In the days since Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union among other major countries, launched a major attack on Israel on Oct. 7 2023, people have been quick to take sides. The attack killed 1400 innocent civilians, and over 200 hostages were taken, many of whom are still being held to this day. In the United States in particular, there has been a huge jump in anti-Semitism after the attack. According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), anti-Semitism has spiked by more than 400% in the United States since Oct. 7; however, antisemitism has been most publicized on college campuses. As a junior in high school, I am starting to think about and visit potential colleges, and it won’t be long before I find myself on a college campus. The recent spike in antisemitism has made me worried to attend one such college campus.
At the University of Pennsylvania, a student called Hamas’s terrorist attack, “Glorious October Seventh;” at Tulane University, two Jewish students were assaulted by Palestinian protesters; finally, at Cornell University, a student was arrested for a conspiracy to kill Jews.
Actions like these, supporting a group whose goal is the destruction of a Jewish state, imply that me and others like me should be wiped off the map. Conversely, Islamophobic hate is also unacceptable, as Muslims in the United States and around the world had nothing to do with Hamas’s attack. People are allowed to criticize the Israeli government and Hamas’s faults, but taking it out on Jewish people or Muslim people anywhere in the world is absolutely unacceptable, as they had nothing to do with the attack.
Accountability needs to be held for antisemites who think it’s okay to assault and commit hate speech directed towards Jews, and likewise Islamophobes who do the same toward Muslims. University presidents have done little to nothing to ensure the safety of Jewish students and come down hard on antisemitic language. As a Jew who will attend college soon, I need the people that want me and my homeland destroyed off campus in order for me to feel safe.
