It Is Time to Listen to Jewish Students and Take Action

Much has been spoken and written about the sad state of U.S. academia. A few nights ago, I got a glimpse into it, through the precious eyes of a student, an experience I feel obliged to share.

It was the middle of the night, around 1 a.m. I was wide awake, my eyes closed, recounting the stories of horror and heroism of that Black Sabbath of October 7th: A Saturday that will forever be etched in our hearts, when Hamas monsters invaded Israel and murdered, butchered, maimed, tortured, raped and burned alive innocent families — men, women and children in a hellish festival of death and destruction — all for the ultimate crime of being Jewish.

The phone buzzed on the desk. Who is that in the dead of night?, I wondered. On the other side was a voice I knew well. It was a young Jewish student whom I met in the course of my work for Israel on college campuses. 

“Sorry. I know it’s late.”

“It’s OK,” I replied. “Who can really sleep these days?”

“That’s actually the reason I’m calling,” he told me. 

And then he paused for a minute. “I can’t believe I am saying this, but I am calling you because I’m afraid,” he said hesitantly, as if there was blame in his statement. 

“Afraid of what?” I asked. I imagined he was as traumatized as we all are due to this modern-day Holocaust we experienced only two weeks ago. 

Another pause. Slight hesitation. And then the words came gushing out of his mouth: 

“It all began on that horrid October 7th day. We were absolutely shocked by what happened. So many of us Jews on campus came together and hugged each other. We couldn’t believe the massacre. But it wasn’t a few days, not even hours, before we saw the other side. The ugly side. These are Muslim students we used to co-sponsor events with. We shared facilities with them. We even felt like we were getting closer, building bridges, having interfaith dinners, and making friendships. 

“And now, there they were: marching proud, chanting on the quad and social media their ‘prayer for a final victory’ over Israel. Final victory. The mere words sent chills down our spines. What does that victory look like? A mass massacre of Jews? And if it happened in Israel, why can’t it happen here, with such a mentality? They blamed Israel for the aggression, changing the narrative and spreading lies. Suddenly, it wasn’t dead babies beheaded, but rather ‘A.I.’ and Israel’s nefarious and deceitful technology telling lies to the world. They went as far as sharing a video on their social media platforms depicting what looked like warriors preparing for battle. The video ended with, ‘Oh Muslim, be ready, soon the trees will speak and tell us where the little piggies are hiding (pig emoji).’ We all knew what that meant. It was a direct reference to Article 7 of Hamas’s original charter, which states: “The Day of Judgment will not come about until Moslems fight Jews and kill them. Then, the Jews will hide behind rocks and trees, and the rocks and trees will cry out: ‘O Moslem, there is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him. 

“They threatened us with genocide. Right here in the U.S. It wasn’t just about Israel. It was about Jews.”

He added that while walking on campus last week, he entered the library to find a whiteboard with “FREE PALESTINE” plastered all over it. Underneath it, his name was written in red, along with some of his Jewish friends’ names, all known as supporters of Israel. 

He paused again, almost in disbelief at what he had shared with me. He added that while walking on campus last week, he entered the library to find a whiteboard with “FREE PALESTINE” plastered all over it. Underneath it, his name was written in red, along with some of his Jewish friends’ names, all known as supporters of Israel. 

“How about the school administration?” I asked, puzzled. “Campus police?”

“Crickets,” he said. “We complained.”

“I’m so happy you called,” I told him. 

“You are?” he asked, somewhat smilingly. 

“I am,” I said. “It is time for accountability. We cannot afford to look the other way when such things happen before our very eyes. I am thrilled you raised your voice. We are quiet no more!”

These are the painful voices coming out of too many college campuses around the country and for too long we have looked the other way, at the expense of our children. It is time we all, as a community, heed their call — `that we listen to their pain and, most importantly, take action.

If there is one thing the atrocities in Israel have taught us about our enemies, it is this: If they tell you who they are, believe them. 

And I believe.

Shahar Azani serves as Founder and Principal at Fourth Dimension Strategies and as Senior Vice President at Jewish Broadcasting Services. Azani previously served as Executive Director for the Northeast Region at StandWithUs.