Prospects for a sustainable Middle Eastern peace appear to be the most favorable since the heady days of the Abraham Accords.
It seems rash to consider lessons learned over the past 24 months before we see how things play out. This reminds me of a conversation that allegedly took place in 1972 between Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai. When Secretary Kissinger asked the Premier to reflect on the impact of the French Revolution, Zhou Enlai replied that “It’s too early to tell.”
Nonetheless, I offer a half-dozen truths I have come to realize following the Oct. 7 massacre.
Israel Will Always Be Held to a Higher Standard by a World Who Despises It
State-sponsored famines, ethnic cleansings and other atrocities abound across the globe, but it is Israel that always seems to take center stage. Perhaps this results from resentment over how Israel has built a vibrant democracy and economy; perhaps it is simply antisemitism. Regardless, if you expect that Israel will ever get a fair shake, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Don’t forget that the world turned against Israel even while the kibbutzim were still ablaze.
The Mainstream Media Deserves Some of the Blame for the Vilification of Israel
If you want to make the front page of The New York Times, take a picture of a smoldering building in Gaza or present the most inflated Hamas-based fatality statistics as if they were the truth. There has been little balance either in their reporting, or elsewhere in the mainstream media. Reinforcing ill-informed social justice narratives is clearly more important than honestly portraying the news.
Higher Education Sowed the Seeds of Its Own Decline
College administrators ignored myriad excesses by students and faculty alike, turning a blind eye when the humanities embraced a political agenda, or when student affairs personnel became more interested in excusing behavior that violated school rules than in preparing students for the world. The pronoun police fiddled while the university burned.
There Are More People in Leadership Positions in Academe Than There Are Leaders
University presidents who put out statements and took actions whenever any underrepresented group claimed to have been slighted suddenly discovered the virtues of free speech when Jews became the target. Imagine how long an encampment of anti-abortion advocates on a campus green would have lasted. Academic leaders for the most part get selected based on their teaching, research and administrative records. But those accomplishments mean little if a president lacks a strong moral compass, culminating in proclamations about whether or not calling for the murder of Jews is acceptable on America’s college campuses depends on the context.
Support Progressive Causes with Your Eyes Wide Open
I am trying my best to separate a worthy cause from the actions of its leaders, but the outrage from being betrayed following Oct. 7 makes me hesitant to continue to support what has long been important to me. I have a friend who generously funded an inner city after-school program for many years, only to visit recently and discover pro-Hamas posters on the walls. What do you do? I struggle with the answer. Our eyes have been opened to the fact that devoting ourselves to a meaningful endeavor will not necessarily buy any love for the Jewish people, but sometimes we might choose to do it anyway.
The Most Critical Help We Can Provide Is Self-Help
I have spent too much time over the past two years going down the rabbit hole of hate and despair. There is a fine line between keeping aware of current events and endangering your health. Anger and bitterness are not the Jewish way. Taking care of yourself, your family and your friends should be your highest priority. Otherwise, you will have neither the energy nor the ability to make real change.
As we literally turn the page on Simchat Torah from standing on the precipice of the promised land to the creation of the world, may there be a new beginning for Israel and the Jewish people. May we awake from our long nightmare and discover that the days ahead are finally bright.
Morton Schapiro served for more than 22 years as President of Northwestern University and Williams College. He taught almost 7,000 undergraduates over his more than 40 years as an economics professor.
