The ADL won't fight campus anti-Semitism. And it won't allow anyone else to fight it either.
Canary Mission stepped into that gap by assembling screenshots of social media anti-Semitism by SJP and MSA members. The ADL links to a JTA hosted editorial signed by a number of Hillels and campus pro-Israel groups. It appears to be authored by two University of Michigan students who, despite sneering at Canary Mission for being anonymous, added their email addresses instead of their names.
The letter accuses Canary Mission of promoting a negative image of Muslims by documenting Islamic anti-Semitism on campus.
Really.
Pointing out Muslim anti-Semitism is now... Islamophobic. (But then isn't accusing a Jewish organization of Islamophobia, anti-Semitic? It's funny how it only works one way. The way that benefits the left and hurts its victims.)
When Canary Mission spotlights non-Muslim anti-Semites, is that okay? Or is it some other kind of racism or bigotry?
"Canary Mission is an anonymous site that blacklists individuals and professors across the country for their support of the BDS movement, presumed anti-Semitic remarks and hateful rhetoric against Israel and the United States," the letter claims.
Is praising Hitler and calling for another Holocaust really "presumed" anti-Semitism?
@SANDMAN_YMN: Hitler never killed 6million Jews for no reason uno.. He could see they're a cancer to the world. don't @ me."
I think we can presume it is.
In addition, Canary Mission’s wide scope wrongfully equates supporting a BDS resolution with some of the most virulent expressions of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel rhetoric and activity.
BDS is based on denying equal national rights to Jews. Call it disparate impact. That's enough to brand most things racist.
That said, we condemn all forms of hate in the strongest possible terms, which includes any and all anti-Semitic rhetoric used by some pro-Palestinian activists.
However, we believe that promoting a negative perception of Muslims, particularly Muslim students on our campuses, as Canary Mission does, is similarly hateful.
Exposing Muslim anti-Semitism is just as hateful... as the anti-Semitism.
We believe that Canary Mission is antithetical and destructive to our shared cause of supporting Israel and eliminating anti-Semitism on campus. Instead, we expect credible Jewish and pro-Israel communal organizations to help us combat anti-Semitism on college campuses, and around the world, in a diplomatic manner that seeks to protect our community rather than shaming the other side anonymously, as Canary Mission does.
I'm sure the MSA and SJP members tweeting their support for another Holocaust will be very impressed by the tremendously effective diplomacy that has worked wonders thus far.
It seems that somewhere along the way, a disconnect has formed between the goals of our Jewish peers and institutions (to combat anti-Semitism and create a positive campus climate) and the true impact of their efforts. Unfortunately, the disconnect has created a situation in which we feel the Jewish values we hold deep, such as “loving our neighbors as ourselves” and “all of Israel being responsible for one another,” are being misrepresented and perverted.
You can fight for Israel and against anti-Semitism. Or you can love everyone. But you can't do both.
The letter was apparently authored by Joe Goldberg and Gabrielle Roth (I'm guessing because the JTA, while always dedicated to sliming Israel and Jews, is too incompetent and unprofessional to properly provide that basic information.)
Joe apparently has a"complicated" relationship with Israel.
LSA junior Joe Goldberg, a CSG representative, said he voted against the resolution because it challenges what he stands for as a member of the Jewish faith with a complicated relationship with Israel.
It's usually the people with complicated relationships who are uncomfortable with Jews fighting back. Here's more from his post on Facebook that was conveniently left out from the letter.
"I stand against any action that intimidates an individual because of their political views. While I do not support BDS, I have friends that do, and that’s ok. We learn and grow from sharing our perspectives with one another."
That's at the root of the problem. If you don't really think BDS is wrong, you don't really support Israel.