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Since the wave of pro-Palestinian protests began after October 7, this has been a fiercely debated topic among American Jews. Are pro-Palestinian campus organizations a bigger threat to American Jews than Christian nationalists in the White House and the halls of Congress? Which side is more worthy of our attention and concern?

This debate came to a head when Elon Musk gave a Nazi salute, and the Anti Defamation League (ADL) excused his behavior, calling it an awkward gesture.

We know which side of this debate the ADL has landed on. They have been vocal in their opposition to pro-Palestinian activism on college campuses and clearly think it is a bigger threat to American Jews than far right conservatives with political power. This is absurd and rightfully controversial.

So let’s talk through this. What is really at stake here? This is going to be a two-part newsletter, first focusing on pro-Palestinian campus organizations and discussing the threat they pose to American Jews. In part two, we’ll talk about Christian nationalists.

Columbia University Apartheid Divest: A Case Study

I am going to use Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) as an example of pro-Palestinian campus orgs because they are loud, and they’ve made a lot of information available to the public.

They have said a number of shocking things, perhaps most notoriously when they endorsed a member’s claim that “Zionists don’t deserve to live.”

They are determined and indefatigable. They have faced a lot of pushback from the University, the media, and the general public; yet, they persist in coming up with new ideas to make their presence and viewpoint known.

This spring at Columbia, several masked individuals burst into the first day of an Israeli history class chanting slogans and handing out flyers that said “Crush Zionism” and “Burn Zionism to the ground.” CUAD has taken credit for this action. Apparently they only want students to study the history of the region if they can have control over the curriculum.

This is bad. I don’t like it very much. I especially don’t like the “Crush Zionism” handout, which depicts a boot stomping on a Star of David. The Star of David is part of the Israeli flag, but it is also a symbol that has represented the Jewish people prior to the existence of the Israeli flag. Since the symbol represents Jews inside and outside of Israel, this flyer depicts the Jewish people being crushed. Cute!

This is an upsetting thing to happen on the first day of class. Though the protesters did not demonstrate any threat to the physical safety of students, they have done harm. Some of the students now feel a decreased sense of belonging in their community and country.

Here’s how I’d characterize this action: A group of students threw a tantrum because they were upset that people were daring to view the Israeli/Palestinian conflict differently than they do.

I don’t want to minimize the real harm done, and I also don’t want to minimize the antisemitic imagery on the flyers, but I can’t help but feel that this was a bit of a fail on CUAD’s part. They have failed to amass any real power through this action; in fact, two students got expelled as a result of their participation.

The saga continues, and CUAD is protesting the students’ expulsion, but I remain unimpressed. The Israeli history course continues as planned.

CUAD has made a lot of noise, said incendiary things, and gotten a lot of press, but in the end, Columbia’s policies, course offerings, and investments have remained unchanged.

The same is true for the majority of pro-Palestinian groups at other colleges. They make a lot of noise and impact the culture but fail to amass any institutional power.

How big is the threat here?

To wrap up, let us assess. What threat do these groups pose to American Jews?

We’re definitely seeing that they impact the experiences of some Jewish students on American college campuses, creating big, loud displays that cause these students to have more difficulty finding a sense of home and belonging in the community.

These organizations are also getting a lot of press. Not only are they difficult to ignore on campuses themselves, but they are also difficult to ignore in the culture at large.

Some people believe the narrative constructed by the media and politicians: that college campuses are becoming hostile places for Jewish students. The reality is much more complicated, but this narrative is picking up steam.

As a result of increased campus activism and its coverage in the media, some American Jews are feeling a decreased sense of belonging and concern for the future.

Others who are not Jewish see discussions of antisemitism becoming more mainstream and view it as an opportunity. More on this next time.