Barnard Prof.: Jewish Students Aren’t Unsafe, Columbia Will ‘Reinforce’ Incorrect Views that Jews Have More Power

On Tuesday’s broadcast of NPR’s “Morning Edition,” Associate Professor of Sociology at Barnard College Debbie Becher stated that it’s “unfortunate that leaders are telling Jewish students who support Israel’s war on Gaza that they are unsafe” and that while antisemitism should be taken seriously, “the university is going along with the Republicans and Democrats and getting immediate results in the form of firing, suspensions, and expulsions. That’s political point-scoring, not student well-being. And it’s making it worse, not better. When the university uses this kind of disproportionate power in the interest of one group, supposedly, this is just going to reinforce, for them and their peers, the idea that Jews have disproportionate power, a core antisemitic belief.”

Becher said, “It’s unfortunate that leaders are telling Jewish students who support Israel’s war on Gaza that they are unsafe and that the national news and some social media have been portraying our campuses as rife with violence and protests. In fact, the center of attention, there’s an encampment, a pro-Palestinian encampment at Columbia right now, has been a place of sharing and community building. Students have watched movies there. They hold teach-ins. They study. They eat together. Last night, I attended a Passover Seder in the middle of it with about 75 Jewish students, a dozen Jewish faculty, and many non-Jewish students and faculty. … So, what’s happening is that, in the name of preventing antisemitism, the university has suspended a dozen or more Jewish students for taking part in non-disruptive, peaceful action. Does their safety matter? What about the safety of Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, black, and brown students arrested by the NYPD at Columbia’s request and those kicked out of their dorms by Barnard College?”

Later, co-host A Martinez asked, “What would you say, though, Professor, to a student, a Jewish student, who feels that maybe that what’s going on now has gone to antisemitic language?”

Becher answered, “I would say that antisemitism is something that needs to be approached seriously. It’s everywhere. It is not a tool in a political game. And it’s being used by Congress and universities in the last six months as a tool in politics. Antisemitism deserves rigor. That means we need procedures in place for investigations. What we don’t need is panicking and caving in response to external pressure. What we’ve seen is that congressional Republicans and Democrats are going along with those who are panicking, and the university is going along with the Republicans and Democrats and getting immediate results in the form of firing, suspensions, and expulsions. That’s political point-scoring, not student well-being. And it’s making it worse, not better. When the university uses this kind of disproportionate power in the interest of one group, supposedly, this is just going to reinforce, for them and their peers, the idea that Jews have disproportionate power, a core antisemitic belief.”

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