Angry
alumni at a prestigious Ohio college have had enough of what they consider antisemitism
on campus, and have demanded the school put a stop to it.
Some
200 Oberlin College graduates signed an open letter
to the northern Ohio school, blasting what they called a hostile
environment for Jewish students and faculty on campus. The critics charged that
the Boycott, Divest from, and Sanction Israel movement on campus has morphed
into raw racism.
“Several
student organizations at Oberlin have assumed the role as the mouthpiece of the
BDS movement, which claims to be a defender of Palestinian rights, but whose
inflammatory language falsely portraying Israel as an illegitimate, colonialist
and murderous regime demonstrates that its primary goal is to demonize the
Jewish state,” reads part of the letter.
It
goes on to state that the campus BDS advocates send an implicit message to
Jewish classmates to “either forfeit your allegiance to Israel and join us, or
we will brand you as an enemy of justice and complicit in the oppression of the
Palestinian people.”
The
drafting of the letter was spearheaded by Melissa Landa, an instructor at the
University of Maryland and graduate of Oberlin. Landa told FoxNews.com her
group wants a task force formed to address antisemitism on campus carried out
under the guise of pro-Palestinian activism.
The
school’s graduates include actor and writer Lena Dunham, conservative
commentator Michelle Malkin, actor Ed Helms and novelist and playright Eric
Bogosian.
“While current students can speak to the
atmosphere on campus, alumni have an investment in the future of the
college,” Landa said, adding that Oberlin President Marvin Krislov will
meet with the group Jan. 26 to discuss the ongoing issue.
Members
of Oberlin Students for a Free Palestine issued a statement rejecting the
charge that members are antisemitic.
“We
reject the idea that support for the Palestinian cause is antisemitic,” read
the statement. “Criticism of Israel may challenge the political opinions of
some students, but that is not a threat to their safety. We will continue to
confront the realities of the occupation on our campus.”
Oberlin
College officials did not immediately return requests for comment.
Over
the past several years, Oberlin has had a slew of issues concerning Anti-Israel
activism, according to legal blog, Legal Insurrection.
Most
recently, there is even a belief among some that BDS activists have attempted
to co-opt the Black Lives Matter movement on campus.
This
past November, the Oberlin Black Student Union brought forth a petition
regarding what they referred to as the “cultural appropriation of ethnic foods
and cultural insensitivity” in the dining hall.
Among
the list of 50 different demands was that the school divest from Israel. The
14-page list of demands was endorsed by Oberlin Students for a Free Palestine.
Antisemitism
is on the rise on campuses across the country, often driven by BDS activists,
said Brett Cohen, executive director of campus affairs for StandWithUs, an
international education organization that attempts to ensure that the Israeli
side of the debate is heard.
“There is a direct correlation between efforts
to boycott and divest from Israel on campus and increased hate crimes against
Jews, including swastikas painted on Jewish centers and fraternities, Jewish
students being harassed and intimidated, and several cases of outright
violence,” Cohen said.
“The
pseudo-academic delegitimizaton of Israel fuels this fire, and has created a
situation where some pro-Israel students are afraid to voice their opinions in
the classroom.”
