@user-kq7nk6fr6p the past one is the holocaust. The current one is the indiscriminate killing of thousands of civilians in pursuit of a handful of terrorists.
Yes, and what's more, a person who calls for the genocide of Jews should be held accountable. However, do we have any hard evidence that university students are actually calling for the genocide of Jews? Or are we conflating things once again? Chanting Intifada does not equate calling for the genocide of Jews. Chanting from the river to the sea or for a free Palestine does not equate genocide of Jews. It may be emotionally disturbing to pro-Israel people to know that students are chanting such slogans, but it's not intellectually honest to conflate those slogans with genocide.
The whole wording of ‘calling for the genocide…’ in itself is misleading. Can we play that one out pls? This Rabbi was clearly chosen for the planned dramatics. Look at how many Israelis are cheering on the genocide of the Palestinians right now… this was absurd and not to mention transparent. Also Mr Rabbi, there are NO Muslim states, if only the presenter wasn’t in fear of upsetting the wrong type of person he may have pushed back on that!
It is so distressing that those who oppose the actions of the Israeli Government are always labelled as being antisemitic. Are those of us opposed to the Taliban all anti-Islamic; those against the Myanmar military regime all anti-Buddhist; those at odds with Victor Orban all anti-Christian; or those who view Modi's government as being divisive all anti-Hinduists? Judism is not synonymous with Israeli.
Obviously these so called elite institutions for higher learning have dispensed with critical thinking to such an extent that they've devolved into nothing more than diploma mills with a herd mentality.
@@71suns I could mention the rise in violent hate crimes against Jews right now, but that isn't necessarily left wing. Instead, let's look at the Harvard president. Replace Judaism with any other minority group and it is absurd that they will refuse to speak clearly. I think universities shouldn't be too comfortable, but to have one standard for some minorities but a different standard for Jew because "they aren't really oppressed" (not a real quote) is anti-semetic. In another rally in Sydney Australia protesters where chanting gas Jews. That's usually how anti semtism works nowadays. Being anti Semitic is a huge taboo, rarely will people openly admit to it. What they will do is treat Jews to a different standard.
💯 equating chants of intifada (which is used even for uprisings against Arab governments) with genocide of Jews is ridiculous! It is not the same at all
Any anti-Muslim/Palestinian “hate” language going on at these same universities? Conflict resolution and critical thinking are teachable skills. How about campuses facilitating student exercise of the 1st Amendment? Such free citizen expression could take place in reserved “forums” or workshop discussions and formal debates. For example, Dartmouth University offers such civil discussion outlets for processing this emotionally wrenching issue. Department heads of both Middle Eastern and Jewish studies have sponsored discussion at Dartmouth.
It's not possible if this rabbi, some Harvard bullies/donors won't allow questioning the legitimacy of Israel. They will scream anti semitism at every discussion
@saraleigh5336 Yes, it's sad and scary to witness such behavior on campus! .. ..After 9/11, muslims were the target. Now Jewish students are suffering. ..a lot of hurt going around. Guided discussion could help though.
@@victoriagates4017Do you suppose you'll EVER see yourself as anyone other than a perpetual 'victim' of your own life? Who would you be without that as your core identity?
@@victoriagates4017 No it is not code for Jew Hater. I guess now that you have accused me of being a Jew hater, I will have to warn my Jewish friends to stay away from me. For years during congressional hearings, representatives from all parties have used “yes” or”no” questions to force people to answer yes or no rather than to actually engage.
“Bringing love to the world and light to the world” but respectfully disagrees with a ceasefire. A Rabbi arguing the rightfulness of lethal force erodes his own legitimacy. Give me a break.
We used lethal force in WWII - we killed millions of Germans to defeat the Nazis. Should we have had a ceasefire before the Nazis were defeated? Wouldn't that have led to more deaths overall? Hamas has pledged to continue its genocidal violence against Israel until every Jew in the Middle East is gone. How "kind" is it to expect the Israeli people to submit to the threat of another Holocaust, when they barely survived a genocide in living memory? Why is it only the Jews whose lives are disposable for the "greater good"?
Does this Rabbi condemn the slaughter of children and other civilians in Gaza? If you want people to condemn anti-Semitic behaviour you should also condemn what the Israeli government is doing and has been doing to the Palestinians for decades.
Yes, why is it that they can't see that the thousands being killed have nothing to do with Hamas, and that the massive bombing and starving have little to do with getting Hamas?
@@kathleentrinity7367Because Hamas isn't their actual targets. Palestinians are. All the territory that comprises GAZA is. Israel won't stop there either. They'll continue to expand the West Bank settlements until all the land/territory is occupied by them It's been their plan for over 50 years.
Have the "ordinary Palestinians" condemned Hamas yet? If Palestinians want people to take pity on them and advocate for them, they need to FIRST condemn Hamas and fight to rid them from their midst. Show the world that they REJECT terrorism. Have they done that?
Yeah, very sad that for all his education Rabbi David Wolpe in his words, ignorantly conflates opposition to the ethno-nationalistic political ideology called zio...ism with anti-semitism which is a dislike of this ethnic group.
The committee agreed to keep their discussions confidential. He was respecting that.I hope he recommended teaching the students about Jewish history. It's clear that few people have any knowledge of Jewish history or how important it is that the mere 16 million Jews on the planet (compared to 2 billion Muslims) are allowed to remain in their tiny decolonized homeland (they were colonized first by the Romans, then the Turks, and then the British - Israel is the most successful example of a decolonized state in existence.But some people only like those who remain colonized or who create failed states) @@davideanes3425
What about some israelis, some of whom in high govt positions, think that palestine shouldnt exist? Isnt this islamaphobic and genocidal rhetoric, on par with the supposed antisemistism of questioning israels right to exist? Or the actions of the israeli state which actively prohibit the existence of a palestinian state?
@@jamesfromtheusa They are using the words and actions of a few to demonize an entire people and literally wipe them off the planet. It's disgusting to watch.
The whole purpose of that hearing was to undermine “the elites”, not to offer any kind of moral certitude, contrary to what Stefanik would have us believe.
Stefanik and Steel both get money from AIPAC. I'm not sure why they asked MIT President to attend since she's Jewish, so its kind of stupid to ask her if she'll tolerate anti-semitism. So how is AIPAC not considered foreign influence on elections? Or is it only frowned on if Russia does it?
David, I have a lot of respect for you. Thank you for speaking up and resigning as a member of this committee. We are going through a lot of madness that has been festering for far too long. I was shocked at what I heard from the three female university presidents in front of Congress. The smirking was the worst part of it.
You have respect for this guy that doesn't condemn Islamophobia nor the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian civilians. That's very racist. It's okay for Israel to want control from the Jordanian River to the Mediterranean Sea... But if anyone that's pro-Palestine says it is genocidal. Good grief. You guys don't seem to care about anti-Arab violence as much.
@@WanderingExistence ~ The issue here is the response of university presidents to overt expressions of anti-semitism and calls for elimination of Israel on their campuses, to the point where Jewish students, and anyone voicing dissent, feels unsafe and, therefore, unable to study and learn. If students (and faculty) on those same campuses were to call for extirpation of any other group, from trans-gender to fundamentalist Muslims, they would be canceled in all senses of the term, and you know it. If Israel's objective is elimination of Palestinians, it isn't doing a very good job. In the meantime, Hamas is not taking care of its own.
@robinhood20253 Yes he made some assumptions. But the professor said he wasn't in favour of a cease fire . That seems a pretty hard-line pro Likud position given that plenty of Israelis and governments allied to Israel have called for a ceasefire. Why wasn't he challenged on this ? He also said that it shouldn't be assumed calls on campus for Palestine from the river to the sea didn't necessarily mean those calling for it were calling for the end of Israel or Jewish genocide but at the same time he seems to be saying it's OK for Jewish students to see it as an attack on their jewish identity and a threat. Jewish students need to take some responsibility themselves and confront these protests instead of demanding a 'safe space for Jews that equates to the silencing of other students.
When you look at Isr...l's war on Gaza, it gets very simplistic in the way people react. There's not a lot of room for nuance - you're with us or you are with the terrorists. That's the kind of rhetoric we're hearing. When you look at at any kind of questions about what the IDF is doing or Isr...l is doing, suddenly you're either an anti-semite or you were supporting Hama. It's nonsense.
@@pedroamieva8812And each of us should fill the comment section with this realization and protest about this cynical diversion from the main issue !!!
On which side of the moral boundary is the massacre of the Palestinian population in Gaza and the thievery of the West Bank from the Palestinians? Is the good rabbi concerned?
@@Aelwyd10 Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I agree that one important function of UA-cam is 'venting.' Another important role is the exchange of ideas. I enjoying engaging with folks, even if we do not completely agree. Here in Vermont we are reeling from the cold-blooded shooting of three Palestinian and Palestinian-American college students who were simply visiting family in Burlington over Thanksgiving. While I condemn any threatening language (regarding genocide, personal threats, etc), I do find the silence on the demolition of higher education campuses in Gaza to be intolerable. How can there ever be a future of peace without the education of all young people. While American students may feel 'uncomfortable' by inflammatory rhetoric, the students and teachers in Gaza are dead and maimed, and their campuses are in ruins. American campuses do research with military applications all the time. Accusing Gaza universities of being terrorist is appalling. The next generation of Palestinian fighters will come out of these ashes. We must build the world we want, the security we need and the respect we all deserve. None of this is happening. Artists, theater directors, teachers, poets and community leaders are being arrested and worse. My fundamental problem with theocracies - governments that bear the label and theology of a particular religion - is that governmental actions are rarely in keeping with the highest aspirations of any religion. When a nation kills people - whether it be Iran, Israel, or others - it diminishes that faith and puts a target on the people of that faith. Islamophobia and anti-Semitism are branches from the same tree. Right now the peacemakers are not in the governments. They are in the health organizations, the aid workers and the journalists who are trying to heal, feed and bear witness in this horrific killing field. Ceasefire Now.
Then that lawyer may have been legally and formally correct, but at the same time is guilty of grossly misreading the current state of haywire on both campus and Capitol Hill, DC. Law, like Truth, does not matter anymore. There is only the oppressed and the oppressor (i.e. anyone who, in the judgment of the oppressed, is not the same as him/her/them -therefore by necessity always, always oppressor). "Truth gets beaten like a dog, and meanwhile the lapdog lies next to the fireplace and is allowed to stink" - freely paraphrasing the Fool, in Shakespeare's "King Lear".
I'm sure you're correct. And the result? The presidents got so tangled up in legalese that they gave the impression of having zero humanity, compassion, or concern for the subject at hand. I think that's what infuriated so many viewers.
@@jackienaiditch7965 Half right…. that is, the detachment and callousness expressed. But the other, more serious problem as the Rabbi noted, is a failure to ACT…. to make the Campus a safe place for all where students maybe educated and engage in constructive, respectful discourse especially when opinions are so emotionally charged and divergent.
I appreciated the interviewers tone and questions. He asked some sensitive subjects and did do well. And I appreciated the answers not immediately shutting him down, but giving insight. Informative overall. Well done.
The feeling is not against Jews, here in the U.S., or worldwide. Instead the outrage is against Israel which has inflicted cruel brutality on Palestinians for over 75 years, and now genocide.
It's so sad to see the zionists take a minor issue and run with it to make a big deal about what essentially is a non issue disguised into what it's NOT : Anti semitism. This has never been a protest about anti semitism but it was skillfully metamorphised into one which is easier to garner attention to divert from the main issue of genocide of the Palestinian ppl.
This is myopic and an outright lie in the face of the Jew Hate, destruction of property, and murder that we are seeing all over the world. Open your eyes, or you've nothing of substance to share
11:00 He can’t imagine anything but racism bc he doesn’t want to address the real argument: it’s a newly-formed state whose foundation displaced others. That’s the problem above all else.
Journalist didn’t respond to the rabbi’s rhetorical question: if it isn’t antisemitism, what else could it possibly be? Rabbi says he’s “confounded,” can’t imagine any other reason for the criticism.
11:15 comparing a relatively young state like Israel to countries with centuries of established presence as independent nation-states is a fallacy. And I'm pretty sure there was a debate about how Germany would or would not exist as an independent state after the war. Ref: the Berlin wall.
#1 question: Are the significant donations from Qatar conditional? If there was an organic movement by students and professors who want to learn the different perspectives, the education system wants to feed that curiosity. If the donations are simply made to activate a propaganda machine that forces indoctrination of some and fear of life for the smallest minority on campuses…. Well, that is below the quality of leadership expected by the top universities in the world. And if those universities are receiving such funds in higher amounts from specific countries that sponsor terrorism, could even be looked into as money laundering and breach of many laws related to foreign acts of corruption.
The Rabi said it well. "It's about bullying and intimidation" - that's it - the key issue. "Bring light by listening, and with love". Ignorance and lack of love and listening are prevalent today.
I am an atheist who holds great regard for Rabbi Wolpe. I have witnessed his strength of character for many years and i support his decision and trust his position.
10:15 Israeli voters were protesting Netanyahu for months! I’ve been hearing Jews at The Jewish Federation complain about Netanyahu for 25 years. My own maternal haplo group H1 i❤ jews!
Oh please. Anti-zionism is not antisemitism and no amount of resolutions can make it so. Republicans are nuts. You going make a resolution against that too?
Sounds like some college students need some education. Please show people why these sayings and ideas are not based in fact. Over reactions like yours (I quit) don't help.
Interesting comments. He says he sometimes criticized Israel but isn't for a cease-fire. But he didn't make it clear where to draw the line. Criticism of Israel is being attacked as anti-Semitism. States are trying to make boycotts of Israel illegal. I don't see people going to pro-Palestinian protests as bullying. I would consider bullying to be harassing individual students who look or declare themselves Jewish. Is that going on?
A student at Cornell was arrested for sending death and rape threats to Jewish students. Several Jewish students at Cooper Union were chased into a library by "Pro Palestinian" protesters and the librarian locked the door to protect them; a Jewish student was attacked by other students at Harvard; a Jewish man was murdered by a Palestinian professor at a "peaceful protest" in Los Angeles; there are many of these incidents. When the pro-palestinians protests chant "global intifada" or "from the rive to the sea" they are calling for Jewish genocide in Israel. Imagine if the Charlottesville protesters were allowed to march through college campuses chanting "jews will not replace us!" These chants mean very similar things.
@@pennyadrian7774 I'm sympathetic to your comments (and will look up the cases) up until you criticized the protests. I just watched a show on the Congressional hearing from _Democracy Now!_ ua-cam.com/video/0xtP7CVSJGY/v-deo.html where they debunk that "intifada" means genocide. Attacking protests as well as college officials is part of the far-right fascist playbook to shut down speech they disagree with and is not part of the American Way.
@pennyadrian7774 Israelis brought this upon themselves, American neo nazis have baseless conspiracies as a reason to hate, pro-palestinians have genuine reason to hate, granted attacking innocent students is never acceptable and should be punished, let's not act like this hate wasn't warranted.
@@a.d8509 , " pro-palestinians have genuine reason to hate" - really? But why do you discriminate against right-wingers, Nazis, Q-Anoners, Putinists, Trumpists in their right to hate? They are just as convinced as you are of their rightness and by your logic have the right to hate both Israelis and despise Palestinians.
@@pennyadrian7774And when the son of Netanyahu says "from the river to the sea this is only flag you'll see" is that a call for genocide against Palestinians?
A long-time good friend was president of a large university for the better part of a decade. Many people, including students and faculty (and myself), have a misperception of what a university president actually does. Their biggest role is really to attract pubic, private, and corporate funding, and secondary to that to be a figurehead, with a side-dish of leadership. That's not nothing, but it is different than the impression people have of presidents being behind every single decision on campus. If a president's ability to attract money is adversely affected by their public comments, then one would expect the board of governors to lose confidence in them, and that president to step down. As for anti-semitism on campus, let us distinguish between pervasive and enduring anti-semitism, and the current zeitgeist, which is some 2 months old. I doubt there would have been much of a difference in degree of anti-semitism on campuses on Oct. 6, versus one, 5, or ten years earlier. Some folks are bigoted, and few admission offices screen applicants for their attitudes towards this or that religion or demographic group. The current conflict, awful as it is, has given some people an excuse to unleash whatever biases they already had in the most strident manner possible. Is that a permanent state on campuses? I doubt it, although even a few months of it is troubling.
That's why this political circus is just a reflection of our base society. If there were a real complaint in any of this it would be regarding the policies being questioned, not how one person does or does not interpret them.
It's about time these Universities who already have more money than they know what to do with stop being beholden to these "philanthropists". Antisemitism is not and has never been the big problem on campuses many of which have large thriving populations of people of the jewish faith and rich jewish student life. This brouhaha seems to be a well orchestrated campaign to distract American voters from being engaged with what is really happening in the middle east. It's beyond disgusting
Gray kept saying those same things "we have policies in place, we need to educate students on that and we find that language abhorrent". Problem is the problems are still there. There's no will to change. The solutions you mention are great but without the teeth from Congress change will not happen. Thank you the enterveiw and the guest where top notch.
The only people in the world who are still living under occupation are the Palestinian people... and he asks why people could think that Israel should not exist. At least try to be a legal state and then protest about why people are not happy with the state. Jewish people and the Jewish religion deserve all the respect and peaceful coexistence alongside every other human group without any discrimination or violence.
It comes as a great relief to see major and major-adjacent media outlets beginning to devote some time to covering the state of campuses, today in the U.S. I quit a 15 year tenureship....this is why...herd mentality at all levels. I'd argue that this scenario is yet another example of the current fervor on campuses. American education has a terrible PR problem, outlets need to start covering this more regularly. If I had a crystal ball and believed I could use it, I see the American education system failing entirely, unless Rabbi Wolpe's call for civil discourse and heart-softening is taken up my more academics and students. Many thanks!!!
It is very difficult to make out from your comment what specifically irks you. You mention "fervor" and "herd mentality". The former is a particularly comical assertion as it seems to suggest that you believe umiversity campuses should be cleansed of fervor and that you gave up tenure because you were offended by the level of excitement and engagement on campus. Given your inability to communicate your argument I might suggest that the university where you worked is better off. I mean just what (specifically) are you talking about?
@@newpilgrim ok look, I'm not trying to spoon feed a previously tenured member of higher education faculty. If you can't think of any way to clarify your vague assertions despite the subtext already implied in my reply then I am now convinced that the institution is better off without you being in that position.
💩. Yes...that must be it...good luck with all that. If you had any interest in my opinion, you would have spent a little more time considering your tone when you wrote me back, I don't owe you an explanation.
I love this rabbi: he always speaks with such compassion and moral clarity. He also wrote an article this spring that goes into more depth on his experiences at Harvard-and why he felt that one year there was enough for him.
I find this interview a bit problematic. No offense intended here, but the Rabbi is listed as a "Visiting Assistant Professor" which means that he's only temporarily at Harvard. He was clearly invited onto this committee because he is Jewish and to hear his feedback. But he's not stating here exactly what he didn't like about the committee. I don't think those on the committee are advocating for the eradication of Israel. The challenge is over what speech is allowed on campuses. Even if you think people are uneducated about history, you can legally stop them if they act on hatred and are violent, but you're not allowed to ban speech even if you think it's stupid. Think of what statements people of color, gay people, women, have to put up with every day, what happens when rightwing extremists come to campus and make statements that harass such students. Either you need guidelines for everyone, or Jewish people have to put up with threatening speech like everyone else. By the way, I support guidelines for everyone, I'm not a 'free speech absolutist', but very people agree with me on this.
You are perpetuating the problem rather than helping by making broad-brush generalization about entire races and ethnic groups. These educational institutions are private. If they can penalize people for misgendering they can penalize people for calling for the genocide of Jews.
It seems to me that Stefanik muddied the issue by asking about "calls for genocide." Who is going to call for genocide against Jews? Hardly anyone. And even if they did, they would have no power to make it happen. This isn't the 1930's.
@@silviaquesada2499 the question was completely disingenuous. To answer yes or no would have been to accept the premiss of the question in the first place.
Rabbi, with all due respect, you should be speaking on the thousands and thousands of innocent children, who are being killed/mutilated , as you are sitting there, in the confort of your Harvard home, talking up a non issue, whose only purpose is to distract from the real horrors that are happening right now. No Jew is being killed/mutilated in Massachusetts!
At 8 minutes in I see what he means. In America we have too much Anti_______ against too many groups and open guided discussion could help change hearts and minds.
Here are some reasons why I have concerns about how this interview was framed: 1. The problem was not clearly stated but was overly broad. "We had a problem with antisemitism" was declared without the commitee's working definition of antisemitism stated. 2. We didn't have specific speech and actions of the protestors held up against the commitee's standard definition of antisemitism to determine if speech and actions of the protestors met the definition of antisemitism. 3. The committee's goals were not clearly stated in this interview, and the deliberations were, according to Rabbi Wolpe, confidential. Why? 4. Where specifically was the intersection of protected and unprotected speech in the protests? 5. Why the pressure to oust presidents of these universities without addressing the above points?
Sometimes i think this boils down to the loss of supertable discourse. Sit up, we csnt afford it, so no, behave, tell the truth. Weve turned into a nation of liars.
Rabbi Harvard is going to do fine without you. You want people to just agree with you. There are two sides here… Israel’s and Palestines. Making fun of students is also not helpful. Just don’t like your tone, sir .
PBS, please be clear that the call are not at all explicit about genocide at all. You are misleading people that “from the river to the sea Palestine will be free” is a call for genocide. It is also not true that no one says certain Islamic majority states should not exist. Some off us who support Kurds and Armenians don’t think Turkey should exist as it is.
Thorough and comprehensive interview. Good for CNN. Brilliant and virtuous discussion by Rabbi Wolpe. Good for him and for all who listened and learned.
He misleadingly goes on about calls fir the extinction/elimination of Israel which was not part of the question he was asked. No one at the hearing or otherwise in this debate has called for its elimination. Even the biggest critics of Israel are not advocating that, although a negotiated/agreed one state solution may have that result. I suspect he does not accept a one state solution.
Imagine resigning because some of your students stand up against the genocide in Gaza and then those students being gaslighted and accused of promoting the genocide of Israel
Corporate-owned media will never have him on! He'll talk about "The Powell Memo" as the founding document for the corporate attack on public education.
The comments on this video are so depressing. Jewish people truly are exempt from empathy when it comes to the "enlightened" Left. I don't know if I can even vote for Democrats anymore. The party is so poisoned with anti-Jewish hate.
He stated that he left this advisory committee because he found that being on the committee gave him responsibility without authority. Advisory committees, by definition, have no responsibility beyond providing their best advice. And they certainly don’t have any authority. He promotes honest discourse but is either being dishonest with the interviewer (and hence with all of this audience) or with himself. And a religious leader who is against stopping mass killings. A very polished speaker but the polish is covering some deeply flawed substance.
He was very clear that being on the committee lends it legitimacy with the appearance of accountable figures like him, but without being listened to and hence without authority.
I am afraid you know little about Rabbi Wolpe. I am an atheist , but have followed him for many years. He is a man of great moral strength and character.
@@robinhood20253 Hi Robin, you are correct, I do know very little about Rabbi Wolpe, in fact nothing beyond what he said in this interview. That doesn't change what he said in the interview or the implications of what he said. I'm glad to hear that you have seen another side to the man. Humans are complex, except, it seems, when it comes to the killing - then things become very simple. That last sentence is just a general statement on my part, not specific to the Rabbi.
@@philheenan8634 he was Rabbi of the Sinai Temple. They have a you tube channel that records many years of sermons. Also Rabbi Wolpe once debated new atheists like Hitchens and Harris. I have great respect for this man.
I'm surprised the good Rabbi didn't recognize the so-called "Harvard Antisemitism Advisory Group" for exactly what it is: a façade that makes it appear to the outside world that there is actual antisemitism advice being authored, given, and acted upon.
A thoughtful gentleman. I cannot deal with calm around this phoney politeness of the conversation. As one who grew up in Boston outside of the hive, this area always has had q huge antisemitism problem. Those who can afford the cost of the ghettos here barely notice. There is no ideology diversity. DEI is part of the new worst idea that embraces mediocrity.
Has the rabbi forgotten key moments in history? Please reference David Ben-Gurion said about Jordan’s right to exist: "Jordan has no right to exist and should be divided. East of the Jordan River, it will become part of Iraq, and Arab [Palestinian] refugees will be settled there.” ~ David Ben-Gurion [Israel’s 1st Prime Minister]
Gross. Antisemitism must be fought everywhere. The fact that many people defending Israel are claiming that calls for Palestinian liberty are calls of hatred are so hurtful and make everyone less safe. The idea that Palestinians should have equal rights in their homeland is not a hateful ideology it is morally necessary
A Jewish state should not exist in its current form just as a Iranian state should not exist in its current form ! A mass protest can never be nuanced ! The bullying and harassment should never be tolerated under any circumstance, that simple bullying !
Wolpe believes the Torah is the word of God and that God granted a piece of land in the Middle East specifically and eternally to a particular tribe. I think that says a lot about his orientation to the conflict there.
But the fact remains that the so-called "anti-Semitism" isn't anti-Semitism at all, it is the outrage of the people of the world at how Israel has treated and continues to treat the people whose land they stole out from under them. It is Israel that has created and continues to create that so -called "anti-Semitism". Someone can honor and love the contribution that Jews over the centuries have made to Western Civilization, and at the same time become outraged that those European colonists went into Palestine not with the intention of contributing to Palestinian society, but to become their masters.
The logical reason (not antisemitic) why people would say Israel should not exist is because they don't think Britain and the U.N. had the right to create a Jewish state from an inhabited area of what was the Ottoman Empire for 400 years until 1917. Certainly he should be able to see that perspective that is very different from his comparison to other countries that had existed for centuries.
@@ruthhorowitz7625 Arabs have existed in those lands as long as jews have, and thier concentration increased after it came under islamic control, you're straight up deluded if you think "Palestinians" sprung into existence in the last 100 years like israel has.
It seems that too many of the people commenting here didn't even listen to the entire interview. They see who is the person interviewed and they have their opinion.
Past atrocities do NOT excuse current ones (.)
@user-kq7nk6fr6p the past one is the holocaust. The current one is the indiscriminate killing of thousands of civilians in pursuit of a handful of terrorists.
Calling for the genocide of ANY group based on religion or ethnicity is wrong.
Yeah, but people seem to forget that when it comes to the Jews.
Yes, and what's more, a person who calls for the genocide of Jews should be held accountable. However, do we have any hard evidence that university students are actually calling for the genocide of Jews? Or are we conflating things once again? Chanting Intifada does not equate calling for the genocide of Jews. Chanting from the river to the sea or for a free Palestine does not equate genocide of Jews. It may be emotionally disturbing to pro-Israel people to know that students are chanting such slogans, but it's not intellectually honest to conflate those slogans with genocide.
The whole wording of ‘calling for the genocide…’ in itself is misleading. Can we play that one out pls? This Rabbi was clearly chosen for the planned dramatics. Look at how many Israelis are cheering on the genocide of the Palestinians right now… this was absurd and not to mention transparent. Also Mr Rabbi, there are NO Muslim states, if only the presenter wasn’t in fear of upsetting the wrong type of person he may have pushed back on that!
It is so distressing that those who oppose the actions of the Israeli Government are always labelled as being antisemitic. Are those of us opposed to the Taliban all anti-Islamic; those against the Myanmar military regime all anti-Buddhist; those at odds with Victor Orban all anti-Christian; or those who view Modi's government as being divisive all anti-Hinduists? Judism is not synonymous with Israeli.
I agree, but when you listen to what is being said by some left wing groups, it's not Just anti Zionist, it is anti Semitic.
@@leorkoubi4626Based on what evidence specifically?
Obviously these so called elite institutions for higher learning have dispensed with critical thinking to such an extent that they've devolved into nothing more than diploma mills with a herd mentality.
@@seanbrennan9188Based on what specific evidence?
@@71suns I could mention the rise in violent hate crimes against Jews right now, but that isn't necessarily left wing. Instead, let's look at the Harvard president. Replace Judaism with any other minority group and it is absurd that they will refuse to speak clearly. I think universities shouldn't be too comfortable, but to have one standard for some minorities but a different standard for Jew because "they aren't really oppressed" (not a real quote) is anti-semetic. In another rally in Sydney Australia protesters where chanting gas Jews. That's usually how anti semtism works nowadays. Being anti Semitic is a huge taboo, rarely will people openly admit to it. What they will do is treat Jews to a different standard.
That congressional questioning was so twisted that no witness should have lost their job.
💯 equating chants of intifada (which is used even for uprisings against Arab governments) with genocide of Jews is ridiculous! It is not the same at all
The twisting is the point. Truth, Law, Human Decency don't matter at all anymore. Elon Musks open sewer "X' testifies to that, not just Congress.
WTF are you babbling about?
Any anti-Muslim/Palestinian “hate” language going on at these same universities? Conflict resolution and critical thinking are teachable skills. How about campuses facilitating student exercise of the 1st Amendment? Such free citizen expression could take place in reserved “forums” or workshop discussions and formal debates.
For example, Dartmouth University offers such civil discussion outlets for processing this emotionally wrenching issue. Department heads of both Middle Eastern and Jewish studies have sponsored discussion at Dartmouth.
It's not possible if this rabbi, some Harvard bullies/donors won't allow questioning the legitimacy of Israel. They will scream anti semitism at every discussion
Who cares anti White rethoric is way more prevelant
👏👏👏
The fact is, the huge surge and threat is against Jewish students.
@saraleigh5336 Yes, it's sad and scary to witness such behavior on campus! .. ..After 9/11, muslims were the target. Now Jewish students are suffering. ..a lot of hurt going around. Guided discussion could help though.
So often these congressional hearings are GOTCHA sessions instead of genuine civil discourse about complex human conflicts.
Is that code for I am a Jew Hater?
Congresswoman Stefanik is the voice for the majority of the USA.
Some one has to make these schools accountable.
True. Sadly, the legally correct yet utterly ill-prepared university presidents ran right into the malevolent trap called Elise Stefanik.
genuine civil discourse also includes truth vs legalese and hiding from the truth. It goes both ways.
@@victoriagates4017Do you suppose you'll EVER see yourself as anyone other than a perpetual 'victim' of your own life? Who would you be without that as your core identity?
@@victoriagates4017 No it is not code for Jew Hater. I guess now that you have accused me of being a Jew hater, I will have to warn my Jewish friends to stay away from me.
For years during congressional hearings, representatives from all parties have used “yes” or”no” questions to force people to answer yes or no rather than to actually engage.
How about just telling us what the committee's advice was that was not heeded
Yes, strangely that was never answered.
The Rabbi mentioned at the beginning that the committee agreed to keep their discussions confidential.
@@today50cb47 This makes the interview pretty much worthless. All generalties.
I think given he quit we can surmise he told them free speech shouldn’t include calls for genocide.
I wonder if the Rabbi had any issues with all the calls for levelling Gaza?
“Bringing love to the world and light to the world” but respectfully disagrees with a ceasefire. A Rabbi arguing the rightfulness of lethal force erodes his own legitimacy. Give me a break.
The nerve of the mofos to think they can get that past us amazes me! How fucking stupid they are!
Absolutely Agree, I couldn't even understand what I was hearing
Because you are ignorant of the facts.
We used lethal force in WWII - we killed millions of Germans to defeat the Nazis. Should we have had a ceasefire before the Nazis were defeated? Wouldn't that have led to more deaths overall? Hamas has pledged to continue its genocidal violence against Israel until every Jew in the Middle East is gone. How "kind" is it to expect the Israeli people to submit to the threat of another Holocaust, when they barely survived a genocide in living memory? Why is it only the Jews whose lives are disposable for the "greater good"?
How so? What is your own magic solution for defending a nation from existential threat without incurring any casualties at all?
Does this Rabbi condemn the slaughter of children and other civilians in Gaza? If you want people to condemn anti-Semitic behaviour you should also condemn what the Israeli government is doing and has been doing to the Palestinians for decades.
The US represents the sole no vote on UN ceasefire, with the UK abstaining.
Yes, why is it that they can't see that the thousands being killed have nothing to do with Hamas, and that the massive bombing and starving have little to do with getting Hamas?
@@kathleentrinity7367Because Hamas isn't their actual targets. Palestinians are. All the territory that comprises GAZA is. Israel won't stop there either. They'll continue to expand the West Bank settlements until all the land/territory is occupied by them It's been their plan for over 50 years.
Have the "ordinary Palestinians" condemned Hamas yet? If Palestinians want people to take pity on them and advocate for them, they need to FIRST condemn Hamas and fight to rid them from their midst. Show the world that they REJECT terrorism. Have they done that?
Are you trying to trade for basic good behavior?
Confusing anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism is this Rabbi’s logical fallacy.
All Arab people are Semites. Palestinians are Semites too.
It's purposeful and has been for many many decades.
Calling for the death of jewish people is the issue at hand. What part do you not understand? You are contradicting yourself.
@@aiai-j7iyou are entitled to your belief, but to the outsiders, we all know that is not the intention of the students.
Yeah, very sad that for all his education Rabbi David Wolpe in his words, ignorantly conflates opposition to the ethno-nationalistic political ideology called zio...ism with anti-semitism which is a dislike of this ethnic group.
So...chanting 'from the river to the sea' is the issue here! Oh for pity sake!
In this CURRENT "context" it DOES mean genocide of Jews. It is the slogan of Hamas terrorists.
Is he saying that he quit because they didnt do what I told them to do ?
Yep. But oddly enough, he didn't say what his recommendations were. Hmmm.
The committee agreed to keep their discussions confidential. He was respecting that.I hope he recommended teaching the students about Jewish history. It's clear that few people have any knowledge of Jewish history or how important it is that the mere 16 million Jews on the planet (compared to 2 billion Muslims) are allowed to remain in their tiny decolonized homeland (they were colonized first by the Romans, then the Turks, and then the British - Israel is the most successful example of a decolonized state in existence.But some people only like those who remain colonized or who create failed states) @@davideanes3425
What about some israelis, some of whom in high govt positions, think that palestine shouldnt exist? Isnt this islamaphobic and genocidal rhetoric, on par with the supposed antisemistism of questioning israels right to exist? Or the actions of the israeli state which actively prohibit the existence of a palestinian state?
One side say they want to wipe out the other side. One side is actually carrying it out.
@@tyrellcobb4665both sides have some that say they want all of the land, and one side is clearly winning. Those criticizing this are right to do so.
@@jamesfromtheusa They are using the words and actions of a few to demonize an entire people and literally wipe them off the planet. It's disgusting to watch.
The whole purpose of that hearing was to undermine “the elites”, not to offer any kind of moral certitude, contrary to what Stefanik would have us believe.
The elites undermined themselves. They didn't need any help at all.
Stefanik and Steel both get money from AIPAC. I'm not sure why they asked MIT President to attend since she's Jewish, so its kind of stupid to ask her if she'll tolerate anti-semitism. So how is AIPAC not considered foreign influence on elections? Or is it only frowned on if Russia does it?
Actually, I don't understand why no one asked them to give concrete examples of "context!"
The question from the congresswoman was loaded and deliberately misleading.
How exactly? It was a very simple question.
David, I have a lot of respect for you. Thank you for speaking up and resigning as a member of this committee. We are going through a lot of madness that has been festering for far too long. I was shocked at what I heard from the three female university presidents in front of Congress. The smirking was the worst part of it.
You have respect for this guy that doesn't condemn Islamophobia nor the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian civilians. That's very racist. It's okay for Israel to want control from the Jordanian River to the Mediterranean Sea... But if anyone that's pro-Palestine says it is genocidal. Good grief. You guys don't seem to care about anti-Arab violence as much.
@@WanderingExistence ~ The issue here is the response of university presidents to overt expressions of anti-semitism and calls for elimination of Israel on their campuses, to the point where Jewish students, and anyone voicing dissent, feels unsafe and, therefore, unable to study and learn. If students (and faculty) on those same campuses were to call for extirpation of any other group, from trans-gender to fundamentalist Muslims, they would be canceled in all senses of the term, and you know it.
If Israel's objective is elimination of Palestinians, it isn't doing a very good job. In the meantime, Hamas is not taking care of its own.
@WanderingExistenci respect Rabbi Wolpe and have for years. You make a lot of judges and assumptions in little evidence.
@robinhood20253 Yes he made some assumptions. But the professor said he wasn't in favour of a cease fire . That seems a pretty hard-line pro Likud position given that plenty of Israelis and governments allied to Israel have called for a ceasefire. Why wasn't he challenged on this ? He also said that it shouldn't be assumed calls on campus for Palestine from the river to the sea didn't necessarily mean those calling for it were calling for the end of Israel or Jewish genocide but at the same time he seems to be saying it's OK for Jewish students to see it as an attack on their jewish identity and a threat. Jewish students need to take some responsibility themselves and confront these protests instead of demanding a 'safe space for Jews that equates to the silencing of other students.
@@leechgully so what do you think that statement means ? Have you ever looked at a map of the area?
When you look at Isr...l's war on Gaza, it gets very simplistic in the way people react. There's not a lot of room for nuance - you're with us or you are with the terrorists. That's the kind of rhetoric we're hearing.
When you look at at any kind of questions about what the IDF is doing or Isr...l is doing, suddenly you're either an anti-semite or you were supporting Hama. It's nonsense.
Absolutely.
@@pedroamieva8812And each of us should fill the comment section with this realization and protest about this cynical diversion from the main issue !!!
I have No Idea why he resigned??? He was completely on the side of the establishment.
You are not too bright if you dont understand why he resign. The black woman got fired for plagiarism. Omg.
On which side of the moral boundary is the massacre of the Palestinian population in Gaza and the thievery of the West Bank from the Palestinians? Is the good rabbi concerned?
@@Aelwyd10 Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I agree that one important function of UA-cam is 'venting.' Another important role is the exchange of ideas. I enjoying engaging with folks, even if we do not completely agree. Here in Vermont we are reeling from the cold-blooded shooting of three Palestinian and Palestinian-American college students who were simply visiting family in Burlington over Thanksgiving. While I condemn any threatening language (regarding genocide, personal threats, etc), I do find the silence on the demolition of higher education campuses in Gaza to be intolerable. How can there ever be a future of peace without the education of all young people. While American students may feel 'uncomfortable' by inflammatory rhetoric, the students and teachers in Gaza are dead and maimed, and their campuses are in ruins. American campuses do research with military applications all the time. Accusing Gaza universities of being terrorist is appalling. The next generation of Palestinian fighters will come out of these ashes. We must build the world we want, the security we need and the respect we all deserve. None of this is happening. Artists, theater directors, teachers, poets and community leaders are being arrested and worse. My fundamental problem with theocracies - governments that bear the label and theology of a particular religion - is that governmental actions are rarely in keeping with the highest aspirations of any religion. When a nation kills people - whether it be Iran, Israel, or others - it diminishes that faith and puts a target on the people of that faith. Islamophobia and anti-Semitism are branches from the same tree. Right now the peacemakers are not in the governments. They are in the health organizations, the aid workers and the journalists who are trying to heal, feed and bear witness in this horrific killing field. Ceasefire Now.
Rabbi David Wolpe - I bow to your eloquent and focused sensitivity.
I'm sure a lawyer advised all of those college presidents on way to answer those questions for the legal interests of the institution they serve
The head of the board of trustees at Penn confirmed that their president was over lawyered for this testimony
Then that lawyer may have been legally and formally correct, but at the same time is guilty of grossly misreading the current state of haywire on both campus and Capitol Hill, DC. Law, like Truth, does not matter anymore. There is only the oppressed and the oppressor (i.e. anyone who, in the judgment of the oppressed, is not the same as him/her/them -therefore by necessity always, always oppressor). "Truth gets beaten like a dog, and meanwhile the lapdog lies next to the fireplace and is allowed to stink" - freely paraphrasing the Fool, in Shakespeare's "King Lear".
I'm sure you're correct. And the result? The presidents got so tangled up in legalese that they gave the impression of having zero humanity, compassion, or concern for the subject at hand. I think that's what infuriated so many viewers.
@@jackienaiditch7965 Half right…. that is, the detachment and callousness expressed. But the other, more serious problem as the Rabbi noted, is a failure to ACT…. to make the Campus a safe place for all where students maybe educated and engage in constructive, respectful discourse especially when opinions are so emotionally charged and divergent.
The university presidents were answering with careful legal language around the first amendment.
Their hypocrisy was staggering. Just replace the word Jew with Black, Gay. Would this go smoothly?
Which is appropriate.
@@lirazdemasure936Your sense of ENTITLEMENT is beyond astounding.
Oh, are you hurt? Does it really, really hurt?
@@71suns
@@lirazdemasure936 Nope
I appreciated the interviewers tone and questions. He asked some sensitive subjects and did do well. And I appreciated the answers not immediately shutting him down, but giving insight.
Informative overall. Well done.
The feeling is not against Jews, here in the U.S., or worldwide. Instead the outrage is against Israel which has inflicted cruel brutality on Palestinians for over 75 years, and now genocide.
It's so sad to see the zionists take a minor issue and run with it to make a big deal about what essentially is a non issue disguised into what it's NOT : Anti semitism. This has never been a protest about anti semitism but it was skillfully metamorphised into one which is easier to garner attention to divert from the main issue of genocide of the Palestinian ppl.
This is myopic and an outright lie in the face of the Jew Hate, destruction of property, and murder that we are seeing all over the world. Open your eyes, or you've nothing of substance to share
11:00 He can’t imagine anything but racism bc he doesn’t want to address the real argument: it’s a newly-formed state whose foundation displaced others. That’s the problem above all else.
Explain arab Israelis anti semite.
@@M_A_A_A_A_A ok, spout lies and stick to your anti semetism bigot.
Journalist didn’t respond to the rabbi’s rhetorical question: if it isn’t antisemitism, what else could it possibly be? Rabbi says he’s “confounded,” can’t imagine any other reason for the criticism.
Maybe look to your own governments behaviour as to why you have fallen out with most civilised countries
Who is "you" here?
He is an American.
Excellent thanks for this interview.
11:15 comparing a relatively young state like Israel to countries with centuries of established presence as independent nation-states is a fallacy. And I'm pretty sure there was a debate about how Germany would or would not exist as an independent state after the war. Ref: the Berlin wall.
Doesnt like the "tone"? Thats on you Rabbi.
Where's the interview with students that support the Palastines?
Why any human would want to interview terrorists lowlife?
He lost me when he said he disagreed with a cease fire.
The cease fire hurt the Palestinians.
@@ruthhorowitz7625 how
(((Horowitz)))@@ruthhorowitz7625
#1 question: Are the significant donations from Qatar conditional? If there was an organic movement by students and professors who want to learn the different perspectives, the education system wants to feed that curiosity. If the donations are simply made to activate a propaganda machine that forces indoctrination of some and fear of life for the smallest minority on campuses…. Well, that is below the quality of leadership expected by the top universities in the world. And if those universities are receiving such funds in higher amounts from specific countries that sponsor terrorism, could even be looked into as money laundering and breach of many laws related to foreign acts of corruption.
The Rabi said it well. "It's about bullying and intimidation" - that's it - the key issue. "Bring light by listening, and with love". Ignorance and lack of love and listening are prevalent today.
Guess what? People get bullied and harassed in this world every single day.
I am an atheist who holds great regard for Rabbi Wolpe. I have witnessed his strength of character for many years and i support his decision and trust his position.
10:15 Israeli voters were protesting Netanyahu for months! I’ve been hearing Jews at The Jewish Federation complain about Netanyahu for 25 years. My own maternal haplo group H1 i❤ jews!
Great interview!
Oh please. Anti-zionism is not antisemitism and no amount of resolutions can make it so. Republicans are nuts. You going make a resolution against that too?
Anti-zionism is exatly antisemitism
Very good journalist!! But the Rabbi did not say why he is against the ceasefire.
He supports an ethnostate that values the lives of Israelis over Arabs.
Sounds like some college students need some education. Please show people why these sayings and ideas are not based in fact. Over reactions like yours (I quit) don't help.
Interesting comments. He says he sometimes criticized Israel but isn't for a cease-fire. But he didn't make it clear where to draw the line. Criticism of Israel is being attacked as anti-Semitism. States are trying to make boycotts of Israel illegal. I don't see people going to pro-Palestinian protests as bullying. I would consider bullying to be harassing individual students who look or declare themselves Jewish. Is that going on?
A student at Cornell was arrested for sending death and rape threats to Jewish students. Several Jewish students at Cooper Union were chased into a library by "Pro Palestinian" protesters and the librarian locked the door to protect them; a Jewish student was attacked by other students at Harvard; a Jewish man was murdered by a Palestinian professor at a "peaceful protest" in Los Angeles; there are many of these incidents. When the pro-palestinians protests chant "global intifada" or "from the rive to the sea" they are calling for Jewish genocide in Israel. Imagine if the Charlottesville protesters were allowed to march through college campuses chanting "jews will not replace us!" These chants mean very similar things.
@@pennyadrian7774 I'm sympathetic to your comments (and will look up the cases) up until you criticized the protests. I just watched a show on the Congressional hearing from _Democracy Now!_
ua-cam.com/video/0xtP7CVSJGY/v-deo.html
where they debunk that "intifada" means genocide.
Attacking protests as well as college officials is part of the far-right fascist playbook to shut down speech they disagree with and is not part of the American Way.
@pennyadrian7774
Israelis brought this upon themselves, American neo nazis have baseless conspiracies as a reason to hate, pro-palestinians have genuine reason to hate, granted attacking innocent students is never acceptable and should be punished, let's not act like this hate wasn't warranted.
@@a.d8509 , " pro-palestinians have genuine reason to hate" - really? But why do you discriminate against right-wingers, Nazis, Q-Anoners, Putinists, Trumpists in their right to hate? They are just as convinced as you are of their rightness and by your logic have the right to hate both Israelis and despise Palestinians.
@@pennyadrian7774And when the son of Netanyahu says "from the river to the sea this is only flag you'll see" is that a call for genocide against Palestinians?
Thank you Rabbi. Spot on. Iris from Israel.❤
Well said! Many thanks for this interview! Bring Light with Love it the task of every faith and should be every person faith or not!
Leave Ms. Gay ALONE!!! Stop the foolishness. This woman did far better than most and this fake shock and disgust is sickening.
Turns out having an Apartheid State appropriate the symbols of your religion while it commits human rights violations is bad P.R...
So the rabbi, and others, are upset that a university president didn't make some display of outrage...abandoning calm consideration 🤔
A long-time good friend was president of a large university for the better part of a decade. Many people, including students and faculty (and myself), have a misperception of what a university president actually does. Their biggest role is really to attract pubic, private, and corporate funding, and secondary to that to be a figurehead, with a side-dish of leadership. That's not nothing, but it is different than the impression people have of presidents being behind every single decision on campus. If a president's ability to attract money is adversely affected by their public comments, then one would expect the board of governors to lose confidence in them, and that president to step down.
As for anti-semitism on campus, let us distinguish between pervasive and enduring anti-semitism, and the current zeitgeist, which is some 2 months old. I doubt there would have been much of a difference in degree of anti-semitism on campuses on Oct. 6, versus one, 5, or ten years earlier. Some folks are bigoted, and few admission offices screen applicants for their attitudes towards this or that religion or demographic group. The current conflict, awful as it is, has given some people an excuse to unleash whatever biases they already had in the most strident manner possible. Is that a permanent state on campuses? I doubt it, although even a few months of it is troubling.
That's why this political circus is just a reflection of our base society. If there were a real complaint in any of this it would be regarding the policies being questioned, not how one person does or does not interpret them.
It's about time these Universities who already have more money than they know what to do with stop being beholden to these "philanthropists". Antisemitism is not and has never been the big problem on campuses many of which have large thriving populations of people of the jewish faith and rich jewish student life. This brouhaha seems to be a well orchestrated campaign to distract American voters from being engaged with what is really happening in the middle east. It's beyond disgusting
Gray kept saying those same things "we have policies in place, we need to educate students on that and we find that language abhorrent". Problem is the problems are still there. There's no will to change. The solutions you mention are great but without the teeth from Congress change will not happen. Thank you the enterveiw and the guest where top notch.
What do you expect Congress to do FOR YOU SPECIFICALLY?
My advice is to tell congress to get the hell out of your business.
The only people in the world who are still living under occupation are the Palestinian people... and he asks why people could think that Israel should not exist. At least try to be a legal state and then protest about why people are not happy with the state.
Jewish people and the Jewish religion deserve all the respect and peaceful coexistence alongside every other human group without any discrimination or violence.
Also, the only people on the planet that were invented by KGB.
It comes as a great relief to see major and major-adjacent media outlets beginning to devote some time to covering the state of campuses, today in the U.S. I quit a 15 year tenureship....this is why...herd mentality at all levels. I'd argue that this scenario is yet another example of the current fervor on campuses. American education has a terrible PR problem, outlets need to start covering this more regularly. If I had a crystal ball and believed I could use it, I see the American education system failing entirely, unless Rabbi Wolpe's call for civil discourse and heart-softening is taken up my more academics and students. Many thanks!!!
It is very difficult to make out from your comment what specifically irks you. You mention "fervor" and "herd mentality". The former is a particularly comical assertion as it seems to suggest that you believe umiversity campuses should be cleansed of fervor and that you gave up tenure because you were offended by the level of excitement and engagement on campus. Given your inability to communicate your argument I might suggest that the university where you worked is better off. I mean just what (specifically) are you talking about?
@@jeromesims what would you like me specifically to clear up for you?
@@newpilgrim ok look, I'm not trying to spoon feed a previously tenured member of higher education faculty. If you can't think of any way to clarify your vague assertions despite the subtext already implied in my reply then I am now convinced that the institution is better off without you being in that position.
💩. Yes...that must be it...good luck with all that. If you had any interest in my opinion, you would have spent a little more time considering your tone when you wrote me back, I don't owe you an explanation.
I love this rabbi: he always speaks with such compassion and moral clarity. He also wrote an article this spring that goes into more depth on his experiences at Harvard-and why he felt that one year there was enough for him.
From the river to the sea, let us have free and respectful discourse!
I agree. Strong protections of free speech are a precondition of that.
Respectful.
I find this interview a bit problematic. No offense intended here, but the Rabbi is listed as a "Visiting Assistant Professor" which means that he's only temporarily at Harvard. He was clearly invited onto this committee because he is Jewish and to hear his feedback. But he's not stating here exactly what he didn't like about the committee. I don't think those on the committee are advocating for the eradication of Israel. The challenge is over what speech is allowed on campuses. Even if you think people are uneducated about history, you can legally stop them if they act on hatred and are violent, but you're not allowed to ban speech even if you think it's stupid. Think of what statements people of color, gay people, women, have to put up with every day, what happens when rightwing extremists come to campus and make statements that harass such students. Either you need guidelines for everyone, or Jewish people have to put up with threatening speech like everyone else. By the way, I support guidelines for everyone, I'm not a 'free speech absolutist', but very people agree with me on this.
You are perpetuating the problem rather than helping by making broad-brush generalization about entire races and ethnic groups. These educational institutions are private. If they can penalize people for misgendering they can penalize people for calling for the genocide of Jews.
I know it's not often you get asked questions which demand a Yes/No answer - not legal prevarication
It seems to me that Stefanik muddied the issue by asking about "calls for genocide." Who is going to call for genocide against Jews? Hardly anyone. And even if they did, they would have no power to make it happen. This isn't the 1930's.
Was in this clip we saw "Death to Jews Free Palestine" spray painted on a wall? I've seen it only once.
1930's is filled with lies anyway
President Gay should have said she could not give a one-word answer to such an inflammatory and absurdly-worded question as posed by Elise Stefanik.
WHY? Is shke too "educated or sophisticated" to understand the difference between yes and no?
@@silviaquesada2499 the question was completely disingenuous. To answer yes or no would have been to accept the premiss of the question in the first place.
Rabbi, with all due respect, you should be speaking on the thousands and thousands of innocent children, who are being killed/mutilated , as you are sitting there, in the confort of your Harvard home, talking up a non issue, whose only purpose is to distract from the real horrors that are happening right now. No Jew is being killed/mutilated in Massachusetts!
At 8 minutes in I see what he means. In America we have too much Anti_______ against too many groups and open guided discussion could help change hearts and minds.
Here are some reasons why I have concerns about how this interview was framed:
1. The problem was not clearly stated but was overly broad. "We had a problem with antisemitism" was declared without the commitee's working definition of antisemitism stated.
2. We didn't have specific speech and actions of the protestors held up against the commitee's standard definition of antisemitism to determine if speech and actions of the protestors met the definition of antisemitism.
3. The committee's goals were not clearly stated in this interview, and the deliberations were, according to Rabbi Wolpe, confidential. Why?
4. Where specifically was the intersection of protected and unprotected speech in the protests?
5. Why the pressure to oust presidents of these universities without addressing the above points?
Sometimes i think this boils down to the loss of supertable discourse. Sit up, we csnt afford it, so no, behave, tell the truth. Weve turned into a nation of liars.
Well said. Thank You
That’s a black eye for Harvard that they lost a reputable scholar
Rabbi Harvard is going to do fine without you. You want people to just agree with you. There are two sides here… Israel’s and Palestines. Making fun of students is also not helpful. Just don’t like your tone, sir .
Excellent interview
Like this program AMANPOUR, love the deeper interviews included this time with Rabbi David Wolpe.
Why no concern about Islamophobia?
Because they think they're superior to Arabs. They're racist and support the ethnostate apartheid of Zionism.
UPenn has no problem with antisemitic speech but God help the person who says a man isn't a woman.
PBS, please be clear that the call are not at all explicit about genocide at all. You are misleading people that “from the river to the sea Palestine will be free” is a call for genocide.
It is also not true that no one says certain Islamic majority states should not exist. Some off us who support Kurds and Armenians don’t think Turkey should exist as it is.
Thorough and comprehensive interview. Good for CNN. Brilliant and virtuous discussion by Rabbi Wolpe. Good for him and for all who listened and learned.
Just because she is black she is protected, what a example of a corrupt double standard
He misleadingly goes on about calls fir the extinction/elimination of Israel which was not part of the question he was asked. No one at the hearing or otherwise in this debate has called for its elimination. Even the biggest critics of Israel are not advocating that, although a negotiated/agreed one state solution may have that result. I suspect he does not accept a one state solution.
This was a beautiful exchange.
Imagine resigning because some of your students stand up against the genocide in Gaza and then those students being gaslighted and accused of promoting the genocide of Israel
Not one human being believes that there's a "genocide" in Gaza.
Wish we could have learned his answer on opposition to CF. Otherwise very intriguing way to have voice for this cause. Let’s light the menorah🕎
These people have a lot of power over our top universities and our world.
Chris Hedges is a Harvard Divinity alumnus. Let's ask him his opinion.
Corporate-owned media will never have him on! He'll talk about "The Powell Memo" as the founding document for the corporate attack on public education.
The comments on this video are so depressing. Jewish people truly are exempt from empathy when it comes to the "enlightened" Left. I don't know if I can even vote for Democrats anymore. The party is so poisoned with anti-Jewish hate.
Zionism is NOT Judaism. Have you no empathy for 9,500 Palestinian kids? Will you not criticize the intentional bombing of civilians?
CNN might think about having a Muslim/Palestinian voice on the program talking about hate speech from that point of view, too.
He stated that he left this advisory committee because he found that being on the committee gave him responsibility without authority. Advisory committees, by definition, have no responsibility beyond providing their best advice. And they certainly don’t have any authority. He promotes honest discourse but is either being dishonest with the interviewer (and hence with all of this audience) or with himself. And a religious leader who is against stopping mass killings. A very polished speaker but the polish is covering some deeply flawed substance.
He was very clear that being on the committee lends it legitimacy with the appearance of accountable figures like him, but without being listened to and hence without authority.
I am afraid you know little about Rabbi Wolpe. I am an atheist , but have followed him for many years. He is a man of great moral strength and character.
@@robinhood20253 Hi Robin, you are correct, I do know very little about Rabbi Wolpe, in fact nothing beyond what he said in this interview. That doesn't change what he said in the interview or the implications of what he said. I'm glad to hear that you have seen another side to the man. Humans are complex, except, it seems, when it comes to the killing - then things become very simple. That last sentence is just a general statement on my part, not specific to the Rabbi.
@@philheenan8634 he was Rabbi of the Sinai Temple. They have a you tube channel that records many years of sermons. Also Rabbi Wolpe once debated new atheists like Hitchens and Harris. I have great respect for this man.
@@robinhood20253 Thanks for your comments Robin.
I'm very tired... I've read "Why this rabbit resigned"... Sorry for joking on this serious matter...
There is no constitutional right to stupidity. 😮
Rabbi--- Yasher Koach and Todah Rabba
Rabbi Wolpe is an American hero.
Good for Harvard!
I'm surprised the good Rabbi didn't recognize the so-called "Harvard Antisemitism Advisory Group" for exactly what it is: a façade that makes it appear to the outside world that there is actual antisemitism advice being authored, given, and acted upon.
“From the river to the sea” is always received as a personal threat.
Yet, it's okay when Israelis say it... 🤔
Because it is a personal threat to any Jew.
Crocodile tears while an actual genocide is happening in their name. 🙄
A thoughtful gentleman. I cannot deal with calm around this phoney politeness of the conversation. As one who grew up in Boston outside of the hive, this area always has had q huge antisemitism problem. Those who can afford the cost of the ghettos here barely notice.
There is no ideology diversity. DEI is part of the new worst idea that embraces mediocrity.
Has the rabbi forgotten key moments in history? Please reference David Ben-Gurion said about Jordan’s right to exist:
"Jordan has no right to exist and should be divided. East of the Jordan River, it will become part of Iraq, and Arab [Palestinian] refugees will be settled there.” ~ David Ben-Gurion [Israel’s 1st Prime Minister]
Gross. Antisemitism must be fought everywhere. The fact that many people defending Israel are claiming that calls for Palestinian liberty are calls of hatred are so hurtful and make everyone less safe. The idea that Palestinians should have equal rights in their homeland is not a hateful ideology it is morally necessary
A Jewish state should not exist in its current form just as a Iranian state should not exist in its current form ! A mass protest can never be nuanced ! The bullying and harassment should never be tolerated under any circumstance, that simple bullying !
Wolpe believes the Torah is the word of God and that God granted a piece of land in the Middle East specifically and eternally to a particular tribe. I think that says a lot about his orientation to the conflict there.
But the fact remains that the so-called "anti-Semitism" isn't anti-Semitism at all, it is the outrage of the people of the world at how Israel has treated and continues to treat the people whose land they stole out from under them. It is Israel that has created and continues to create that so -called "anti-Semitism". Someone can honor and love the contribution that Jews over the centuries have made to Western Civilization, and at the same time become outraged that those European colonists went into Palestine not with the intention of contributing to Palestinian society, but to become their masters.
It would have been interesting to know why he doesn't favour stopping the bombardment of Gaza.
He now is the tone police...
The logical reason (not antisemitic) why people would say Israel should not exist is because they don't think Britain and the U.N. had the right to create a Jewish state from an inhabited area of what was the Ottoman Empire for 400 years until 1917. Certainly he should be able to see that perspective that is very different from his comparison to other countries that had existed for centuries.
You mean the Syrians, Jordanians, and Egyptians who poured into the country after the Balfour declaration.
@@ruthhorowitz7625get over yourself already. It's so tiring
@@71suns that's your response because you have no facts, you are just hate filled.
@@ruthhorowitz7625
Arabs have existed in those lands as long as jews have, and thier concentration increased after it came under islamic control, you're straight up deluded if you think "Palestinians" sprung into existence in the last 100 years like israel has.
Victim card is revoked
It seems that too many of the people commenting here didn't even listen to the entire interview. They see who is the person interviewed and they have their opinion.
I'm sorry but this is the United States of America. And we have freedom of speech. This is not Israel.