At elite universities, former bastions of liberalism, critical theory now rules. It won’t admit Jews to the pantheon of victims. But Jews shouldn’t seek it.
Columbia University students rallying in support of Palestinians, on the school's campus in New York on Oct. 12. Since the Holocaust, the majority of the world’s Jews have put their faith in one of two political projects: the state of Israel and American liberalism.
In Israel, Jews after 1948 controlled a state that they could use to defend themselves in the Hobbesian world of international affairs. Meanwhile, American liberalism aimed for a politics of pluralism enforced by the rule of law. American Jews helped expand that system and have thrived within it in the 20th and 21st centuries.The Oct. 7 Hamas massacres in southern Israel shook Jews’ faith in the Israeli state’s ability to defend its people.
In their demands that universities recognize Jewish suffering after the massacres in Israel, American Jews and their supporters are playing by the rules of identity politics. That’s fair game: They are asking that Jews be treated like any other group that is victimized — and perhaps universities, under pressure, will temporarily abide by these demands. In the long run, though, this is a fight Jews cannot win.
The aftermath of the Hamas massacres should lead influential people to take a hard look at what higher education has become. The critical theories of “resistance” and “decolonization” that universities have fostered and endowed with prestige are overwhelmingly and sometimes viciously anti-Israel. But the answer cannot be to let academic identity politics run wild, so long as Jews are among the beneficiaries.
In Israel, Jews after the slaughter are reconstituting their defenses and, perhaps, bridging some of their political divides. American Jews can most productively commit themselves not to fighting for a place among critical theory’s victims but to revitalizing the United States’ decaying liberal tradition.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Embracing the Digital Identity Revolution: The Rise of Reusable Identity VerificationThe world is witnessing a massive shift in identity verification as governments embrace digital IDs, rendering traditional methods obsolete.
Read more »
Muslim boy killed as threats against Jews, Muslims increase after Hamas attackAcross the country and world, law enforcement have reported a spike in threats about perceived politics and religion.
Read more »
Piers Morgan: Jews hiding faith, fearing attacks in Berlin is ‘disgusting’ and ‘defies comprehension’FOX Nation host Piers Morgan said rhetoric from pro-Palestinian protesters defied comprehension after Jews in Berlin were warned not to express their faith.
Read more »
Calls for violence against Jews rose by 1,200% with NYC emerging as epicenter of threats: reportProtestors yell 'gas the jews' outside Sydney Opera House
Read more »
Former Miss Israel slams Black Lives Matter for not supporting Jews after Hamas attacksFormer Israeli beauty queen slams Black Lives Matter for not supporting Jewish people
Read more »
Washington Muslims, Jews express fear amid hate-fueled national crime, alarming new dataFBI released data Monday showing all reported hate crime incidents in 2022 rose to the highest number ever recorded since the FBI started tracking hate crimes.
Read more »