My daughter has long worn her Star of David necklace, a symbol of the Jewish peoples’ perseverance and courage. But to some students at the elite college she attends, her necklace has come to represent something entirely different. “How can you wear that and support child killers,” fellow students have sneered in the library, the cafeteria and the gym.
While my family has long supported Israel, my daughter finds herself increasingly horrified by the brutality of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s disproportionate response.
It’s a refrain that has become all too common on American campuses following Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack, and the Israeli government’s counterattack. But the resentment is misplaced: My daughter agrees with many of her critics, some of whom are frustratingly allowing their antisemitism to silence potential allies. Indeed, while my family has long supported Israel, my daughter finds herself increasingly horrified by the brutality of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s disproportionate response. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, over 30,000 people have been killed there since the Israeli military launched its counterattack — which has relied on weapons supplied and resupplied by Washington.
The American Jewish community must remain ever vigilant against antisemitism, which has spiked in recent months. The disturbing images coming out of the Gaza Strip have only poured more fuel on a seemingly endless flame. And bigotry should never be allowed to infiltrate and weaponize political debate. But college protesters are correct that the United States can no longer pretend to be an innocent bystander in Gaza.
Netanyahu’s policies, which have been endorsed by a number of U.S. presidents, have empowered Hamas, weakened Israel, undermined West Bank leaders, and as a result sacrificed Palestinian well-being in the name of regional security. President Joe Biden appears to be growing uncomfortable with this lopsided approach. The…
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