When the anti-Semitic rantings of Joy Karega-Mason, a professor at Oberlin College, garnered public attention, Oberlin’s president admitted that “they caused pain for many people” before going on to defend academic freedom and to argue that the “essence” of a liberal-arts education is “interrogating assertions with facts and deep, critical thinking from multiple viewpoints.” Meanwhile, an email from an off-campus account was sent to all of Oberlin’s students claiming that the “state of Israel, Zionist Jews are pure evil. They did 9/11.” Jeffrey Salkin responds:
Imagine a similar verbal attack against blacks. Or LGBT people. Or Muslims. Would [Oberlin’s president] be interested in “interrogating assertions with facts and deep, critical thinking from multiple viewpoints”? I don’t think so.
But when it comes to Jew-hatred, we are supposed to be open-minded, and to entertain multiple narratives, no matter how farfetched, bizarre, and anti-intellectual they might be. But, wait a second. What about all of that academic jargon, that universities should be “safe places”? Or, that we should avoid inflicting “micro-aggressions”?
“Safe places” for everyone—every ethnic group, every identity group, and every ideology. Except for self-affirming Jews and supporters of Israel. No safe places for them.
And micro-aggressions? Let us be overly cautious and oh-so-sensitive against every aggression or perceived aggression—even criticism—no matter how micro. But, micro-aggressions and even macro-aggressions against Jewish students—especially those who defend Israel? They don’t count. They’re not part of the sensitivity club.
Read more at Religion News Service
More about: Anti-Semitism, Israel & Zionism, Israel on campus, Political correctness, University