Racism on campus

Protests have erupted on college campuses in the wake of Hamas’ October 7th terrorist attack on Israel. Verbal and even physical assaults on Jewish students have taken center stage at multiple schools. Some of the most well-publicized incidents have occurred at Ivy League institutions and other elite colleges that are often perceived to be bastions of liberalism (or “progressivism”). As a result, a curious narrative has formed as to why anti-Semitism is on the rise in higher education. Specifically, a chorus of conservative politicians and pundits has advanced the notion that postsecondary institutions are fomenting anti-Semitism with the indifference – or even tacit complicity – of the schools’ leadership. This week, the presidents of Harvard, MIT, and the University of Pennsylvania appeared before Congress to explain and defend their actions, or alleged lack thereof, to curb bigotry against Jewish people. All three presidents are women and one of them is Jewish. Neither fact has insulated the schools against such charges. Anti-Semitism is real and it is spreading. We have seen people rip down posters of Israeli hostages. We have witnessed execrable slogans in support of additional violence against Israelis. Recently, conspiracy theories questioning the reality of the Hamas attack have...