guilty for the sins of those in the past. Responsibility of your present actions will lie in the future.    

Legends of the Future

There is power in the past. It is seen by its impact in history and its lingering effects in the present and the future to be. The future lies on whether we wish to embrace change, as difficult as that may be, or fall victim to repeat the persecution done onto us. The people of the State of Israel cry out that they will no longer be silenced as in the past. Never again, because now they have a voice and a homeland – the future is theirs.

Surprisingly, given the U.S. fascination with guns, “toy soldiers” forget that in their attempt to attack and silence voices, no matter the silencer you put on a gun, the power in its ammunition to fight back cannot be stopped. Unlike U.S. “toy soldiers” who protest from the safety of their “safe spaces,” the Israel Defense Force (IDF) students march “From High School to the Homefront.” They are an elite unit of men and women.  As Rabbi Golub states, “thank god we have an IDF to protest.” To the U.S. “Toy Soldiers”, my brothers and sisters, who are your keepers?

I imagine and look forward to a future where young minds will utilize their knowledge, talents, imagination, and creativity to engage and learn from each other as the planet they inherit will be theirs and their children’s. Young brilliant minds across the globe, “Let us all keep our wits about us…” and strengthen our wings before we fly becoming legends in our own right.

I stand with the brave and courageous young legends around the world who are not silent and speak the truth.  Unleash your passions, artists, designers, writers, scientists, nurses, poets, athletes, engineers, musicians, philosophers, scholars, singers, dancers, fighters…and be legendary! 

From the Great Ocean waters to the Arabian and Mediterranean Seas to the Holy Land, Sisters and Brothers, I and truth stand with thee, the true legends.  Bon chance, Mes Amis!  

“Legendary” by the American blues rock band Welshly Arms:

“Been looking for the answer

Ever since we were seventeen

You know the truth can be a weapon

To fight this world of ill intentions

A new answer to the same question

How many times will you learn the same lesson?

I think they got it all wrong

Gonna get their attention

What we’re doing here ain’t just scary

For you might never make it out alive

You gotta live without the columbines

Let everybody hear your battle cry

Yeah we’re gonna be legends“