In Russian, there is a proverb that says “every beginning has an end.” Like every generalization, this one has some exceptions. Antisemitism seems to have no end.
Antisemitism has no end, and neither does my digest. This week’s episode comes in 2 parts; the first one is about the various Canadian universities, the second (soon to follow) is about everything else.
University of Toronto
Same people who love chanting “All Zionists are racists” and “Zionism is racism is fascism” are not bothered by real Nazi rhetoric and Hitler salute.
At the same time, media, politicians, and university administrations keep insisting that the encampments are peaceful. This is because the only media that dares to call the encampments for what they are – pro-Hamas – is not allowed in.
The more I learn, the less I am surprised. In three long years UoT wasn’t able to determine that “an entitled powerful Zionist minority” comment made by a law professor during a webinar is in fact an antisemitic trope. It is all the same excuses, some Jews are anti-Zionists, and this is why saying literally anything about Zionists is ok.
Nevertheless, I want to give credit where credit is due. It appears that UoT issued an ultimatum to the encampment. The university refused to cut ties with Israeli universities, but agreed to explore disclosing its investments conditional on the removal of the encampment within 24 hours. The main thing with ultimatums, however, is you have to follow through with it. I’m looking forward to the next steps. After all this encampment is ruining my daughter’s view from her dorm room window. It doesn’t get any more personal than this.
UBC (Vancouver)
Last week pro-Hamas activists at UBC stormed the library and the president’s office. They did all the regular stuff – chanted genocidal slogans and intimidated everyone. There was no mainstream media coverage of their barbarism (or it would have ruined the narrative). Eventually the VP of Students met with the protesters. These were some very humiliating minutes for this educated, well-paid and overall nice man. Maybe it takes to grow up in a different society to internalize that appeasing bullies never works.
The UBC president hasn’t grown up in the right society either. He issued a very weak statement legitimizing the hateful narrative of the encampment and the handscribed BDS demands that were passed to him. The president chose to ignore the fact that the demonstrators literally called him Pig and Piggie and Oink-oink (his last name is Bacon, with French pronunciation) and referred to the interaction as a “respectful dialog”.
The divestment demands look especially scandalous considering UBC investments in China, Russia, and Qatar.
Graduation ceremonies have started this week at UBC. There is an increased police and security presence on campus. Dogs are used to search the venue for bombs – natural consequences after students were allowed to chant Intifada and praise martyrdom for over 7 months.
This is a very low bar, but compared to other campuses, the UBC graduations go relatively undisrupted. Just a few keffiyehs worn on top of the gown or the hat, which is a violation of the university policy. Just a few Palestinian flag wavings on stage, which I doubt complies with the policy either. And a valedictorian speech by an arrogant young woman who chose to poison the graduation of many with her genocidal call for the annihilation of the state of Israel.
A delegation of Jewish and Zionists students, faculty, staff, and parents met with UBC’s VP of Students yesterday. Unlike our opponents, we respectfully asked to meet with us over email, and showed up when the meeting was scheduled. He listened to our concerns and requests, took notes, said all the right words in response, and promised to pass the message to the UBC president. Now we are waiting for the university administration to walk the talk.
McGill (Montreal)
Rudy Rochman, an inspiration and a role model peace activist, and his friend Elisheva Hazan went to the McGill campus with 2 signs, saying “We witnessed Oct. 7. Ask us anything” and “There is no future without Israelis and Palestinians; let’s talk”. They were removed by the police.
A brief explanation about police actions. When I was at the Vancouver Art gallery pro-Hamas rally with my “Hamas is a terrorist organization” sign, at some point I was told by the police that if I were to go back into the crowd, they’ll remove me. Neither of this is done because the police are taking sides. They are not. Their decision comes out of recognition that the pro-Hamas crowds are violent and dangerous.
The police job is tactical – avoid violent riots at this given moment. It takes 2 police officers to escort Rudy and Elisheva out. It would take a judge injunction and at least a few hundred police officers to remove the McGill encampment.
Speaking of injunctions, the Montreal Superior Court issued an interlocutory injunction preventing McGill University’s undergraduate association from adopting an inflammatory anti-Israel policy. SSMU (Students’ Society of McGill University) has repeatedly attempted to pass anti-Israel policies in the past few years, the most extreme of them was proposed only weeks after October 7.
Important side note: the student plaintiff has received numerous thinly veiled threats and harassing messages.
Other colleges
At Emily Carr University of Art + Design in Vancouver one student’s graduation work was vandalized. As you can easily guess, it was a Jewish student’s work; it was defaced with “free palestine” and an inverted red triangle, a sign of support for Hamas violence.
Ontario Tech University in Oshawa has reached an agreement with the encampment. The university has committed to disclosing their investments by fall, and to establish special scholarships for Palestinians from Gaza. Sorry, I couldn’t finish reading the article, because I got to the sentence “Protests and encampments have sprung up on campuses across Canada in response to Israel’s military assault on Gaza, which began late last year” and my laptop caught fire.
Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, has negotiated for the encampment to be removed. The article is really vague about the terms of the agreement - the university is to form a committee of “responsible investment” and include encampment activists on the committee. Who knows what it will mean in practice. What is very clear from the article though, the protesters, based on their very own words, are planning further disruptions and escalation. Small hint to the administration: appeasing bullies never works.
Last, but not least, radical activists broke into the SFU (Simon Fraser University, in Vancouver) Samuel z’l & Frances Belzberg Library. The Belzberg is a Jewish leading philanthropic family. The Samidoun activists renamed the library after Khalida Jarrar, a convicted PFLP terrorist.
I couldn’t find a better illustration of differences in values between the two communities even if I tried.
Never again is now.
When are we going to stop paying these morally bankrupt universities for subpar education for our children?