Campus Watch July 6, 2023

Biden Admin Hires CUNY Prof Who Accused Israel of “Ethnic Cleansing”

The Biden administration hired a City University of New York (CUNY) professor who has a past record of anti-Israel statements, including accusing Israel of “ethnic cleansing.”

The Washington Free Beacon reported that CUNY Professor Ramzi Kassem will be serving on the White House Domestic Policy Council and will be in charge of immigration issues. The Free Beacon found various writings from Kassem as an undergraduate at Columbia University from 1998-2000, including one where he accused Israel of “systemic genocide” against the Palestinians during the 1948 War for Independence. The Free Beacon also found an interview from 2000 in which Kassem alleged that “the power of the America Israel Public Affairs Committee and other lobbying groups has allowed Israeli ‘ethnocracy’ to flourish.”

When the Free Beacon reached out to Kassem for comment, they received an automatic reply stating that Kassem is currently on leave.

USA Today Profile Highlights Rising Antisemitism on U.S. College Campuses

Deena Yellin of NorthJersey.com, which is part of the USA Today Network, published a lengthy piece on June 24 documenting how Jewish students have been affected by rising antisemitism on college campuses.

Yellin interviewed several students for her piece, including recent San Diego State University graduate Maya Satnick, who recalled being surrounded by a group of students who shouted, “You don’t belong here!” and called her an antisemitic slur after noticing she was wearing a ring with a Star of David on it. The incident prompted Satnick to hide the fact that she’s Jewish, although she later became active in Jewish life on campus and now proudly wears a “chai” necklace. Another student interviewed in the piece is Micah Gritz, a rising senior at Tufts University, who has “been told he must be rich if he’s a Jew, and that he also bears responsibility for the deaths of Palestinian children. A psychology professor told him Israel had too much influence over the field,” Yellin reported. Gritz said that he wears a Star of David necklace that belonged to his deceased father, but Gritz now finds himself “tucking it in certain classes because I have to worry about what my professor might think of me or what classmates might say.”

South Africa Politician Calls for Deregistering Cape Town Jewish Day School for “Being Pro-Israel”

South African politician Aishah Cassiem, a representative in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, lobbied for a Jewish day school in Cape Town to be “deregistered, based on the school being pro-Israel,” Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) reported.

Cassiem, a former journalist and current member of the Economic Freedom Front (EFF) political party, said during a June 15 debate in parliament that she takes issue with Herzlia High School enforcing “Zionism on Jewish students and [encouraging] the students to participate in Apartheid activities and inhumane practices” as well as the school urging students to join the Israel Defense Force (IDF).

Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) Executive Director Daniel Bloch told JNS, “The Cape SAJBD is deeply concerned by the EFF’s latest public attack on members of the Herzlia Board, displaying photographs and names on social media… It is a shameful attack on the largest and most prestigious Jewish school in the Western Cape.”

Antisemitic Graffiti at Canadian Catholic Elementary School

Antisemitic and racist graffiti was found at a Catholic elementary school in Ontario, Canada on June 26.

Global News reported that the graffiti was found at St. Paul’s Catholic Elementary School and that the graffiti occurred sometime that weekend. The exact nature of the graffiti was not specified in news reports. Principal Natalie Bittner wrote in a letter to parents that they covered the graffiti before students arrived. 

“We take this opportunity to fully condemn racism, antisemitism, discrimination and hate in all its forms,” Bittner wrote. “Displays of hate such as this show how much work still needs to be done to educate our broader school communities about racism and discrimination as we put our commitment to equity into action.”

Brandeis Criticized for “Anything But Orthodox” Ad

Brandeis University is facing some backlash over their recent ad campaign stating that the university “was founded by Jews. But, it’s anything but Orthodox.”

JNS reported that the ad, which was featured in the New York Times magazine on June 25, later states that “when we say that Brandeis is anything but orthodox, we’re referring to its character.” Malka Simkovich, chair of Jewish Studies and director of Jewish-Catholic Studies at Catholic Theological Union, tweeted: “In this ad, ‘Orthodox’ clearly means rigid, antiquated, monolithic, and unevolving. Since Orthodox Jews would reject these adjectives in their self-definition, this line is problematic.” Some Jewish students told JNS that they took umbrage with the ad because Brandeis is actually a great campus for Orthodox Jews.

A university spokesperson told the New York Post: “Brandeis is deeply committed to our Orthodox community members, and the ad was intended not to offend, but to underscore both the diversity of our community and our unusual origin story.”