The New 'Social Justice Movement' – Why Colleges Are the Breeding Ground for Anti-Semitism

The New 'Social Justice Movement' – Why Colleges Are the Breeding Ground for Anti-Semitism

Editor's Note: This blog post is by CBN News Multi-Media Producer Emily Jones. As a recent college graduate, she spoke Monday night on the topic of collegiate anti-Semitism at the Christians United for Israel conference in Washington, D.C. She gave a strong speech to the audience on her experience as a student leader for the organization and we wanted you to hear from her. Please pray for the next generation of those who stand with Israel here in the United States and around the world as they take up the fight against anti-semitism.

They hung up their swastikas. They threatened their Jewish class mates. They chanted "gas them, burn them, humanity cannot progress with the parasitic Jews."

These are the sounds that echoed in the lecture halls of Germany's finest universities. But, I'm not talking about those universities; I am talking about American college campuses.

Those swastikas that were hung up on campus buildings? That was done by students from Stanford University, George Washington University, U.C. Davis, and Drexel University.

Those chants to burn and gas Jews?  That happened at U.C. Berkeley.

Anti-Semitism is happening now. Not on the other side of the world in a generation that is not ours. It's in today's headlines. As an active pro-Israel student with Christians United for Israel and the Philos Project, I have seen a deep hatred for the Jewish state spread like wildfire.

What is most disturbing is how this evil force gripping our schools is applauded as justice and goodness. In fact, it is called the new social justice movement, except there are no "safe spaces" for Jews – especially Jews who have the audacity to love their country.

WHY COLLEGE CAMPUSES?

Perhaps the better question is "Why not?" When you look at the rise of Nazi Germany, one of the first institutions targeted with Jew-hatred was education. Universities are the birthplace of future leaders, politicians, policymakers, and pastors. When you poison their minds, you poison society.  

That is exactly why anti-Israel groups like Students for Justice in Palestine, the Muslim Student Association, and the Muslim Student Union  – and even college administrators  – are pushing an anti-Israel agenda. What is their goal? The destruction of the Jewish state.

THE LIE

The anti-Israel movement on college campuses is based on a lie.

Anti-Israel students and university administrators falsely point to Israel as what's fundamentally wrong with the Middle East and the rest of the world. Instead of the Jews being celebrated for miraculously returning to their homeland, they are called colonialists, "baby killers" and occupiers of Palestinian territories. Instead of Israel being recognized as a defender against terrorists, who aim their rockets at the West, Israel is called the terrorist state. Instead of Israel being applauded for attempting to have peace with its neighbors, it is called the aggressor and urged to compromise land.

Basically, those who oppose Israel believe the land does not belong in the hands of the Jews.

As outrageous as this all sounds, the anti-Israel voice is the only respected voice on many college campuses and all of those lies lead to action.

THE FIGHT

The fight over Israel is both ideological and physical.

Often times, anti-Israel students use intimidation tactics to bully anyone who dares defend Israel. One way they do this is by violently protesting and shouting down Israeli speakers or pro-Israel events on college campuses. Just this April, anti-Israel students violently protested when they heard Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat was coming to speak at San Francisco State University. The protests got so out of hand, the mayor canceled the event.

Three years earlier a Jewish student was assaulted at Temple University when he tried to defend his people in front of anti-Israel students.

These are just a few examples of how far and deep the hatred for Israel on college campuses can go. They are not the first, and they will not be the last.

THE FUTURE

So, what do we do? We can support the students who are fighting anti-Semitism on college campuses. My work with Christians United for Israel and the Philos Project equips me with the tools and knowledge I need to shine a light on this evil and crush it. With their help I planned events, hosted speakers, raised funds, and traveled back and forth to the Middle East. I was able to speak from experience about Israel because I went there and met with leading officials in both the Israeli and Palestinian Authority governments. I will continue that fight and so will thousands of other pro-Israel students on America's college campuses.

It is organizations like these that give me such hope for the future. More importantly, it is people who support these organizations because without them, I would not be effective in my fight against anti-Semitism. While we may have a long fight ahead, we will continue until our work is done.