The media has seized the term "anti-Semitism" and weaponized it against any criticism of Israel's actions. I've heard anchors and talking heads on the news complain about "disgusting displays of blatant anti-Semitism" on college campuses, but when I watch the footage of the campus protests I don't see swastikas or hear chants of "Jews will not replace us." I only see and hear those from white power bigots, or as Trump refers to them, "very fine people."
The news has capitalized on a statement by a 20-year-old Columbia University student who said something to the effect of "Zionists don't deserve to live" and "Be glad I'm not out murdering Zionists." "Zionists," the news is quick to explain, means anyone who supports the existence of the State of Israel (although I do not believe that was the protester's working definition at the time). The news keeps calling him "the leader" of the Columbia protests, as if all the other protesters are out there only at his beck and call and not their own outrage over Israel's actions.
Regardless, the news is acting like, "Aha! We got one on tape! There's your clear anti-Semitism!" and use the statement to smear an entire national and international protest.
There's so much wrong with that. First, I'm not so sure the young man is a "leader" of the protests. He may or may not be an active organizer of the specific events happening at Columbia - I don't know, I'm not there - but he's not the one raising consciousness about what's happening and issuing a national call to protest. The other protesters aren't out there because of him. He's not Abbie Hoffman and this isn't 1968.
Second, I've heard his entire statement. Sure, he went too far, and for the record I don't agree that "anyone supporting the existence of the State of Israel" deserves to die. War is not the answer - never was and never is. But he started off by saying that racists have no place in society, Nazis have no place in society, and Zionists (radical pro-Israelis who hold their right to occupy land over the rights of any others to occupy other land) have no place in society. He then went on - taking it too far, in my opinion - saying that racists and Nazis and Zionists shouldn't live. His point was that he was trying to equate hard-line Zionism with racism and fascism, but he went too far. Hey, he's 20 year old and got too worked up emotionally and said something stupid. I can assure you that not every protester at Columbia and USC and Berkley and Emerson College and Emory believes all Zionists should die, even if "their leader" said so in some random sound bite.
For the record, that 20-year-old has now been banned from Columbia, even though he apologized for the remarks and admitted he made a mistake.
Police dressed in riot gear here in Atlanta have used tear gas, rubber bullets, and batons against peaceful protesters at Emory University. There's a viral video making the rounds on social media of a professor at Emory being thrown to the ground by the police with her head against the concrete just for demanding an explanation of why they were beating a student. This is police brutality, plain and simple, and violent repression of free speech.
If protesting against the brutality and genocide by the Israeli government is somehow "anti-Semitic," why isn't police brutality against those sympathetic to the plight of innocent Palestinians "Islamophobic?"
The man-on-the-street attitude toward the "Stop-Cop-City" protests seems to be bewilderment why some people don't want to see the police get better training. The evidence right before their eyes shows them what the police are being trained to do - act as paramilitary suppressers of free speech and protests, and ensure that the ruling class isn't questioned or made to feel uncomfortable.
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