Jewish Columbia students speak out in open letter

In an open letter published this Thursday, a group of Jewish students from Columbia University, in the United States, takes head on the question of the existence of Israel in the face of“anti-Semitism” growth that they face in their establishment. The large and highly renowned Manhattan University was the epicenter for two weeks of a movement on American campuses in support of the Palestinian cause.

The message, soberly titled “In Our Name: A Message from Columbia Jewish Students,” is serious and full of emotion. “We are here to write to you as Jewish students at Columbia University, connected to our community and deeply engaged in our culture and history. We would like to speak on our behalf”declare the more than 450 signatories, all members of the prestigious New York university where the police ended up dislodging on April 30 the tent village which had been set up in support of Gaza, making dozens of arrests.

Defending Jewish identity

“Many of us sit next to you in class. We are your lab partners, your study buddies, your peers and your friends”begin the signatories who, according to the New York Times, represent a little more than 10% of the university’s approximately 5,000 Jewish students. All chose to mention their name, their university course and the year they obtained their diploma. Some have already spoken out publicly against anti-Semitism and taken part in counter-demonstrations during pro-Palestinian rallies – one notably testified before Congress about the situation. Others are speaking out for the first time on the subject.

“Most of us did not choose to become political activists,” they assure, but have been “strengths” to engage in activism for “defend publicly” their Jewish identity. “We don’t bang drums or chant catchy slogans. We are average students, just trying to pass the exams, just like the rest of you.”.

Jewish students also recall the anti-Semitism they have faced since “months”. According to videos widely shared on social networks, demonstrations of support for Gaza appear to have been punctuated by serious anti-Semitic incidents. In particular, we see a masked pro-Palestinian demonstrator brandishing the Palestinian flag and this sign: “go back to Poland!” A university student also reported on Twitter that protesters stole an Israeli flag and attempted to steal it, while others splashed water on Jewish students. To the point that the rabbi attached to the university advised them on Sunday to “return home as soon as possible” faced with the risks linked to“extreme anti-Semitism” in New York University.

Defense of “Zionism»

This is what they defend, and which is their intimate conviction: “right of the Jewish people to self-determination in (their) historic homeland”. The signatories of the letter defend the notion of “Zionism”. For them this term is used “misuse”such “a sanitized insult towards Jews, synonymous with racist, oppression or genocide”, while it is simply the belief that “Judaism cannot be separated from Israel.” A conviction that they share. “Many of us are not observant, but Zionism remains a pillar of our Jewish identity”they say.

They emphasize the visceral bond that unites their people to the land of Israel. “The Jewish people have never stopped dreaming of returning to our homeland – Judea, the very place from which we take our name, ‘Jews’”.

Recalling having been expelled from many countries to “the long list”they claim that Israel represents the “the only place in the modern world where Jews can securely take charge of their own destiny”. “Our experiences at Columbia over the past six months are a poignant reminder of this”, they insist, while anti-Semitic statements rain down on the American campus. One of the student leaders, Khymani James, in a resurfaced video from January, said that “Zionists do not deserve to live.” The student has since been expelled from Columbia.

Jewish student signatories express disappointment at seeing the campus they came to “broaden the mind” And “engage in complex conversations” become a prize of war “simplistic binaries” to the “hateful rhetoric”. And invite their detractors to join them “in the sincere search for peace, truth and empathy”. “It is never too late to start repairing divides and developing meaningful relationships across political and religious divides”they proclaim.