Making sense of the anti-Semitism controversy at CUNY

In January of this year, the Republican-dominated New York State senate threatened to cut funding to The City University of New York (CUNY) by approximately $485 million. They cited the recent allegations of anti-Semitism at CUNY campuses, and dissatisfaction with CUNY’s investigation of these claims, as the reason for this proposed cut. As a Jew, I feel that the response of the state legislature is overblown and will hurt everybody at CUNY, the majority of which have absolutely nothing to do with these allegations of anti-Semitism. The decision, if in fact based on these allegations, is simply misguided, but that’s not what this article is about. What it is about is proving that the allegations of anti-Semitism at CUNY are merited.

A recent article published on The Tab shares my sentiment that the impending financial punishment to be levied upon CUNY is an injustice. However, that is where the common ground ends. The article, titled “Anti-Semitism claims at CUNY could mean the end of our school,” is written in support of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), which is a student activist organization at the center of most allegations of anti-semitism on CUNY campuses like Hunter College, John Jay, and Brooklyn College.

Anti-Zionist demonstrators at the Million Student March

The allegations of anti-Semitism at Hunter College, where I am a student, mostly originate from a protest last November called the Million Student March. With gatherings at many different college campuses across the country, the Million Student March was a movement that issued three demands: tuition-free public college, cancellation of student debt, and $15 minimum wage for all campus workers. At Hunter College, SJP played an integral part in organizing the protest on campus, which in it of itself is not a bad thing. As a Jew that supports Israel, I may be opposed to SJP’s ideology, but as an organization they have every right to participate in political activism that isn’t directly related to their mission. That is not the problem.

What is a problem, however, was some of the rhetoric used at the rally. At a gathering to raise awareness about reforming the higher education system in America, does it make sense for there to be chants like “Zionists out of CUNY” and “Long live the Intifada”? There were many important issues to be discussed at the rally. Inequality is a huge problem, higher education costs continue to rise making it less accessible for people of lower socioeconomic status to get the education they need, and many people have lost faith in our political system to alleviate these problems. However, when you conflate the aforementioned issues with Zionism, you are, at best, attempting to create a false association that is deplorable and transparent. At worst, you are trying to blame Zionists for problems in public education, and being scapegoated for economic issues is something Jews are all too familiar with.

One of the speakers at the Million Student March waving a Palestinian flag in the air

The author of The Tab article referenced before claims that “the only evidence of anti-Semitism, which was provided weeks after…  was of a bystander who wasn’t even a Hunter College student.” Besides the fact that whether or not the allegations came from a Hunter student is irrelevant, the author’s assessment still lacks merit. The rally took place on November 12th and on the very next day, this video was posted to YouTube. If you don’t want to watch it, here is a basic summary:

• 1:14 – a protester screams faintly in the background, “f**k Zionists” (although that is no indictment on the actions of SJP)
• 1:37 – with a large Palestinian flag waving in the air, speakers at the rally chant, “there is only one solution: Intifada Revolution”
• 2:04 – a tense dialogue begins between my friend, David Green, who is a Hunter College student, and a member of the rally who supports Palestine.  

Here is another short video, which shows the protesters chanting “Zionists out of CUNY,” published the day of the event! This is demonstrable evidence that invalidates the author’s claims.    

A legitimate counterargument to my thesis is that none of the rhetoric I show to prove anti-semitism explicitly mentions Jews. I have heard from individuals I know that there were in fact comments made at the rally explicitly mentioning Jews, but I have yet to encounter any evidence of this so they are nothing more than hearsay at this point. The chants at the Million Student March, though suspiciously timed given the nature of the protest, just display anti-Zionism, which is how SJP holds itself up to the world anyway. So what’s the big deal? Why are these chants being labeled anti-Semitic?

Before answering this question, I do feel it is important to make a distinction between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism. An individual may believe the State of Israel has no right to exist without holding any animosity towards Jews. I would vehemently disagree with the former, and there is plenty of overlap between anti-Zionists and anti-Semites, but they are not the same thing. However, when rhetoric shifts from denouncing Israel to attacking supporters of Zionism in this country and claiming they don’t belong in your university, that is when you have moved into anti-Semitic territory.  

A heated exchange between demonstrators and counter protesters who support Israel

Unlike the false association that SJP at Hunter College has attempted to create between Zionism and domestic educational issues, Zionism and Judaism are inextricably linked. It is an inherently Jewish philosophy. That isn’t to say that all Jews are Zionists, but most Zionists are Jewish. Therefore, when a rally chants “Zionists out of CUNY”, whether in reference to the administration, the student body, or both, they are effectively saying “Jews out of CUNY” because most Jews identify as such as Zionism is a staple of modern Jewry (particularly in the Orthodox community that I was born into). That is where the anti-Semitism lies. Not in the denouncement of the state of Israel, which is certainly not infallible, but in the desire to expel from the university all those who support the state of Israel.

The author of referenced Tab article, in defense of the Students for Justice in Palestine, states that “[SJP] works with racial/class/gender inequality and voicing any type [of] oppression like anti-semitism.” Presumably, what this statement is coming to highlight is that SJP, as an organization fighting Israeli oppression, is an advocate for fighting oppression in all its forms, including anti-Semitism. These, however, are empty words. Many of us are taught when we get to college that it is a place for young budding minds to engage in civil discourse so that we may exchange different perspectives and grow as human beings. Attempting to silence alternative ideologies, especially if you believe that the people who think differently than you on a specific matter shouldn’t even be allowed at your university, is a quintessential example of oppression on a college campus.

You may disagree with my assessment that the rhetoric displayed at the Million Student March was anti-Semitic, but that members of SJP were trying to silence the voices of their fellow students with alternative viewpoints is beyond a reasonable doubt. That is oppression, plain and simple.I disagree with SJP’s assessment of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but, nevertheless, I believe they have every right to promote their ideology on college campuses across this country. That is their right, just as it is my right, and the right of any Zionist, to show up at their rallies and counter-protest. Trying to silence supporters of Zionism is antithetical to what SJP claims to stand for, i.e., an organization that fights oppression in all its forms.

I have a friend at Hunter who is affiliated with SJP and she is someone who I admire greatly. We tend to not talk much about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict because we know we have such different views on the subject, but we still try to treat each other with the utmost respect. She once told me that she feels disrespecting those you disagree with is just another form of oppression and I’m inclined to agree with her. There are few issues that are as divisive as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and this makes the emotions on both sides of the equation extremely high when discussing the issue. The most important thing for any individual or organization that wishes to speak up on this issue is to be respectful of others that disagree with you, and to allow their voice to be heard as well, because that is what healthy and productive discourse looks like.