Video of incendiary comments by one of the leaders of the student protest encampment at Columbia University surfaced online Thursday evening, forcing the school to again confront an issue at the core of the conflict rippling across campuses nationwide: the tension between pro-Palestinian activism and antisemitism.
The student, Khymani James, said in the January video that “Zionists don’t deserve to live” and “Be grateful that I’m not just going out and murdering Zionists.”
Mr. James made the comments during and after a disciplinary hearing with Columbia administrators that he recorded and then posted on Instagram.
Not sure why this is getting down voted? Like, we can agree that genocide and antisemitism are both bad at the same time, right?
Like, just because Israel’s actions against Palestine are evil, does that necessarily require someone to embrace the Holocaust? Clearly not, right?
And I realize that Zionist =/= Jewish, but it’s dancing a fine line, no? At the very least it’s a call to violence against a Jewish adjacent group that I think feels pretty deeply uncomfortable.
Maybe I’m alone in that though. :/
It’s not a fine line at all. And I say that as a Jew.
Most Zionists are Christians because they need the temple rebuilt and all the Jews to return to Israel to fulfill prophecy and have Jesus return.
That said, what this person did say is entirely unacceptable. Especially the part where they say that we should be grateful they’re not murdering people. Sorry, I’m not going to thank you for not committing murder.
Agreed. Generally speaking, extremists fuel anti-protest propaganda. They’re a cancer to any cause. Protest loud and clear, but violence is always discrediting.
There’s a narrative that calling out the antisemitism is just like how right wingers said everyone riots and engages in property destruction during BLM rallies. I think that’s a false equivalence thought.
I also think that sometimes “Zionism” is used as a euphemism by antisemites because they know it’s more palatable.
Right. There are many Jews that have no relation to, or interest in, Zionism. It’s racist and ignorant to assume otherwise.
And let me tell you, it really sucks to have to regularly explain to both Zionists and antisemites alike that I’m not a fucking Israeli just because I’m a Jew.
I get it. My grandmother was Jewish, and I had a bar mitzvah, although I don’t practice. I’m genealogically only 4% Jewish, but it turns out my mother’s mother was all that mattered for acceptance. I live in NY, so I naturally know a lot of Jews. I also have Israeli-American friends, born in Israel with dual citizenship, that I befriended at work over the years. With all those connections, not a single one is in support of Netanyahu’s horrific actions, and all are resentful of the implications of labeling judgement of his actions as antisemitic. It’s that reason I try to defend against criticism of Jews and Israeli citizens alike. Making assumptions about entire groups of people is racist or nationalist, and the exact same flavor of ignorance that is perpetuating the conflict.
Sorry to hear you have to do that. Hopefully you can also run into the many folks out there who judge based on actions, not genetics or where someone was born/resides. I never care about race except to make sure people aren’t made to suffer because of it. I like science, and I don’t think it makes any scientific sense to make assumptions about someone’s character because of things like how much pigment their skin produces.
Oh I certainly do. There are far more good people than there are bigots.
Not sure about a fine line. What about if it was “KKK members don’t deserve to live”?
Do you believe it’s ok to kill someone for their beliefs? I’m not talking about holding a KKK member responsible for criminal actions, but killing someone for being a member of a racist organization.
No, I don’t think it is ok. Racism in general does need to die though. They are using antisemitism to shut down legit discussions and hide the slaughter and genocide in Gaza.
Killing racism =/= killing racists. You kill racism with education and exposure to unfamiliar cultures and peoples.
against a Jewish adjacent group
Bullcrap. Zionism wasn’t invented by Jewish people.
"Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
I protest Israeli policy because I’m not a fan of people suffering and dying. I don’t do it because I think other people should suffer and be killed. Hard no on calling this guy an ally until he stops calling for or hinting at extrajudicial violence. Upvoted the story because it’s important to call out positions like this and reject their message publicly.
Wow. Might want to sit back and do a little self-reflection.
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Fuck Zionism.
