BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – IN MEMORIAM – ACTIONS – STORIES
This week’s edition dedicated in memory of American-Israeli hostage Cpt. Omer Maxim Neutra, 21, murdered on Oct. 7, 2023. His body remains in Gaza.
Amid a widespread climate of hatred toward Jews, particularly on university campuses, UCLA student and the Cultural Affairs Commissioner Alicia Verdugo has been accused of refusing to hire Jews by telling her staff not to hire “Zionists” and creating a blacklist – causing all Jewish applicants to be rejected. The rejected applicants made no mention of Israel or Zionism in their applications but merely mentioned their Jewish heritage or faith. In a classic case of ‘throw the rock, hide the hand,’ antisemites have cloaked their vehement antisemitism by simply substituting ‘Zionist’ for ‘Jew.’
“Lots of Zionists are applying – please do your research and I will also share a no hire list”
Verdugo sent the message to her staff to alert them to watch for Zionist (Jewish) applicants and adhere to her ‘no hire’ list. Jewish student newspaper leader Bella Brannon filed a complaint with the Undergraduate Students Association Council (USAC) Judicial Board over the discrimination. Brannon called on the board to remove Verdugo. She alleged that Verdugo violated both USAC and UC policies as well as state and federal anti-discrimination laws by singling out Jewish applicants during the commission’s hiring cycle.
This was not Alicia Verdugo’s first accusation of antisemitic harassment. U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, previously claimed in a letter to UC leaders that Verdugo “had previously been involved in the targeted harassment of students” who disagreed with the Commission’s position on the Israel-Hamas war. The Committee investigated the university in the Spring of 2024 for its ‘inadequate response to antisemitism and failure to protect Jewish students.’ In July of this year, a federal judge ruled that UCLA discriminated against three Jewish students when they were excluded from certain parts of campus because they refused to disavow their “religious beliefs concerning the Jewish state of Israel.”
The increasing prevalence and normalization of Zionist terminology being used to whitewash antisemitism has followed an explosion of global anti-Jewish and anti-Israel hate post Oct. 7. In the U.S., attacks targeting Jews are reaching historic levels since Oct. 7, according to FBI Director Christopher Wray. In Australia, antisemitic attacks are up 316% and have soared across Europe, Canada, the UK and other countries.
In the recent Amsterdam attack Israeli soccer fans were targeted, hunted down and brutally attacked because they were easily recognized as Jews. Zionism alone was clearly not a motive. The thin line between Zionist and Jew is disappearing.
Double standards and definitions
Double standards are consistently applied to Israel and with demands and expectations that are not made of any other country. They are evident in the halls of the United Nations, on university campus quads and in political institutions under the guise of human rights. The UN routinely condemns Israel for supposed rights violations. Campus groups advocate for the boycotting, divestment and sanctioning of Israel. Some far-left-wing politicians use anti-Zionist rhetoric to advance policies targeting Israel. Israel’s right to defend itself from the enemies that seek its destruction is routinely challenged – something inconceivable to question of other countries.
Human rights activist, Natan Sharansky, who spent nine years in Soviet jails, created the 3D Test of Antisemitism to serve as a guide for differentiating between the legitimate criticism of Israeli policies and actual hatred for Jews. Sharansky’s first test was the Demonization of the Jewish state. He stated that “when Israel’s actions are blown out of all sensible proportion, when comparisons are made between Israelis and Nazis and between Palestinian refugee camps and Auschwitz – this is antisemitism, not legitimate criticism of Israel.” He defined Double standards as “criticism of Israel applied selectively; when Israel is singled out by the UN for human rights abuses while the behavior of known and major abusers, such as China, Iran, Cuba and Syria is ignored – this is antisemitism.” The final element of Sharansky’s 3D test is the Delegitimization of Israel, when “Israel’s fundamental right to exist is denied.”
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism (IHRA definition) helps explain when legitimate criticism of Israel’s policies crosses the line into antisemitism or anti-Zionism. The IHRA definition incorporates Sharansky’s 3D Test, by including examples illustrating double standards, delegitimization and demonization of Israel.
While no one definition is perfect or all encompassing, IHRA has become the leading definition of antisemitism worldwide. It is widely adopted by numerous world governments, including the U.S. State Department and more than half of the U.S. states. It has also been adopted by international organizations and educational institutions. The Executive Order on Combatting Antisemitism, issued in 2019 and still in effect, makes IHRA a legally binding part of federal anti-discrimination law.
Antisemitism cannot be properly addressed if it is not properly understood, and the IHRA definition is a useful tool to recognize classic and contemporary forms of antisemitism. The definition helps governments and institutions classify and identify when antisemitism occurs so it can be properly addressed. Finally, the IHRA definition does not punish or prohibit speech; it merely helps to evaluate antisemitic conduct so that law enforcement and civil rights enforcement agencies can choose how to address it. Having a defined measure for what constitutes antisemitism prevents the normalization of hatred and protects Jewish individuals and communities.
Trying to do it right: repairing the campus climate
Occidental College is the latest institution of higher education that has agreed to take a series of steps to address and prevent anti-Zionist harassment and discrimination on campus. The college reached a sweeping settlement agreement in response to a federal Title VI complaint filed by ADL and the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law. Jewish students enrolled at Occidental experienced a “pervasive and hostile environment” that included severe antisemitic bullying, intimidation and physical threats in the weeks and months following the Hamas massacre in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Among the steps being taken, the college will use IHRA when reviewing complaints of potential antisemitic harassment or discrimination, incorporate the definition into its educational materials, provide staff training about Jewish identity and antisemitic discrimination against Jewish and Israeli students with examples of anti-Zionism, and update the College’s Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation Policy.
“This agreement demonstrates Occidental College’s commitment to counter all forms of contemporary antisemitism and underscores their recognition that effectively combatting antisemitism requires understanding the relationship between Jewish identity, Israel, and Zionism,” said Alyza D. Lewin, President of the Brandeis Center.
“We are pleased that Occidental College has committed to meaningful steps to ensure that the civil rights of Jewish students on campus are protected and affirm that antisemitism has no place on campus,” added Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO and National Director. “This outcome demonstrates how the Title VI OCR process can work to effectively protect Jewish students.”
New York University, George Mason University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and other universities have taken similar steps to address contemporary manifestations of antisemitism on campus by modifying their nondiscrimination policies and policy guidance to include examples of anti-Zionist harassment and discrimination, recognizing that “Zionist” is often used as a codeword for “Jew” to mask unlawful activity, and using the IHRA Definition to evaluate discriminatory intent.
Title VI prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin, including discrimination against Jews on the basis of their actual or perceived shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics, in educational institutions that receive federal funding. Under the law, harassing, marginalizing, demonizing, and excluding Jewish students based on the Zionist component of their Jewish identity is unlawful.
American-Israeli hostage Omer Neutra
Until now, American-Israeli hostage Capt. Omer Neutra, a New York native, was believed to be a living hostage still held in Gaza. Omer, 21, was a NY Knicks fan, an athlete and a passionate Zionist who delayed beginning college at Binghamton to spend a year in Israel. He was a ‘lone soldier,’ a title for a soldier whose parents are not in Israel, and was a tank platoon commander defending Israel on the morning of Oct. 7. Footage from that horrific day shows his tank in smoke as Hamas fighters pulled soldiers from the tank. It was believed they were all kidnaped and taken to Gaza. With recently received intelligence, it’s now known that Omer was murdered on Oct. 7, 2023, and his dead body has been held in Gaza, where 100 hostages remain in captivity.
For 14 months, Omer’s parents have advocated for the hostages and campaigned for their release – speaking to world leaders and even addressing the Republican National Convention in July with desperate pleas to bring their son home. Only now have they received the heart-wrenching news that their son has been dead for the past 14 months. Heavy grief now grips the Neutra family as they wait for Omer’s body to be retrieved from Gaza for a proper Jewish burial in Israel.
A. Become an influencer: use Talking Points to counter misinformation
In an age of increasing misinformation and disinformation about Jews and Israel, use the facts in the background and talking points to help combat the pervasive anti-Israel narrative. Whether you are talking with family, friends or coworkers, or posting on social media, help reach and teach someone who does not have a full understanding of the issues vital to the American Jewish community.
B. Free legal assistance against antisemitism: from kindergarten to college
Contact:
Examples of situations that may be legal violations, include:
C. Demand universities update and enforce their codes of conduct
The ADL created a template – Harassment that Creates a Hostile Environment – that can be integrated by universities into their existing codes of conduct. It addresses targeted attacks against individuals based on identifiable characteristics, including religion, ethnicity and national origin. The ADL also is calling on all campus leaders to ensure that their existing codes of conduct are enforced.
D. Non-Jews must speak up in support of American Jews and Israel
Non-Jews play a crucial role in combating anti-Jewish hate speech and violence by actively speaking out against these evils. The fight against hatred and discrimination is a shared responsibility that transcends backgrounds, ideologies and belief systems. Regardless of one’s personal views about the conflict, and even if someone totally disagrees with Israeli policies, we should all be able to agree that none of that justifies the attacks on Jews in the U.S. Learn more about the issues that affect Jews, raise awareness and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Jewish community. Getting connected with organizations and initiatives that are dedicated to countering hatred and violence will lead to more equality for everyone.
Israel’s other border faces potential risk as civil war in Syria reignites
Largely in stalemate since 2020, Syria is now in tumult again as militant insurgents have launched a civil war, seizing Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city. Rebel fighters began preparations to attack Aleppo a year ago but were delayed by the Oct. 7 massacre and Israel’s subsequent defensive war with Hamas and Hezbollah. The fighting revives a long-simmering conflict and raises concerns for the potential risk to Israel’s security.
The ceasefire that went into effect last week between Israel and Lebanon provided a window of opportunity for the rebel forces to take hold of the city and seek to overthrow the Syrian government. The IDF is reported to be preparing for a scenario where Israel would be required to act and only would become involved if Israel’s security is directly threatened.
Stories Impacting American Jews
Stories Impacting the U.S. and Israel
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This content is developed by The Focus Project in partnership with MERCAZ USA. The Focus Project distributes weekly news and talking points on timely issues concerning Israel and the Jewish people, including antisemitism, anti-Zionism and the delegitimization of Israel. It represents a consensus view across a spectrum of major American Jewish organizations. MERCAZ USA recognizes and respects the diversity of views on these issues among its readers and the community at large.