The actions of a government are not a racial characteristic. They are the decisions of one or more individuals. To characterize criticism of the expansionist policies of the current government of Israel as racism is not only a fantasy, but a violation of First Amendment free speech rights.
12
Defining a religion as a state? Nothing could be more in violation of our constitution's requirement for the separation of church and state.
11
This seems illogical. Revise the language in the Civil Rights Act. It is absurd to treat Jews as a race for the purpose of falling under this protection. As for nationality, Jews belong to the world, not a geographical country. Judaism is a religion.
6
Re: “...This is our message to universities: if you want to accept the tremendous amount of federal dollars that you get every year, you must reject anti-Semitism, it’s very simple,” Mr. Trump said at the signing ceremony..."
I can only wonder:
What must it be like to be a 'civil rights' lawyer in an administration which supports, (alleged), neo_nazis S. Bannon / S. Miller as policy_advisers, praised Charlottesville's homicidal Neo_Nazis, (despite the Heather Heyer-homicide), 'N, retains a proud serial - homophobe, (VP M. Pence), as an example of this administration's, (serially, alleged), 'Xian' beliefs???
Might it be like being an ice_salesperson on R.M.S. Titanic?
5
Without knowing the full story behind the University of Pennsylvania student discrimination case, I find it disconcerting that a male student should take issue with rejection when his admission was based only on the support of one individual as well as "multiple-generation legacy status.” The notion of legacy status is ridiculous and serves to entrench and deepen socioeconomic disparities and restriced access to higher education. Shame on him for espousing this privileged attitude. I believe in affirmative action, and beyond that, acceptance should be based on merit.
14
It’s one thing to be hostile or discriminatory to a person based on religion, sex, ethnicity etc, but it is quite another to criticize a nation or government for its policies. I don’t see how a US court could uphold not letting people speak out about the nation of Israel’s policies or any other nation, including the US. It is too great of an infringement of free speech.
16
Who is Trump to declare anything? This is another ridiculous move by Trump.....Judaism is a religion that SHOULD already be protected! The idea that it's necessary for purposes of civil rights enforcement, to declare a religion a race or some sorta national origin is absurd, and in my opinion is another form of prejudice.
8
Other than the Roman Catholic Church, Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, evangelical Christians, Zionist Jews and extremist Muslims no one believes in the existence of a Jewish ' race'.
5
I'm disappointed by all the angry comments. Judaism has always been more than a religion -- it is also an ethnicity. We call ourselves a "nation" in our liturgy. Anti-Jewish bias is a huge issue on college campuses, and just yesterday Jews were murdered in Jersey City, one of thousands of attacks a year. Anything that can help us fight bias is a good thing. It has nothing to do with how American we are.
12
History is the enemy of Americans.
2
@JPH
History is the enemy of the status quo.
Just one damned thing after another!
1
This executive order serves Trump's political interests and will only make life more difficult for Jews in America. It will result in Jews being perceived as a preferred minority and therefore further divide Jews from other American minorities who support the Democratic party. That's a win for Trump/Kushner. It will silence criticism of Israel, and satisfy the Trump Evangelical base. Another win for Trump/Kushner.
Jews must speak against being labelled by this racist president.
10
@AA Good points and exactly right. There are also serious and disturbing historical reasons that White Supremacists would like to begin targeting Jewish people and separating them out as having allegiance to a different nation. As you suggest, this is perfect politics for Trump who gets a win-win with the White Supremacists and the right-wing Jewish lobby in this country.
9
Its beyond ironic that the President who claimed that some Nazis were "Good people - and you know it" is now twisting the First Amendment to become a supposed protector of the Jews. It is not so much that the Trump administration is a bulwark against antisemitism as he uses the threat of antisemitism to get at groups his administration find objectionable. I have read nothing about Trump's efforts against the right wing antisemitism that produces the bulk of the actual hate crimes.
6
What Trump is doing may not necessarily help fight anti-Semitism or better define Judaism. That said anti-Semitism on college campuses and in our institutions of government must be strongly addressed.
In Congress today we have at least 3 members who insist that supporting the Boycott, Divest and Sanction movement (BDS) is valid and without bias or prejudice toward Jews and is only directed economically at Israel and Israeli business.
BDS is clearly and vehemently anti-Semitic. BDS targets Jewish businesses, Jewish institutions, Jewish organizations and Jewish identity and Jewish beliefs. Worse, it is not only an attack on Jewishness in Israel it is a directed attack upon the Jews of the United States.
What BDS does follows precisely what the Nazis did in Germany in the 1930s before the wholesale slaughter of European Jewry began. Nazis began political attacks on Jews and also began ending rights of citizenship of German Jews. Jews were vilified and targeted as the cause of German economic woes that began after World War I and the Treaty of Versailles. Nazis began reprisals and boycotts of Jews to avenge their defeat and the economic depression. Jewish businesses, organizations, institutions were boycotted and banned. Boycotting Jews and Jewish businesses culminated in the beginning of the Holocaust atrocities with Krystal Night when thousands of Jewish businesses and synagogues were burned.
BDS supports boycotting American Jews. That is anti-Semitism. BDS is Nazism.
9
It's always suspect when a politician supported heavily by anti-Jewish groups goes out and defines Judaism.
Because you know, the Nazis ALSO defined Judaism in a similar way..and then they used that definition for evil.
The KKK, Nazis and other groups are salivating for this legislation because it's literally a great way to make lists of Jews. How could that go wrong?
7
I recently read "I Will Beat Witness" by Victor Klemperer, a Jewish humanities professor who survived in Germany all through the Third Reich. To the end, he reviled Zionism - even as many friends found safe haven in Haifa and Jerusalem - and clung tightly to his own identity as a modern European rooted in our common humanity of ideas and culture available to all, evolved beyond outmoded tribal, religious, and national feeling.
"To me the Zionists, who want to go back to the Jewish state of AD 70 (destruction of Jerusalem by Titus), are just as offensive as the Nazis," Klemperer wrote in June, 1934. "With their nosing after blood, their ancient "cultural roots," their partly canting, partly obtuse winding back of the world they are altogether a match for the National Socialists." (Page 68 in the hardcover edition).
Even in December 1941, by then forced to wear a yellow Star of David on his lapel, Klemperer wrote: "Hitler is the most important promoter of Zionism, Hitler has literally created the 'Jewish nation,' 'world Jewry,' {the} Jew." (Page 450-451, italics for the bracketed definite article).
Were Victor Klemperer to appear today on an American college campus and state views like this, he would run afoul of this new Trump administration decree and risk that campus its federal funding. Such is the peril of allowing politicians to define groups for their own political ends. Were I Jewish, I would find this all quite creepy even if I supported Israel unconditionally.
12
@Jeffrey Obser Very wise comment and right on point. This is tragic for America and our Constitution and Bill of Rights, but for Trump this is a win-win politically as he keeps both the White Supremacists and the right-wing Jewish lobby happy.
5
Strange. The individuals going round shooting Jews don't seem to be university educated liberals.
14
The idea of conflating anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism is baseless and dangerous. Zionism was developed in Europe in the late 1800s as a project to establish a homeland in the Middle East mainly but not exclusively for people practicing the Jewish faith. One can take serious issue with the manner in which this was done, and the current policies of that country without being the least bit anti-Semitic. If this Administration were truly concerned about religious discrimination, they could include religion in existing legislation and refrain from engaging in a dubious rebranding of Judaism to require support for the present concept of Israel and otherwise suit alt-right extremist interests in the US and Israel.
11
Clearly Jews are discriminated against in what amounts to racism -- sometimes. I'm (genetically, obviously) Jewish, but I haven't really experienced it. But we know it's a thing.
On the other hand, I very much disagree with the idea that arguing about the right of the State of Israel to exist in its current form is anti-Semetic. Israel is a religion-based nation -- a theocracy -- and as someone whose grandparents came to this nation because of freedom of religion, I'm befuddled as to how American people could be saying, "You can't argue against the existence of Israel."
That's crazy talk, to my ears. I'm against the establishment of any national religion, anywhere, because it obviously can lead to people feeling unwanted in their homeland.
15
@Ness Blackbird
Yes indeed. One cannot make Israel go away.
But one can argue that it might have been better if the British government did not give away a slice of the Levant it did not own to house the new Jewish homeland.
One can also argue FOR just that.
The point is, we should not ban ideas or perspectives.
6
Hmmm, I think this is a good decision. It will be another wedge of divisiveness between Americans, even in Progressives. I am a Liberal/Progressive/Leftist, whatever you want to classify it as, and have always been disturbed by what seems clearly to me to be unconditional condemnation or anti-Semitism from the Left, as well as the unconditional support of Muslims.
5
So Trump et al. are going to force colleges and students to be pro-zionists. Boycotts are not about Israel they are about an illegal expansion of Israel's borders into Palestine. How committed is Trump to the zionist cause? as far as Adelson's checkbook.
7
Are American citizens who practice the faith of Judaism citizens of this country, or are they jews who live in America?
5
@Interested America is not a nation.
There is no nation on earth named " America " .
‘United States of America’ = America in shorthand. If denying that the nation of America exists based only on semantics is your best argument, that is extremely thin ice to be standing on.
5
My religion is Judaism.
My nationality is American.
My U.S. Army dog tags make that abundantly clear.
The last time Jews were defined as a racial/national group rather than members of a religion ended badly -- about as bad as anything in history ever did -- at places called Auschwitz, Treblinka, Chelmno, Sobibor, Majdanek ...
Anti-semitism is rooted historically in Chrisitan religious libels of Jews. Those and what they have caused are bad enough through 20 Centuries of hate.
When race is layered over that, it leads to genocide.
Witness the fate and condition of the Rohingya in Myanmar, hated for their religion by the dominant Buddhists, characterized as a parasitical race.
History's dots connect. Spare me, literally, spare me from this one.
16
@Carl Zeitz " American " is not a nationality .
There is no nation called " America ".
It does not exist. It is a mystical appropriation from the citizens of the USA who don't have a name so they steal the name of a whole continent for themselves only.
1
What does the A stand for in USA? This is seriously a stupid argument to be making and one that proves no point whatsoever.
5
@JPH Tell that to the French who cheered "Les Americains in Paris in August 1944."
6
Let's clarify things, please. Judaism is a religion, not a country. Israel is a country; it is not Judaism, although it is considered to be a Jewish state. Many people, including many Jews as well as non-Jews, are disgusted by the Netanyahu government in Israel. Many people, including many Jews as well as non-Jews, are disgusted by the Trump government in the US; a parallel analogy is that the US is a country, not Christianity.
Disliking the current administrations in either country doesn't make us/them anti-Israel, anti-America, anti-Jewish or anti-Christian, just anti-the awful governments currently in place.
There - clearer now?
131
@CP Being Jewish and adhering to Judaism are related but not synonymous anymore than being English and belonging to the Church of England are.
13
@CP Good response, CP.
One can find Israel's settlement policy troublesome, even repugnant, without being anti-Semitic or anti-Zionist. Many of us are in total support of the existence of Israel -- criticizing the ever-expanding West Bank is a matter of geopolitics not racism.
30
My God!
Betsy DeVos has done everything she can to give religious schools, non Jewish, but Christian schools every advantage. Vouchers for religious, Christian schools, paid by taxpayer dollars. Ring a bell? So unfair to public school kids. Now Jewish debate?
Oh, take back time.
Betsy DeVos does not even have a college degree in education. And her college education was provided at her choice by a Christian, religious college!
Ouch!
4
This tells me who is on my side and who is not:
'some liberal organizations opposing it. Palestinian rights groups were incensed.'
What saddens me is that the group at the center of this firestorm, the BDS, has US Congressional support from The Squad, with Rep Omar (D-MI) being a strong supporter of this group.
How long before she starts pushing their agenda, and starts pushing for financial and military support for the PLO and Hamas?
I am genuinely worried that the enemy of my people now have a voice and vote in the one group capable of determining the fate of my people, the US Congress.
2
@AutumnLeaf " The enemy of my people "...
1
@AutumnLeaf Racism against Palestinians, plain and simple. This is the pro-Israel position in a nutshell.
3
Is it the President? Are his advisors? Does this have any effect on potential antisemitism? Like in many other cases Trump's decisions seem to fit his tastes. He does not like to put money in public education. The measure does not, however. respond to
any important priorities but may distract some opinions
2
About discrimination against Jewish college/university applicants. A very tricky subject. In the past Jews were deemed not eligible because they were not Christians. Later it was feared that their academic achievements would lead to too many Jews on campus. Now it is claimed they are discriminated against because of anti-Zionist agitation by the Left. Not likely: JUST AS ASIANS POSE A PROBLEM OF TOO MANY ACADEMIC STARS ON CAMPUS, SO DO Jews. This is about wanting a student body not over represented by groups that do better than the average American Anglo is able to do. There is legitimate fear that the best colleges will be full of not only JEWS, BUT ALSO ASIANS. No fair solution has yet been found.
3
There's a reason not every Jew has decided to become a citizen of the state of Israel, in spite of the wishes of every ruler since Ben Gurion that they would do so. Israel does not speak for every Jew; Judaism is much larger (and more important intellectually, culturally, religiously, and historically speaking) than the state of Israel. To conflate the two is to disrespect those Jews who consciously and unconsciously reject that state and its viciously anti-Palestinian policies. And it is effectively to try to make every Jew in the world responsible for what Israel does: which is itself an anti-Semitic gesture.
14
Human beings all want to affiliate into groups which all then start to discriminate people based upon stereotyping by us verses them. The result will always result in individuals being categorized and discriminated.
When we begin to protect some people from hearing what others feel about them, it does not change what those feel about them, it does not change that nor what they may do based upon those feelings. It all just slips into an undetectable state until it just comes out. Protecting people from harm is part of society’s obligation towards it’s members. Hurtful expressions fall into the obligations of people to behave civilly and to act according to good manners, and should not be something that the state should be regulating.
When this country tried to rectify centuries of discrimination by favoring people according to race and gender with Affirmation Action, the groups not favored felt discriminated, which they effectively were. If a club on a campus is reserved for any group it effectively excludes all others. At some point one must forbid all groups or just let people self affiliate, and to deal with the results of social psychological behaviors.
2
Defining Jewish people as a "national origin" sounds like it could open out a Pandora's box of problems when the next neo-fascist gets elected down the road...oy vey.
6
So, questioning the wisdom and efficacy of Zionism is anti-Semitic by nature?
Questioning the validity of the underlying premises presented by Theodor Herzl in his 1896 pamphlet, Der Judenstaat, (The Jewish State), is now anti-Semitic by nature?
This Executive Order is an attack on legitimate free speech and critical thinking.
16
In a broader context, this can be seen as an example of the trickle-down facism that is a hallmark of this administration. A blanket definition of Jews as of a distinct national origin and to equate anti-Zionism with anti-semitism is to suggest that they do not belong here
10
Next step should be a similar executive order against anti-Christian attacks on campuses.
2
And then let’s have an EO against anti-Islamic attacks, anti-Sikh attacks, anti-Hindu attacks, anti-Buddhist attacks...Hey - how about we ask universities to promote respect, tolerance and dialogue?
4
Forcing people to do things always makes them love you more, right?
I don't know what the solution is to ending antisemitism, but I do know that this kind of ham-fisted quasi-fascist policy is the absolute wrong way to accomplish it.
8
Substitute Roma or Kurd for Jewish (logic: a self identifying people who were scattered without a homeland) and ask whether any school would tolerate the abuse being heaped upon them due to their being different.
No. Of course the school wouldn’t tolerate that. Not at all.
6
@Vote For Giant Meteor In 2020 "Due to their being different"? "Abuse being heaped upon" Jews because they're 'different'?
Do you really think anyone will not just snort with disbelief reading your comment?
The problem here concerns disagreement about the policies of the State of Israel regarding Muslim inhabitants in the region.
Not Jews 'being different'.
4
A deep and thoughtful discussion of American anti-Semitism is long overdue, but we need to push back strongly against the conflation of criticism of Israel, whose steady slide to the right is alarming to many, or criticism of those lobbying on its behalf, with anti-Semitism. Israel speaks for Israel, not for all Jews. There is a large peace movement there -- are those Jews "self-hating" and anti-Semitic? Support of BDS as a peaceful means of changing Israel's behavior is also not anti-Semitic. What is anti-Semitic and should be called out every time it is encountered are criticisms based on Jewishness itself. Farrakhan's despicable "wicked Jews" rhetoric, for example. Or for another, inserting into a perfectly legitimate critique of predatory banking and finance practices references to a "Jewish cabal" or a "Rothschildian conspiracy." References such as those are horribly anti-Semitic, can be seen as a call to violence, and must be immediately and unequivocably condemned whenever and wherever encountered.
All human beings are each capable of both admirable and horrific behavior -- no ethnicity or religion has a monopoly on either one. We need to understand the important distinction between addressing the behavior of the actor(s), which is essential to a free and open society, and attacking the identity of the actor(s), which unchecked becomes a breeding ground for totalitarian fascism, violence and genocide. As might be expected, Trump's order doesn't do that.
12
Ok, I'm a little confused. Didn't Trump say there were "good people on both sides" when white nationalists marched boldly through Charlottesville chanting "Jews will not replace us!"? I guess arguing policies in Israel are far more concerning and disturbing
then marching and chanting threats.
9
I wonder if people who live in the parts of Israel which include Gaza and West Bank, if they will benefit from this extra protection based on national origin.
2
I realize our country was founded on the separation of church and state, but maybe it’s time to add religion to the list of things that cannot be discriminated against under the civil rights act. People of every religion deserve protection.
4
Most everyone here regards Bernie Sanders as Jewish. I do. But he is not religious in any way.
Most everyone here regards Larry David as Jewish. I do. But he is not religious in any way.
Most everyone here regards Albert Einstein as Jewish. I do. Be he was not religious in any way.
Those who object to this executive order must explain how they account for the above examples. I suspect they cannot.
I suspect that they, suffering from unfamiliarity with a Judaism which existed long before the words “nation,” “religion,” and “executive order” were called into being, simply do not like it when their enemies do something good.
4
@L. Strauss The fact that others refer to someone as Jewish can be because many people have a tough time separating people who are Jewish from their Judaism. This approach, to me, is tricky and suggests an implicit bias against Jews. Your examples actually reinforce stereotypes against Jews (it's a stereotypical descriptor) and to me, your whole defense suggests that this type of continued stereotyping is okay and it condones segregating Jews as a different type of American. I was raised with Judaism as my religion, and I personally find it dangerous to call a religion a nationality.
6
I as well a my parents and grandparents were born in this county and we all feel strongly that our nationality is American. Our religion is Judaism, it's not our nationality. Defining a religion as a nationality increases the 'otherness' in that group. We have only to look at how President Trump has 'otherized' Muslims to see where this could lead.
21
While I am terribly dismayed at the increase in anti semitism in recent years and particularly galled by current narratives that paint Jewish people as "white and privileged" rather than as an historically oppressed minority ( reminder: the Jewish people descended from Northern Africa and the Middle East not Scandinavia or the British Isles), connecting anti semitism with anyone who is opposed to Israeli expansionist policy is ridiculous. People do need to be reminded that Israel is the only true democracy in the Middle East but healthy debate about its policies particularly toward the oppressed should always be welcomed.
13
Being against some actions taken by Isreal isn't necessarily anti semitic.
32
@Charleen Schuss
I wish I could recommend this comment 100 times.
3
Judaism is not a “race or national origin” (it is a belief system) and Zionism is not Judaism (it is a political stance).
29
This executive order, as with so many laws that restrict the freedom of speech with the ostensible purpose of protecting Jews or other groups of people, will have exactly the opposite effect.
14
We all know Trump throws gas on fires like a Witch Doctor to dazzle the tribe. This is no different. Until today, anti-semitism was a managable nuisance, but now it's a big deal that will inflame the public that always thrives on sensational news. Until today, this was not on the radar. Now it's everywhere.
7
If a person doesn’t like bagels will that be considered anti-Semitic ?
5
Something smells rotten in this action from the Trump administration. Why craft a piece of legislation specifically protecting Jewish people and not all other nationalities? Is this due to the nepotism influence of Trump’s son-in-law and his wife? It certainly seems so, and if so it’s pretty disgusting, by giving a particular group of people preferential treatment over other similar groups. It’s anti-democratic and anti-American.
82
@Albert ......you’re right of course but there is another factor at play.
Trump and his staff often don’t know what they are doing. I’m convinced that countless questionable acts by Trump in the past were not contrived but were just bumbling.
They’re too inept to have seen the inequity you pointed out.
15
Actually, I think they think they know what they are doing. Some like Jared Kushner is likely pursuing an apparent ideological agenda centered on equating the Jewish identity with the State of Israel. While I am a strong believer in the existence of a State of Israel, and the importance that its continued existence, I strongly disapprove of many of its policies, particularly those that are discriminatory towards their own minorities. I find it tremendously hypocritical that some American Jews are calling for the institution of anti-discriminatory actions from our government, particularly protecting them, while turning a blind eye to the blatantly discriminatory policies currently being pursued by the Israeli government. I am also troubled that in doing so they are trying to protect the same discriminatory policies being pursued by the Israelí government. This executive action should be challenged in Court and struck down, or amended to include all nationalities. The Law should be clear that no discrimination should be tolerated based on religious, ethnic, racial, or national origin. Period.
29
@Albert The Civil Rights Act protects against discrimination based on race or national origin. This bill does not protect only Jews, it includes Jews in the existing description of national origin. Unless you believe that the Civil Rights Act should not protect people of all national origins, then I guess I would understand why you feel Jews should not be protected.
8
Antisemitism is, in every way, unacceptable with no exceptions.
The BDS movement is an outgrowth of the perception that the Palestinian community is being discriminated against, just as the Jews have been for centuries.
The original sin for Israel is the effect the creation of Israel had on the Palestinians starting with the 700,000 that left the newly declared Israel in 1948.
The motivation for anti Israel emotions centers on the way the Palestinians have been treated since 1948.
My visit, as a gentile American, to Israel in 1986 revealed to me the continued tension between the Jewish community and the Palestinians. Our Jewish guide was rebuffed when he tried to arrange entrance for us to Islamic sites.
I’m not optimistic that the existing animosity about Israel will be resolved anytime soon.
5
@Michael Kittle. It seems it is high time to revisit Israel. It has been what?! 33 years?
You wouldn’t be so pessimistic, things have changed. 1986 was a lifetime ago.
1
This Department of Education's policy is hogwash. It will fail at the first Court challenge. As an in illustration, my grandfather was an atheist. His parents were Jewish. They valued German culture. He was born in the US, as was his mother. His father was born in Germany. All his more distant ancestors were German. He was fluent in French and German as well as English. He was an atheist by faith, American and German by ancestry or "national origin", Caucasian by race. I believe the last time Jews were defined as a race was under the German Nazi regime. Had my grandfather decided to practice Judaism, he would have been Jewish only by faith; not by ethnicity, race, or national origin.
14
This raises First Amendment questions. If I’m against Italy, does it mean I’m anti Italians? If I’m oppose something being done in Africa, am I anti African Americans? If Pres. Trump opposed China, does that mean he is discriminating against Chinese Americans?
13
The Jews are not a race but we are definitely a people. The fact that we also have a national religion is neither exceptional nor even remarkable. Antisemitism has nothing to do with religious prejudice. It is racism, pure and simple. When my grandmother’s family were killed by the Nazis and thrown into a ditch, the murderers did not ask about their religious affiliation, which happened to be Communists. This order simply restores the historical truth.
8
Will one be allowed to be against United States’ funded illegal settlements?
Please advise.
8
Are Jewish Americans now expected to profess a dual loyalty to the United States and Israel? If a Jewish American student denounces Jewish settlements on the West Bank and participates in a BDS rally at their university, are they to face expulsion as anti-semites? Are Catholics now expected to profess dual loyalties to the United States and Rome so we may also claim special status as a protected minority, a Catholic nationality? Was that not the basis for anti-papalist propaganda and anti-Irish violence at the turn of the previous century?
And no Mr. Kushner, anti-semitism is not, nor should it be, equivocated with anti-Zionism. That is either a gross misunderstanding of these two terms or an intentional yell of "fire" in a crowded theater.
13
I’m Black. But I oppose the existence of a Black state based solely on race. Does that make me a racist? No. The attempt to equate criticism of Israel with anti-semitism is non-sensical on its face. I’m not sure why it is even being entertained as a logical fact, let alone a legal standard in America.
11
There is anti-Semitism and then their is super pro-Semitism, here.
Racial or cultural or religious intolerance and stereotyping of Jewish people is an egregious legacy that has persisted in Western Civilization since Roman times. It’s been based upon fear and resentments totally made up in people’s imaginations. It does require a national policy to exorcise it from American life.
Israel is another issue entirely. Arabs are a Semitic people whose traditional patriarch was Abraham, the same Abraham who is the patriarch of Jewish people. The conflicts between Arabs and Jews is about lands which both consider integral to their culture, nation history, and religions. The behaviors of each towards the other have been vicious and intolerant. Criticism of Israeli or Arab Palestinian actions and reactions is not hate, it’s reasonable concern about matters that affect the whole world.
7
It all sounds good on paper, but do you really trust an administration like Trump's to wield this broader power appropriately rather than as a kudgel to impose their will on (liberal leaning) universities?
4
How can anyone say that Judaism is a "national origin", if so why not Islam?
If it is right to defend against anti Muslim prejudices or attacks of any kind as fundamental to our Constitution, how can it possibly be acceptable that the same rights and protections are not afforded to the members of all religions, be they Zoroastrians, Sikhs, Christians or Jews?
I might remind that Jews, Sikhs and Zoroastrians come from many "nations" .... as do all Muslims.
Anti-Semitism must not be acceptable or ignored anywhere.
We can be fair to all without favouring some or taking rights away from others. Our Constitution is our guide.
3
A Jew is a person whose ancestors came from the Nation of Judea. The term Jew could be considered a description of those people.
Jews generally practice Judaism, a religion or a system of beliefs.
The terms Jew and Judaism refer to different things.
DNA has shown us that most of those around the world of different races who practice Judaism are more closely genetically related to each other than to non-Jews in general.
3
I am a progressive and, unlike Speaker Pelosi, I’m not able to say that I don’t hate Trump. That said, while his Executive Order goes too far in expanding the definition of antisemitism in a manner that may punish legitimate criticism of Israel, I see nothing wrong with treating Jews or any other identifiable group as a “nationality” for purposes of the law in question if that is the only way such a group can be afforded protection under it.
3
Always the two reasons....
The good reason and the REAL reason.
Don't be fooled.
The so-called president always wants something in return.
8
As a cultural atheist Jew, it seems most of the commentators
are not currently Jewish students, nor do they have Jewish children who are students on college campuses. If you did, you would know that Jewish students are subjected to constant threats, aggressive protesting and are ostracized on campus every day. And these protests and condemnations create a hostile environment for all Jewish students. And the price of inclusion is publicly denouncing Israel, or be blacklisted just like suspected communists in the McCarthy era.
If diversity and inclusion programs can protect the fluidity of Muslim students as a group and LBGTQ students as a group, then these programs can include and protect Jewish students from bias and marginalization as a group
Sometimes the message of the messenger is good, even if the if the messenger is flawed.
11
@Ali Talk about hyperbole. That is simply not true. There are instances of anti-semitism, and anti-black and anti-Muslim and anti-gay, etc. It's the real, ugly world taking place on campus. There are protections already, but obviously you cannot prevent all acts of prejudice on or off campus. This is merely an executive order to prevent criticism of Israel and its policies. The fact that Kushner states it explicitly is all you need to know.
5
My goodness, how people are tearing their hair out!
First of all, this doesn’t squelch free speech, including anti-Semitic or anti-Israel speech at all. It is saying, do it on your own dime! The government isn’t obliged to fund it.
Second, although I’m a loyal American, I love the idea of being part of the Jewish People, as well. It certainly IS more than a religion! Who among the commentators gets to decide what group I identify with? I think I’m able to decide for myself.
8
Judaism is a religion, but Jews aren't solely defined and targeted by antisemytes because of their religious affiliation. Secular Jews are harassed for being Jewish as much as religious Jews are. As it seems, turning the conflation of such terms as religion, origin and nationality into a problem is meant to cover dissatisfaction among certain groups and individuals with the mere fact that Jews get legal protection, and antisemitic activity inside the campuses may face a new obstacle. Freedom of speech is a basic right, but in certain circumstances there can be a conflict with other basic rights, so setting priorities will inevitably lead to imposing limits on realisation of basic rights according to the priorities. One should be very careful in imposing such limitations, but that doesn't mean the things that have to be done won't be done.
Let's stop rejecting actions of administration on the sole basis of the identity of a person who stands behind them. Those actions could and should be judged on their own merits. Life is more than pro-Trump or anti-Trump.
8
The remedy for hate speech is more speech and free speech. Universities are autonomous historically because they furnish a forum for all views.
The government has no place regulating speech at universities. It goes against the entire history, development, and job of a university.
The Trump administration is authoritarian in thought and action. It violates the rights of individuals based upon their national origins every day, egregiously, and inhumanely.
6
Conflating anti-Zionism, which can be interpreted as including criticism of Israel's policies toward the Palestinians, with being anti-Semitic is a very dangerous step toward authoritarianism and limiting our First Amendment right to criticize political policies with which we do not agree. I fully support the Jewish faith and Israel's right to exist, but I strongly disagree with Israel's collective punishment of Palestinians, its never ending expansion into Palestinian territories, and its needless mistreatment of many Palestinian-Americans who must deal with Israeli officials at its borders. Am I thus an anti-Zionist in Trump's view?
Will legitimate discussions regarding these issues now be prohibited on college campuses and subject to Trump's emerging "thought police?" I despair for our country and the extraordinary damage Trump and his Republican Party are doing. Vote, register others to vote, and campaign for (and donate if possible to) Democratic candidates who value the rule of law and our Constitution.
9
How could any teacher or administrator or student vote for trump after he blatantly took away free speech from every university in the country? Who does this Marcus represent? He certainly doesn’t represent all of the students in the USA that’s for sure.
2
I consider myself Jewish because my parents did. It is not a race (remember who thought it was) or place of national origin. Several generations ago there were quotas on Jews and most of my parents' generation changed their last names to find employment, but those days thankfully are gone. I expect that most people who consider themselves Jewish oppose this policy because it diverts resources from much more needed uses of them. I do.
6
This is the first I've heard of the admission allegation, but I don't think any college admissions office works as "A gets in, so B doesn't". x-thousand students apply, and y-hundred are admitted from that pool. It's not one-for-one, except maybe in very rare and unusual circumstances that wouldn't survive a public airing anyway.
1
This is excellent.
This BDS movement is anti-Semitic and evil. God bless this president.
11
Even when they’re not trying, Trump supporters sound exactly like Richard Spencer and Andrew Anglin.
16
If I now have a Jewish nationality, where is it I should go when trump tells me to go back to where I came from?
I was born here in New York.
37
Trump should have labeled it "National origin" rather than "nationality" -- if he labeled it anything having to do with nationhood.
1
Hmm, wonder if Don Trump's nationality can be changed to Russian or North Korean or perhaps Guantanamoan by Congressional resolution.
20
I thought that UNC and Duke were liberal, progressive universities that respected people of all races, creeds, religions, ethnicities etc. What's wrong with presenting the Palestinian point of view, in addition to the Israeli point of view, as well ?
As a Trump supporter, I think that Betsy DeVos needs to butt out out of this ! Cheap political stunt.
16
How very touching is Trump's sudden concern about antisemitism!
However, calling Jews who are engaged in the business of real estate "brutal killers. Not nice people at all" does not sound like a remark made by an individual with any deep convictions on the subject. Nor do other remarks he made many years ago to the effect that he didn't want black people handling his money. Rather he wanted the guys with yarmulkes. See: "An Oral History of Trump's Bigotry" in The Atlantic Magazine. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/06/trump-racism-comments/588067/
And few will forget his remarks in the wake of the march which took place in Charlottesville, Va. in August of 2017. Many of the marchers carried swastikas, identified themselves as neo-Nazis and white nationalists and after Alex Fields Jr. purposely drove his car into a group of counter protesters killing Heather Heyer, President Trump's unforgettable comment was that there were "very fine people on both sides".
I would suggest another interpretation. An election for President will be held in less than a year and Donald Trump is looking for Jewish voters.
44
Is there something wrong with our college campuses today? Is it not possible to criticize policies of Israel without creating a hostile climate for Jewish students? Can't campus administrators do a better job of promoting civil dialogue between students (without government intervention)?
19
Anti-semitism is anti-semitism. It stands on its own and is wrong. Zionism is a problem that pits this ideology of superiority against other people be it religion, race or their national origin. It is simple and in plain sight. The hypocricy of conflating the two is an over-reach. Equating the two is just an attempt to confuse those who know no better so as to cleanse the word Zionism of the hate and the harm that have often accompanies it. The narrative of Zionism, what it is from its origin has wreaked the world of more than 70 years of strife for Gazans/Palestinians and much more in toil and sadness for the rest of the world who are expected to uphold such treatment of other human beings as justified. It can never be justified with more lies. Only the truth can cleanse us all, all that know what Zionism has wrought of its pain. To charge students with cleaning up this political mess is absurd. The penalize students for being against an ideology that in its origin is about being against other people -- when we are all people is biased, egregious and demonstrative of just how manipulative and contrived this EO is. No one should be harmed by words, threats or actions for their faith, race or national origin. Trump assails all of us by his words and threats related to the faith, race and national origin on a regular basis. Trump, himself de-legitimizes his own executive order. If it wasn't so serious, it would be considered a joke. We know how Trump "jokes."
17
Seemed that the Left accuses Trump of anti-semitism but when he takes bold action against it, the Left criticizes the action.
17
Pay closer attention.
4
So I can criticize America in any way that I choose. I can criticize Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, Brazil, Turkey, UK, France, Germany, any foreign country that I want to criticize in any way that I want including what type of government/the country’s borders/regime change/if the country as constituted should exist, other than the Zionist government for the State of Israel - if I criticize Zionism, then I am an anti-Semite? The Federal government is going to regulate that criticism, that speech?
I can criticize Islamic theocracies/states of Saudi Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, including opposing the existence of any Islamic theocracy/state. I can criticize Hindu nationalists and fundamentalists in India including opposing a Hindu state. I can criticize Myanmar and it’s ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslim minority. I can criticize China’s Communism and its oppression of Uyghur Muslims and Tibet’s Buddhists. But I cannot criticize Zionism or Israel’s treatment and occupation of Palestinians with being labeled an anti-Semite?
Anti-Semitism is very real and disturbingly growing. Anti-Semitism can come from many different sources. Some who support BDS are indeed also anti-Semites. We should all fight against anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, challenging hatred within our own groups. The white nationalist terrorists who killed American Jews in 2 synagogues in last 14 months were not inspired by BDS, but by anti-immigrant white nationalism espoused by Trump.
56
Anyone can convert to Judaism. So we now have a way to acquire a new national origin or race via conversion.
20
I am Jewish. I abhor anti-semitism. I also abhor Israel's policies of occupation and oppression of the Palestinians. I abhor the fact that Israel in its zeal to make life miserable for the Palestinians has since 1967 destroyed thousands of Palestinian homes and tens of thousands of their precious olive trees. I abhor the fact that Israel has turned the occupied West Bank into an apartheid system while granting the Palestinians not a single vestige of the human rights that everyone should have. This president and others who want to end legitimate criticism of Israel should understand that criticism and protest against Israel is no more antisemitic than criticism and protest against apartheid South Africa was anti-white.
I am Jewish and I will not be silenced and I will support BDS until the occupation comes to an end.
64
"... defining Judaism as a race or national origin, not just a religion...." Oh, God!
Now, what do we do with former members of other religions or "nones" who decide to join Jewish congregations? They are legion....it has happened in my family, and Judaism can be "joined" in the same way that Catholicism or Buddhism can be joined.
Is Catholicism a race or national origin? No, but am I supposed to be called Jewish because my grandfather was a Sephardic Jew whose ancestors migrated across North Africa, Europe, and the American colonies? But my grandfather was American. His ethnicity? American! Unfortunately, had his ancestors settled in Germany, I could have been gassed for having 1/8 Jewish ancestry. But I'm Catholic! My national/ethnic origins are many....don't pigeon-hole me, as I am Libyan, Tunisian, Algerian, Moroccan, Spanish, French, Dutch, Haitian, Mexican, American.
What am I? Why isn't Judaism merely a religion, as are Catholicism, Islam, Hindu, Anglican, Lutheran, Baptist, Mormon, Shinto, Orthodox?
12
The President did this to have more excuses to go after Americans and immigrants who follow Islam. There’s nothing beneficent in the order.
8
??? I don't see that at all.
5
If the US government will now consider that Jews are a racially distinct group, this is not even consistent with the beliefs (and, of course, this is all about belief) of all Jews in Israel. I am not Jewish, but when Haaretz was still available to read without the firewall, it was fascinating to read comments to articles by citizens of that country who not only opposed their governments' actions, but understood that there is no such thing as a Jewish race. Of course, the entire concept of race is a pernicious holdover from a biologically ignorant past that still holds a powerful grasp on the minds of far too many people. But if it strengthens trump's hold on some small sliver of the electorate, it must be true. trump and crowd are making their own reality and enforcing it through administrative actions and executive orders.
19
@aoxomoxoa The issue is ethnicity, not race, and the intent of the discriminator is what counts. If you harass someone because you think she is Mexican you have a Title VI problem, even if she is actually Portuguese.
1
If I had to guess I would say this is typically Trumpian strategy to inflame hatred. The language seems to invite criticism so he can call someone anti-semetic. Its just a silly game at the expense of all parties involved.
12
Trump may think he’s staking out a position against anti semitism with his executive order, but by declaring Judaism as a “race or national origin” he’s starting down a slippery slope. Remember what happened to German Jews, who considered themselves Germans first and foremost, until Hitler recast them as interlopers not entitled to recognition as Germans.
Trump is not Hitler, but some of his white supremacist supporters subscribe to the same anti semitic hate Hitler espoused, and they will be all to happy to seize on the new Trumpian classification to promote their cause. American Jews may think they are safe here, but German Jews thought they were safe in Germany until it was too late.
Wake up!
22
A notorious Nazi sympathizer wants to be the defender of the Jewish religion. What a crock... He wants to associate criticism of the state of Israel with antisemitism, violating the fundamental basic right of free speech and to criticize a nation when it acts badly. This can only be seen as green light for the most vile elements of the state of Israel to continue their racist policies towards the Palestinians, for them to continue to rob the Palestinians of their land. This will not heal any wounds, nor will it encourage a free and open dialogue to resolve differences or to enlighten one that has fallen on the path of ignorance and racism or antisemitism. This is not about left or right, not that most know the meaning of these words anymore, this is about lighting another match hoping to set the world on fire. We are living in a sad absurd time where words no longer have any meaning.
20
I was raised in a Jewish home. I tell you that up front so you can pre-judge my comments without bothering to read them.
I am critical of some of Israel's policies because they're bellicose and cruel. Further, their actions are self-defeating, causing the Palestinians to just dig even deeper into their bellicose and cruel treatment of Israel.
That doesn't make me anti-Semitic. The Jewish faith is a wonderful thing. Israel's politicians should look into it.
36
To the kid who didn’t get into Penn despite multi-generational legacy status: how on earth do you know that you lost out to “someone of a different gender, race, and religion”? Were you told by someone in admissions that it came down to you and one other person and the deciding factor was your religion?
33
So if I convert to Judaism, I can get a new national origin and if I don’t get admitted to University of Pennsylvania, the Federal government will investigate University of Pennsylvania for discriminating against me based of my acquired national origin.
That’s how the Trump administration fights anti-Semitism. While Trump says that there are “very fine people” among Neo-Nazis and KKK, and Jared and Ivanka and Steve Mnuchin and Stephen Miller are all fine with that statement. While Trump and Stephen Miller implement their white nationalist immigration policies - separating children/babies from their parents (many still separated, some will never be reunited), children in cages. American Jews were murdered in 2 synagogues by white nationalist terrorists in last 14 months.
21
Oh it's just trump being trump. An ignoramus's plea to be re-elected. Unfortunately for him being Jewish has nothing to do with Israel. It's a religion not a nation, not political. Trump is now taking over religion. He never runs out of hatred.
17
Trump's friends at Charlottesville were chanting "Jews will not replace us," a far greater threat than students at NYU who protest some of the policies of Israel. Americans have an interest in what Israel does because we fund them; Israel would not be Israel without American support.
14
At least this headline is accurate now. Separating out Jewish people, defining them as different, by executive order, it's like the old persecution times in Europe. Just what the white supremacists want.
24
This is some backhanded way for the Trump
Administration to further discriminate. And how will people prove a Jewish “nationality?” Do half Jews count? Does Ivanka count? Will people be required to take genetic tests? He won’t pick up more Jewish votes this way either. He already has the Israel extremists who are often one-issue voters. Suing U Penn is absurd. Find a college that wants you and don’t be bitter imho. “Get over it” Ba ha ha ha
9
Donald Trump is the greatest threat to free speech and secularism we have seen since McCarthy. Those who support him should ask themselves when it will be their turn to have this thug turn on them.
27
@Kevin
While the faction formerly known as the Democratic Party have turned their obsession with Trump into an evangelical totalitarian cult. I deem them to be more aligned with McCarthyism* than Joe McCarthy himself!
*‘McCarthyism: the practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence.’
3
The president has done several controversial things involving Israel in the past. First, he recognized that Jerusalem was the capital of Israel, a statement of fact going back to Biblical times.
Tehillim (Psalm) 137 v
5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget [its skill].
6 May my tongue cling to my palate, if I do not remember you, if I do not bring up Jerusalem at the beginning of my joy.
This caused great consternation among leftists in America.
Today he recognized that the Jews are a people, not just a religion. See Klal Yisroel for further elaboration of the people and nationhood of the Jews.
Jews have been the best imaginable citizens of every country they have lived in; they contributed economically, socially, intellectually, musically, in literary forms and in every other way. Yet, we have been continually murdered throughout history. This murder was never the result of dual nationhood, it was the result of a hatred of us going back to the first century.
Nothing that President Trump has done in this connection, even his recognition of the validity of the settlements in Judea and Samarea, called the West Bank, will not make anyone hate Jews more or less.
If something he says or does helps the Jewish people, even if he has been inconsistent, its alright with me. This latest thing will prevent the extreme left wing in our colleges from attacking Jewish pro Israeli students, and Jewish students in general. It is a good thing.
12
Trump just trying to get donations for his re-election from Jews.
He doesn't care a whit about them.
14
Only an idiot who can't pass high school social studies would call Judaism a nationality.
14
Being Jewish is more than being part of a religion. There are many non-religious and secular Jews. It means being part of an ancient and transnational people, which has a national homeland in the state of Israel. Just like becoming an American, it is possible to join that people, but it is not easy. Once a person joins the Jewish people, they are in and as Jewish as anyone. Every Jew feels responsible to every other Jew no matter where they live in the world, whether it is America, Israel, Argentina, Russia, or South Africa. There's absolutely no conflict between being Jewish and being American. Moreover, the definition of anti-semitism reaffirmed by this order is the same definition accepted by Canada, Great Britain, France, and so many other civilized countries on the planet. It would be great if some Native nations and African nations accepted it too, that would mean a lot. So go ahead, criticize Israel all you want. For god's sake, Jews do too. Just do not deny the right of Jewish people to a national homeland. And by the way, Palestinian should have a homeland too, when it is clear that homeland will live in true peace with Israel.
12
I would greatly prefer no headline at all to headlines like "... aids crackdown on colleges" where 99 out of 100 readers will have no idea under the sun WHAT crackdown is being discussed.
If you can't express yourself clearly — including in a headline — it's far, far better to say nothing.
Or just don't inflict such a poorly composed headline (or its article) on readers until you can think of a headline that expresses itself clearly.
You might as well say "Mumbo-jumbo yabba-dabba-doo!" because at least then, readers won't waste time puzzling over what you meant: The incoherence of the headline will be immediately clear.
2
'“This is our message to universities: if you want to accept the tremendous amount of federal dollars that you get every year, you must reject anti-Semitism, it’s very simple,” Mr. Trump said at the signing ceremony.'
Yesterday, liberals were shouting that there's no absolute right to free speech.
Tomorrow, they'll be free-speech absolutists.
7
Were they ? Will they be? Write it out as a logical set of propositions based upon incontrovertible, verifiable proof.
" All People Are Created Equal". To Trump, not so much.
3
Reading the comments there is a clear demonstration why this is needed. So many anti-semites. Indeed the far left never disappoints on their hatred for Jews. They are happy to take money from the Saudis who cut journalists in to little pieces but not Israel. Go figure. Surprising they don’t run out of venom.
9
@DS: Please get your facts straight. It’s Trump who was exonerating the Saudis in the Khashoggi murder and the recent rampage in which a Saudi killed three of his fellow students at a Naval base. Trump is the one taking money from the Saudis!
15
@DS This is about as incoherent a post as I have read in a long time! First, there is absolutely no evidence for or reason to believe that universities in the US are anti-semitic (although one might want to look into the Christian "universities" that restrict free thought). This is about as nonsensical as anything trump has give him/promoted. The "left" taking money from the Saudis??? Did you mean trump? He actually has bragged about the money they give him. I honestly don't get the paranoia that sees anti-semitism in every statement that does not fully support that actions of the nation of Israel.
5
This is troubling because it means that people cannot voice appropriate criticism of Israel and its actions. I have colleagues and friends who are Jewish but that does not mean they identify necessarily with Israel or its actions.
It reminds me of my own situation. I am Chinese-American but I don't support many of China's actions in the past or present. Some people from China or of Chinese background says that makes me less Chinese but I don't think so. A culture or religion is distinct from nationality or politics.
22
This criticism is absurd. Does anyone think that blacks people are not Americans because they are an ethnic group? Or Chinese-Americans? Or Latino-Americans? Of course not. This is no different. Get a grip people.
8
Leave it to the NYT readership to denounce an effort to combat antiSemitism because of their hatred for its author.
If Trump had authored the Civil Rights Act, NYT readers would argue for the status quo.
11
It's about time the far-left feels a chilling effect on their free speech.
And yes, I just said that.
13
It's very chilling as well as inaccurate to define Judaism as a "nationality" or "race." Of course that is what the Nuremberg Laws of 1935 did, German Jews were defined as a separate nationality within Germany, stripped of their citizenship and not allowed to fly the German flag. Judaism is not an ethnic group or national origin. It is a religion, its commonalities stem from long traditions of shared religious practices, foodways, texts, and beliefs. While the stated intent of this executive order is to "protect" against anti-Semitism, it is quite clear that the real intent is to silence criticism of policies related to Israel on college campuses. Such essentializing of religious identities - conflating Jewishness with Zionism (a nationalist ideology) is troubling indeed. And I fear it will be yet another oppressive weapon against foreign policy critics and Muslim groups on campus. We live in troubling times indeed.
24
Attacking Trump for anti-Semitism for... protecting Jews? He has broken your brains.
13
@Ben
Exactly. The inner wiring of the brains of many commenters appears to be a confused, unsolvable tangle of hatred.
8
No, he’s broken yours. Trump has done nothing to protect Jews.
12
@them
You must be referring to the legions of neo-Nazis and white supremacists who support Donald Trump. You’re right.
9
How does defining Jews' nationality by executive order protect their "right to self-determination"?
5
So private institutions will be penalized for not investing in Israel or with companies that do business in Israel. So much for free association.
7
Yes, it is anti-Semitism to target Israel for supposed atrocities when no one says a word about China or what most Muslim nations do to their own people.
11
It's amazing how this act to supposedly protect Jewish students is actually designed to encourage and facilitate the oppression, brutalization and dispossession of the Palestinians. None of this will change the reality that Israel has become synonymous with brutal ethnic and religious oppression. Silencing academia in the US will not prevent the truth from getting out or make American complicity in the destruction of the Palestinians any less real. China has been roundly and rightly condemned for its oppression of the Uighurs. What Israel has been doing to the Palestinians for generations is far worse and fully encouraged and enabled by the US. Now, Americans will be punished for trying to do anything about it.
12
Next step by trump. Being anti-trump is anti-Semitic. This support of Israel is also a way for trump to excite the evangelicals like Pence, Pompeo, bc they really believe Jews have to convert to Christianity so that the rapture can occur. I hope with all my heart that corrupt Netanyahu and trump will both be defeated at the polls. Dictators. Very fine people on both sides. Having a Jewish son in law doesn’t make you a friend to the American Jews donnie.
16
I'd like to meet the "student of a different gender, race and religion" who was admitted to Penn instead of the Jewish "multigenerational legacy" in the case being investigated by the DOE. How do they know which one? Do they both play the bassoon?
In all seriousness, there has got to be a better way to combat campus anti-Semitism than concurring with Hitler that Jewish identity is a rave or national origin.
8
race. Apologies.
1
I am Jewish yet very uncomfortable with this executive order. Like lots of things that Trump does, I worry that it will not have its intended effects. How can he continue to support Stephen Miller's agenda while pretending to "be good for the Jews'? The reaction from some of the major Jewish organizations is akin, in my opinion, to some of the Jewish reactions in pre-Hitler Germany. The transition of making Judaism a nationality or origin rather than a religion is very much similar to the designations from 1930s Germany.
15
The argument that the new law might infringe on free speech by limiting attacks on Zionism, is a sham. To prove that, all one has to do is some basic math:
For example, there are more than fifty civil conflicts or wars going on right now throughout the world, mostly in Asia, Africa and South America. Most of those are of ethnic origin, and not just political.
So far in 2019, the war in Afghanistan by the Islamist Taliban against the lawful government has resulted in 42,000 deaths. The war in Yemen has taken 21,000 lives, Syria, another 10,000 deaths, added to the 570,000 since 2011. And there are many millions who have been made refugees and orphans.
So far this year, the conflict between Turkey and the Kurds, wars in Somalia, Iraq, Sudan, Mali, Libya, Congo, Burundi, Ethiopia, Cameroon, and Mozambique.
In Asia,we have the Kashmir conflict between India and Pakistan, conflicts in Myanmar, Thailand, and the Philippines. In South America, there are conflicts in Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador. Millions of died in these ongoing wars.
Yet, of the dozens of hot wars going on right now, rarely have any of the anti-Zionist activists ever protested against the atrocities taking place elsewhere. There have been no calls to divest, sanction or boycott any of the warmongers, warlords, or terror organizations we daily hear about. They have no concern, or the million Muslims locked up in "re-education" camps behind barbed wire in China.
So the free speech issue here is a sham.
10
@Skybird Americans have valid reasons to focus more on Israel than on other places. Israel is a huge recipient of our financial, military and diplomatic support, and calls itself a fellow democracy. Israel's actions reflect on the U.S. in ways China's don't.
1
A sad rearing of the neocon agenda's ugly head, and clearly an affront to American Jews who do not espouse the Republican right's Fascist agenda. It is the same agenda Bush propagated in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars as a pitifully misguided attempt to rectify terrorism at the expenses of people of Arab origin. First and foremost, the American Jewish diaspora has and will continue to be the intellectual backbone of this country, and the stupidity of thinking Jews have been slighted by the educational establishment as a way of maintaining the Republican status quo makes me shudder on behalf of my Jewish friends whose families suffered in the Holocaust and who are proud Americans who have struggled to educate their children in a country that offered them freedom from Hitler. No people can be prouder of their intellectual and cultural legacy that the Jewish people of our country. They are a beacon to us all of loyalty, family life, and hard work. Those who have sold out to this administration and the Republican right's agenda will unfortunately in time see what a betrayal this is to their ontology and origins.
2
Trump is so transparent.
5
In fairness most Jews in the US are Ashkenazi Jews which is indeed a separate genetic group due to persecution and close intermarriages within the group.
It sounds like he's trying to merely squash anti Israeli protests on college campuses though.
6
To label Judaism a nationality diminishes the pluralistic richness of the Jewish faith, which - like Christianity - has adherents from a wide diversity of national backgrounds and cultures. This simplification may actually encourage anti-Semitism by reinforcing the false, demeaning notion that "all Jews are alike."
10
This move by Trump is not about anti-Semitism, it is about Israel and the courting of Jewish voters in the 2020 election.
22
@mls - I think you're right. It also looks good to the Evangelicals to whom Trump also panders.
1
Thank you, Mr. Trump
5
Am I allowed to be critical of Israeli policy and leadership? Can some authority please post guidelines?
6
Wonder what the white nationalists think of their great president now?
1
With this conflation of Religion and ethnicity and/or historogeographical group origins, ALL religions will be categorizable as races and therefore nullify the principal of separation of church and state. Much to the delight of...
5
So the very same people who've been complaining so loudly about how conservative voices are being shut down on college campuses, want to shut down pro Palestinian (or, as they see it, anti-Israel) voices by labeling them anti-semitic.
Can the hypocrisy on the right get any thicker?
8
Am I the only one who sees this as incredibly pernicious? Is the next step to declaring Jews a nation to say that our passports will say “Jewish” instead of American, paralleling what identity cards in Russia at one time did to Jews? And maybe still do. Why doesn’t this raise an outcry about exacerbating the idea that Jews have dual loyalties? I find this intolerable.
29
I am not a US citizen, although I have been living in this country for more than two decades and mothered US-citizen children. I’m luckily from an industrialized country and have been granted a permanent residence status; I could live my life on this stolen land without much hindrance thus far. What I don’t get to do is vote. I can’t vote. If Jewish people are written off as different nationality and revoked their American nationality, would they lose their voting rights? Ahead of 2020 election? [insert the “hmmmmm” emoji here.]
I chose not to become a US citizen because my country of origin doesn’t allow dual citizenship. My culture, my heritage — even after living outside it for half of my life — is still my identity. No one should be forced to become someone else. This is a dangerous path toward fascism.
7
So it's come to this, then. Jews, who used to pride themselves on succeeding by working and studying harder than other people, have to see their religion--and it's not a race, it's a religion--tarnished by a minority of fellow Jews with a persecution complex using bogus arguments to bolster their college acceptance rates. And of course there's the other piece--silencing anyone with misgivings about the atrocious Israeli government by making false accusations against them of anti-Semitism.
10
Funny, thus executive order automatically voids his daughter’s status as a Jewish woman.
7
With all the coddling of KKK and white nationalists, the administration is apparently awakening to the fire they lit in anti-Semitic movements. if they would do likewise for immigrants and minorities they might claim an epiphany of sorts, but this is family, not so much enlightenment.
1
“Trump Order’s Wider Definition of Judaism to Allow Republicans to Silencing Anti-Conservative Dissent.”
2
So what if I’m a Jew that doesn’t support Israel and protests on a Campus against conservatives for lying? Will the college be defunded by Betsy Devious?
13
Black Americans are Americans. Italian-American are Americans, Polish-Americans are Americans and Catholic Americans are Americans. Jewish Americans are Americans, too.
12
He is not my president. Now he thinks he's my rabbi?
20
He just signed this unconstitutional executive order. It's against the First Amendment. He's trying to divide and conquer. As a devout Jew, I am horrified. The courts must immediately overturn this anti-Jewish, Fascist attack on free speech overturned. Anyone in America has a right to criticize another country's policies, even Israel's.
52
While I agree that Jews are a nation & ancient culture & civilization as much as a religion, I seriously question Trump’s concern for anti-Semitism or Israel. He coddles racists and extremists, fans the flames of anti-Muslim hate and seems to be doing this to attempt to garner as many Jewish votes as he can in swing states in order to ensure his authoritarian and anti-democratic hold on power. The sooner we either jail or throw this guy out of office, the better we all can be as a nation.
23
There are only two words that should be said to the president for this executive order: “thank you.”
4
@Pragmatist in CT
You got the first word wrong...
16
The pro Israel partisans are willing and have sacrificed free speech and democratic activism in order to prevent ANY criticism of Israel. These actions should be resisted by everyone.
14
@TS
The anti-Zionist partisans will resist any attempt to censure their expressions of Antisemitic bigotry...masquerading as ‘criticism of Israel’, a nation these partisans single out for condemnation at every turn, ad nauseam, while conveniently ignoring the historical facts and current realties.
Their hypocrisy is breathtaking.
6
Not true. Plenty of people who agree that Israel has a right and needs to exist don't support the he particulars of this executive order. Similarly, there are likely a lot of people who think Israel, and Jews themselves, should not exist who are delighted with this executive order.
3
I had the understanding racism against people Middle Eastern origins is considered to be anti-semitic. If this is so isn't a good part of what is happening on college campuses adversely affecting them as well? If it is different can somebody please educate me as to how it is different? Is this more about being concerned with people of a Jewish background specifically and not necessarily anti-semitism?
Either I am grossly misinformed or I am being gas-lit.
1
this one serves a lot of masters, indeed. Pandering to try and split the Democratic vote. Attacking higher ed. And this from a president who couldn't condemn Nazis and white supremacists, whose language has encouraged hate crimes across the board--and on the heels of one of the most offensive displays of antisemitic tropes I've heard in my lifetime from any U. S. public official the other night at a business leader event...Whew. Head spins.
26
“I will make of you a great nation and I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing.”
Genesis 12:2
For all of those who wish to quibble with the notion that the Jews are indeed a nation.
3
@Greenie
Hello?
Bible stories are myths.
Many are non believers, why force such myths on others in order to suppress free speech?
11
@Greenie
Last time I checked, our Constitution protects us from the use of religion as the basis of legislation.
23
@Greenie
Because a work of fictions says so? Really?
3
Anti-semitism is wrong, full stop.
And it's not necessary to enact this to fight anti-semitism on campuses. As others have noted, the more direct route to that would be to empower the DoE to classify religion as protected for the purposes of discrimination.
I note that not a single sentence of this article is spent on the criticism (from many Jews) that defining Judaism as a nationality as well as a religion is an alarming development that easily leads to anti-semitism itself, in the form of the old charge of "dual loyalties" (something that President Trump himself floated not long ago).
20
He floated it the other day literally. Telling wealthy people to their faces.
1
@Joe
Arabs are ethnically, culturally and linguistically Semitic people as well.
5
@expat
And the word ‘Antisemitism’ doesn’t refer to Arabs.
6
Launching an investigation into alleged institutional anti-Semitism at NYU strikes me as credible as claiming that Notre Dame is a hotbed of anti-Papists.
The problem with over-reaching claims of bias and prejudice is that they undermine the prosecution of those cases where such discrimination really and harmfully exists.
12
Commenters are misunderstanding the concept of ‘nationhood’. The word isn’t limited to an individual’s citizenship. It can also refer to a a cohesive ethnic group that maintains strong ties genetically, culturally, socially, historically...such as the Cherokee Nation. Likewise, Jews are a people...a nation, if you will.
8
You should do all in your power to make sure that Trump and his supporters make it crystal clear, in the public record and attached to the executive order, that by "nationality" he nor his order means that Jewish people are not, or cannot be or become, full USA citizens with full and ever-abiding rights; and that his both his executive order and any rules or regulations or policies or practices that spring from it or are informed by it shall NOT now nor at any time be interpreted or used to reduce or strip away any civil or human rights of any Jewish person or person considered to be Jewish.
We see in the impeachment debate how easy it can be for the commonly-accepted, even obvious meanings of words and phrases used in legal documents even including the Constitution to shift and be forgotten or misconstrued by future generations.
4
This law is sorely needed. Far too many colleges have become toxic environments for Jewish students. This has been tolerated for far too long. Bravo to President Trump and those who have crafted this law and seen to its passage. And I do think of the Jews as a nation; I think that’s pretty clear in the Torah that this is so.
5
@Greenie
You're not entitled to your own set of "facts", particularly those based on myths...
3
Mr. Trump, trying to make us forget his anti-Semitic stereotyping last week, follows his natural inclination to trample on the First Amendment.
I am a Jew and a Zionist, but the behavior of some who call themselves leaders of our community—and of some in Israel—plays into the hands of our true enemies.
18
Since Ivanka Trump converted to Judaism, she may be surprised to know she is no an American, courtesy of her father's Executive Order.
19
This is an extension of British communautarism which itself is an emanation of the psychology of the Self.
That created behaviorism , cognitive sciences, marketing, etc...
There is also a serious relation to the Gestalt ,for which it is useful to remind that it was the psychology of the nazis.
@JPH Nobody is able to understand that today .
We have fallen in the crevasse of ignorance .
I think the Irish should be added to this list. Clearly they are a group that also deserves protection
6
Actually, I saw the immigration papers of a (American) friend's grandfather. It had a space to fill in labeled "Race" and in the space provided some American official wrote, unselfconsciously, "Irish"
It's funny how race is defined and redefined and redefined again in the United States and in the world generally. Today, most Americans with "pure" Irish heritage would balk at being referred to as being racially anything other than White. One wonders if, were it not for membership in the EU, would 4th- or 5th-generation White Americans of Irish decent be at ease being told that their nationality is Irish alone. Or that it is Catholic or Protestant.
Trump at least should have referred to "national origin" rather than just "nationality". Or perhaps "ancestry".
Still, none of those account for acquaintances who recently converted to Judaism, one from African who was Christian (though ancestors were animists) and one from Thai Buddhism.
“His order also expanded the definition of anti-Semitism to include some anti-Israel sentiments.”
So, in other words, if any Congressperson states an opinion about foreign relations that can be construed by the POTUS as “anti-Israel”, that person can be arrested?
This stinks of Stephen Miller. He needs to be removed from the WH as an advisor whose ideology of racism has spilled over into policies of the Trump administration.
22
The First Amendment is being turned on its head and abused. Money is speech, corporations are people and now this junk. We are in big trouble in my country.
22
I am not anti-Israel, but I do think that Jewish Israelis ought to get along better with Arab Israelis. They should not discriminate against them. Just like white Americans should not discriminate against black Americans, or Christian Americans against Jewish Americans. I think it is good that Jewish people have a country where they feel safe. I hope they also feel safe in the U.S. But one can criticize the state of Israel and support the Palestinians without being anti-semitic. So, I think Trump's regulation is going too far.
20
If all Mexicans and Central Americans who want to migrate to the US convert to Judaism will they be classified under another nationality? Will this help them in their asylum cases?
24
This is straight out of Orwell, an administration that curtails rights and freedoms while pretending just the opposite. In this case, how small a step it will be, from acting against real anti-Semitic hate speech, to suppressing political speech critical of the State of Israel which says things that are tolerated in Israel itself?
And singling out Judaism as a national origin? Heaven knows, wasn't that in the Nazi playbook?
Though I have no direct memory of the 1930s, being in my ninth decade I was not too far removed from absorbing their history from the culture and family lore that I grew up in. When I read this stuff I get a chill up my spine, just as when I hear the phrase "enemies of the people".
19:10 EST, 12/11
24
It’s not enough he divides Americans, he has to try to do that to us Jews too. I fear many of us will let him.
20
I am confused. Most American Jews are from Europe not Israel where they spoke Yiddish. In Nazi Germany they were classified as a race with the usual physical stereotypes. In college religious studies Judaism is a religion with origins in Western Asia 3000 years ago. There are in the United States many Jews who are secular. To combine all this as discrimination based on race or national origin leads to my confusion.
10
Since we are now a race do we get to wear a yellow star? I’m sorry something about this frightens this Jewish person.
21
Why we can’t all be part of the human race, is what we’re going to have to figure out, before peace can be restored.
5
Donald J. Trump *redefines* Judaism? Next. Trump redefines Christianity...oops- he's already done that.
21
I am certainly no fan of Trump but he clearly said this is intended to send the message to "reject anti-Semitism" here. The fact that anti-Semites may use this to claim that Jews have dual loyalties is no reason to reject the move - anti-Semites will do that regardless. And by the way, nearly everyone I know is also proud of and to some degree loyal to their country and/or culture of origin and no one is concerned about "dual loyalty" because of it. The fact that American Jews also care about Israel doesn't make them less American, especially considering thousands of years of anti-Semitism. Of course Israel is meaningful to American Jews. Why shouldn't Jewish Americans proudly say that they feel connected to Israel and to each other?
And this doesn't mean people at universities can't criticize Israel's policies going forward, but the BDS movement at universities has also been very much linked to anti-Semitism, not just criticism of Israel's policies. There is a difference between criticism of Israel's policies towards the Palestinians, and anti-Semitism, as evidenced by the fact that most American Jews are themselves critical of Israel's policies. The difference is that American Jews also think it's important that Israel exists. You know the difference between criticism of policies, and anti-Semitism, when you hear it.
10
@Keith
Too many words with little facts. How is BDS antisemitic? Give examples and not just parroting talking points.
3
I'm fine with the idea of taking strong action against racism including anti-Semitism. However I'm not fine if this extends to trying to prevent criticism of Israel and it's appalling policies about Palestinians. Also I am concerned that Anti-Semitism seems to be given a higher status than other forms of racism, which is not acceptable.
11
"In the University of Pennsylvania case, the rejected applicant claimed he had the 'full support of the vice provost in addition to having multiple-generation legacy status,' yet was passed over for a student of a different gender, race and religion."
How can the rejected applicant possibly know that he or she was passed over for one particular student? Where and how was such information obtained?
"Support of the vice provost" and "multiple-generation legacy status" –– sounds like "entitlement," no?
24
Trying to win over Sheldon's money would be my guess.
22
Does this mean that the concept of an ethno-state is now OK?
Sounds fundamentally undemocratic to me.
2
@Jim K.
Israel already passed that law 2-3 years ago with nary a criticism frkm the western democracies.
Jewishness has cultural, religious, and genetic components, but can be any one or two of these, too.
One thing it decidedly is *not* is a nationality. Jews exist in a diaspora -- the antithesis of nationality!
20
The only reason that there is anything remotely "genetic" related to Jewishness is because of in-group and inter-group prejudice. And in this day and age, I would bet the farm that the Jewish population of the world is as or nearly as genetically diverse as people of many other religions and, in some cases, much more genetically diverse (such as Druze, Zoroastrians, Shinto practitioners, etc.).
The Germans, led by their university anthropologists, and others including some here in the US, once sincerely believed that individuals and groups of people could be validly categorized and their intelligence determined and accurately assessed by measuring the circumference and other features of the skulls/heads. Be very, very skeptical of social scientist who now assert that one's religion or the beliefs and alliances of their grandparents can be accurately determined by analyzing their chromosomes.
2
Judaism is a nationality. I identify as a Jew. I do not go to synagogue or believe in the Jewish religion. But I am a Jew nonetheless.
7
Penn is anti-Jewish? I know demographically it has changed tremendously in the 35 years since I was a student but I find this hard to believe. What I find more likely is certain children and their parents feel they are entitled to admission. This simply isn't the case anymore. (For the record, my very qualified double legacy son was dinged by Penn three years ago.)
13
To paraphrase Ronald Reagan - "There he goes again" --
In this case - circumventing the Constitution for his own populist purposes --
As Nat Hentoff was fond of pointing out many times in his wonder Village Voice columns -- The whole point of the First Amendment is to protect the speech of other which you find to be particularly disgusting, offensive, reprehensible and insulting --
By issuing an Executive Order (aka "Proclamation") regarding the restriction of federal funds being directly tied to certain forms of speech and other peaceful acts of communication - he is in direct violation of the U.S. Constitution --
Of course there are many people who favor this idea because it suits their own purposes -- until one day when he decides with his twisted mind that Jews are bad for business and decides to reward certain forms of hate speech --
"It will never happen!" you say --
Okay - but people also said the same thing about another megalomaniacal man not that long ago...
6
There is no evidence of a Jewish gene nor that somehow jews are an ethnic group. They are a diverse group that practice the same religion. Trying to do otherwise plays in the hands of white nationalist and other hate groups. Second , to equate all Jews as having the same national origin is also a disservice to combating anti-semitism. Freedom to practice any religion without harassment should be the ultimatum goal.
5
Are Muslims now entitled to the same recognition and support?
Trump originally talked about monitoring the memberships of their mosques.
3
Simple solution, be an atheist.
8
That didn't save European Jewish or atheist people in the 1930s and 1940s. Even grandparents' conversion to Christianity and being raised a second- or third-generation Lutheran didn't save people from the white-Christian supremacists that were the nazis and their collaborators.
2
Our nation's greatest Democratic institutions are not in the Governments or the Polls, but in the Universities where the always caring young realize the crimes of the old. When I went to school, there were many Jews and there was no animosity. We never would have dreamed this story would appear, as I felt today. It's absurd to think there would be as much against Jews who traditionally have always valued education. This appears to be a purely manufactured pandering.
We of age know of the insanity of Hitler who hated Jews but venerated what he called the blue eyed blonde Arian race. Trump hates many ethnic groups but claims to protect Jews. As is written in Revelation; he will appear to be good, but he will be evil. To what degree might that apply to him I wonder about.
All to do about nothing. If you want to understand Trump, just remember that he is mostly a Television creature. Consider your own addiction to TV and what has become of it. The Television cherry picks sensational events to gain an audience and Trump loves shiny objects. There are 330,000,000 Americans in our nation but Trump and TV fails to recognize the miniscule nature of even dozens of stories. This nation is being undone by TV and their Television man they helped elect. I'm older. I know.
2
Wow, Putin's Donny against anti-Semitism despite the "very fine people" in that anti-Semite group?
Is there a Natinoal election coming up?
7
Given the world's long history of anti-semitism which I thought peaked under Nazism never to emerge again it is incumbent on all right minded people to vigorously oppose the resurgence of anti-semitism. Thus it is an even greater responsibility which States carry to snuff out discrimination against Jews. Universities are places in which ideas are liberated but there's a distinct fact: Fascism and anti-semitism are intolerable ideas. They cannot be tolerated. They must be crushed.
Steven Miller is behind this or Jared. If I were a Jew, I would be scared for my future in America. What will Trump and his band of degenerates come up with next?!
8
This move is so confusing, and has the feeling of Trump being rolled by somebody. He's accused certain people of having dual loyalties, but now he is codifying through Executive Order that some people have dual citizenship, whether they want it or not.
How is the former any different than the latter?
14
'In a 2018 report, the Anti-Defamation League found an 89 percent increase in reported episodes of anti-Semitism on college campuses in one year, as well as a steady rise in white-supremacist propaganda.'
Eighty-nine percent, huh?
'“I knew it was going to be anti-Israel, I didn’t know it was going to devolve into anti-Semitism,” said Ami Horowitz, a documentary filmmaker who shot the video. “The ovation that he got was chilling.”
Ami Horowitz, huh? Well those sound like two unbiased opinions!!
For those who forget: before Foxman -- replaced by someone even worse, Jonathan Greenblatt -- was banning "antisemitic" operas from being seen in the United States of America (not that he personally has ever seen an opera) he was getting busted for spying on anti-apartheid protesters. That should tell you all you need to know about the ADL and Marcus. Even w the unlimited funds of the ADL, you'd think a place for a human rights organization to save money would be to pass on spying on anti-apartheid protesters. But as British Jewish Zionists have shown the last two years w their unhinged hatred of Corbyn -- today's anti-apartheid protesters are tomorrow's anti-Zionists.
This sure does reek of power.
3
I believe it was Hitler who also legally classified people of the Jewish religion as a race, and by default excluded them from the Aryan/Germans. Regardless of whether they themselves considered themselves to be German or Hungarian or French or Greeks, or Polish etc...Other nations followed suit and Jewish people whether secular or practicing slowly were fired from government jobs, universities etc... they eventually lost their political right to vote, participate in civic life, financial rights to banking and doing business and owning homes and eventually their lives.
It fits that the most virulently racist people love to classify and box people into categories of clean, pure racial lines. Racists have problems with ambiguity of race or ethnicity. From Nazis to ISIL..they all profess and seeks a purity of kind by genocidal means.
By dividing everyone by race this then allows them to extol their own races’ virtues or superior traits over ‘others.’
Dangerous days indeed....
I’m not so sure this is for a president to do by executive order. If at all, it is something for the Jewish people, practicing and non practicing, including converts, to debate.
24
the actions of the Israeli govt deserves plenty of criticism.. --
--There's nothing racist about that.
21
This anticonstitutional ruling will definitely create antisemitism.
10
Again, ignorance goes hand in hand with stupidity.
9
Palestinians are Semites as well. How could they be deemed anti-semetic?
9
Because “anti-Semitism’s” meaning is hostility toward Jews. You can look it up.
3
@moughie
Because the term ‘Antisemitism’ originated in Europe..defined as “hostility to, prejudice, or discrimination against Jews”.
Got google?
3
@JJM
Sem·ite
/ˈsemīt/
Learn to pronounce
noun
plural noun: Semites
a member of any of the peoples who speak or spoke a Semitic language, including in particular the Jews and Arabs.
Whats wrong with Trumps executive order is that it defines people as being Jewish regardless of their will. If someone doesn't consider them self as being part of the Jewish community, it won't matter. This policy will define them as one. This is similar to the Nuremberg Laws that Nazi Germany used to otherize Jewish people. Anti Zionist isn't the same as being an Anti-Semite. Most countries shouldn't exist. America, Canada, Australia, Mexico, and yes Israel are settler colonial states. This administration only cares about using the Jewish people as a cudgel against Muslims.
8
They can crow about anti-Semitism all they want. It's all about BDS.
Israel=GOP=Trump. Forever. AIPAC has earned this.
4
Wow! trump is going to end anti-semitism?
What a guy!
So now my Nationality is Judaism?.......but I was born in Flushing Hospital.....does that make me a Flushingite?
7
The criticism of this EO is insane. The left only cares about anti-semitism if it further their politics. Case in point, this paper will not report on the anti-Semitic murders in NJ because it has been discovered that the suspects are black instead of white nationalists. If you are truly against anti-semitism you should support this EO.
3
@Mauricio
Actually, that's not true. The story is on the front page along with an article about the Black Hebrews.
4
No one should be fooled into thinking the Trump Administration cares about civil rights or antisemitism, given their own racism and winking at white supremacists, and with Stephen Miller setting immigration policy. This is a means for the federal government to participate in chilling the pro-Palestinian advocacy that has been gaining support on college campuses.
7
Judaism AIN’T a national origin or a “race”. Just like Buddhism, Catholicism, Mormonism and other religions AIN’T.
(And no matter what comes out of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the earth DOES go around the sun.)
10
Michigan State University has an ongoing program to send students for summer study to the occupied West Bank, to study in an "Israeli University."
This is not appropriate for a State school.
Objection I am told is now antisemitic. I am not permitted to object, and they can't listen if I do. They tell me they must send students, using State of Michigan money.
9
Trump is declaring with this new order that if you are not 100% behind Netanyahu then you are anti-Semitic, and that Universities will be the first to lose funding if they are not onboard.
Next Trump will declare that you are anti-Christian if you are not 100% behind his policies and thus attack funding for institutions not subservient to him.
16
@steve
Universities they want defunded. I have no doubt this will only be used for conservative agenda.
2
I hope all of those who are opining here would keep in mind that no matter your position on Israel, this executive order is terribly flawed legally. So, once again, hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of YOUR tax dollars will go to another unsuccessful legal defense of a half baked policy decision. This grandstanding and "see you at SCOTUS" attitude on display at the White House should be halted. This is no way to make policy. It is wasteful and ignorant. Also, I would be skittish of any government that wants to officially label me by my religion or background. ESPECIALLY if I was Jewish. That database innocent and secure is it?? Ask the Jewish folks in Russia how being dual identity works out for them...
9
Maybe he should start by looking at his own comments on Charlottesville. Those were worse than anything I read here.
3
Being critical of the Israeli government will legally be considered racist? I guess that finally makes me a racist, along with millions of others concerned with human and civil rights.
Supreme Court, here I come.
24
According to this article, the NYT's assertion that the administration is re-defining Judaism as a race or nationality is wrong:
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/12/trump-antisemitism-executive-order-israel-judaism.html?via=taps_top
Antisemitism is disgusting. Criticizing Israeli politics is not antisemitism. I fear the line will be blurred.
12
What about American Jewish groups that support BDS or oppose Israeli policies? Banned? Protected?
13
This is ridiculous. President Miller has struck again. We are in deep, deep trouble as a nation here.
2
Advise all readers to carefully review Mr. Eric K. Ward's articulate and powerful, enlightening article, "Skin in the Game: How Antisemitism Animates White Nationalism" and then decide what you think of Trump's order and possible real motives behind it and/or possible future misuses of it.
"Jews function for today’s White nationalists as they often have for antisemites through the centuries: as the demons stirring an otherwise changing and heterogeneous pot of lesser evils. At the turn of the twentieth century, “The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion”—a forgery, first circulated by Czarist secret police in Russia in 1903, that purports to represent the minutes of a meeting of the international Jewish conspiracy—established the blueprint of antisemitic ideology in its modern form. It did this by recasting the shape-shifting, money-grubbing caricature of the Jew from a religious caricature to a racialized one. Upper-class Jews in Europe might have been assimilating and changing their names, but under the new regime of antisemitic thought, even a Jew who converted to Christianity would still be a Jew."
https://www.politicalresearch.org/2017/06/29/skin-in-the-game-how-antisemitism-animates-white-nationalism
4
Dangerous terrible move.
2
So instead of changing the law to prevent discriminating against religion, Trump changes the definition of Jewishness. Because Muslims. Because right-wing identity politics. And in other pages of the Times, Jared takes time out from palling around with Mohammed Bone Saw, to write an op-ed defending Trump, who's fans are marching around chanting "Jews shall not replace us".
Can't make this stuff up.
6
It has everything to do with anti-Semitism. The executive order itself is anti-Semitic, since it official declares Jews "the other."
13
BDS is a vicious anti-Semitic movement which deliberately calls for boycotting Jewish and Israeli businesses and institutions.
By the way the Palestinians already have a homeland. It's called Jordan.
5
@sharon5101 | Who said that the Palestinians' homeland is Jordan? Where does that idea come from?
4
@sharon5101
Talking points are no good. Provide the facts that BDS is antisemitic.. Fact they are not. But the settlers-occupiers hate BDS and that tells all.
2
john--when the British mandate was going to expire in 1948 the UN decreed that the territory would be divided up into a Jewish state and an Arab state. That makes the Palestinians Jordanian citizens of the Arab state.
Trump with this executive order is now declaring that it is anti-Semitic if you protest against Netanyahu’s treatment of Palestinians. If you call out the Palestinian open air prisons, the rampant Israeli sniper attacks against unarmed Palestinians on their territory, or the new Israeli illegal settlements then you are now anti-Semitic. Colleges will lose their funding if students protest against Israels abusive treatment of the Palestinians. Trump is doing this to win, so he believes are Jewish votes for the 2020 election.
This order is very dangerous and is against everything that the US should stand for and what Israel should stand for.
9
He thinks he is doing us a favor? Seriously? His ignorance is mind-boggling.
2
Three antisemitic incidents in just one week in November was kind of scary and something needs to be done.
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/11/22/us/college-campuses-racist-incidents/index.html
4
So it will now be illegal to question the origin myth of the Jewish religion? That the Creator of the Universe deeded Palestine to members of the Jewish religion?
What about questing other Jewish myths? The flood & Noah, Sodom and Gomorrah, The Egyptian Captivity? All of these myths never happened, but will questioning them be illegal ? Isn't that against the establishment clause of the Constitution?
4
This is beyond absurd. The whole BDS movement is in protest of one semitic people's (mis)treatment of another semitic people. It's like calling protests against the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya in Myanmar, anti-Buddhist.
7
Absolutely absurd!
1
This is clearly only valid for jews , not muslims, christians, or hindus, etc...
I don't understand how American constitutional law specialists can admit that as constitutional.
It is clearly segregative.
Americans have strange ideas of the Law.
More like rules.For this and that. Those and not these.
Exactly like when black people could not go to the same toilets as white people. 100 years after slavery was abolished. Only after a 10 million death civil war.
Ah! The Founding Fathers ...
1
I’m thoroughly confused. The move to classify Jews as a national identity, at first (this morning!), seemed like a potentially dangerous move that could lead them to being marginalized and dehumanized as in Nazi Germany. Yet with Mr. Marcus’ backing in the picture, it seems driven by a desire to squelch anti-Israel/pro-Palestinian concerns. As always, I’m trying to figure out “what is this destructive president’s angle here?” Is he for Jews or an Anti-Semitic white supremacist? Or something else?
4
Anti-Semitism is appalling. Conflating anti-Semitism with "anti-Zionism," as the Zionist Organization of America does, is worse.
10
An important distinction to make is between Judaism and Jews. Judaism is a religion, whereas Jew is an ethnicity. Jews are a legitimate people, descended from ancient Hebrews in the Middle East.
Slavs, French, Kurds, Jews.
The Times has reported Kenneth L. Marcus sought to define "Judaism" as a "national origin." Has it obtained written documentation? Because if Mr. Marcus has actually pursued obtaining Title VI protections for *Jews* -- that is something altogether different.
I also believe the Times has been misleading in using the word "nationality" in this story. In its 9/11/18 story, the Times wrote: "The move by Kenneth L. Marcus...explicitly defines Judaism as not only a religion but also an ethnic origin." Why the shift to "national origin" now? That term is much easier to conflate with the familiar "dual loyalty" antisemitic smear, whereas "ethnicity" avoids that confusion.
In Marcus's 2014 letter to ZOA, he wrote he would reexamine a complaint from a Jewish group on Rutgers's campus as "possible discrimination against an ethnic group" -- not "nationality."
Marcus also said: “discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics — which may include discrimination against Jewish or Muslim students — is [protected].”
Separately, it would help to tell your readers the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism also says: "criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic."
3
This executive proclamation is long overdue.
If the Democrats would have seen and accepted the clear and present danger to Jewish students daily on American campuses ( far worse in Europe) then they would praise such a law.
Go to https://canarymission.org/ and you will read the horrifying documentation of these provocations against Jewish students.
BTW, I am not a Trump supporter but on this one he deserves full credit.
And, yes, I am a proud Jew and a proud Zionist. Thank G-d that Israel exists and can defend us. It is something that we lacked for 2,000 years. We will support anyone who defends us and our Jewish Homeland.
7
This is a pathetically transparent attempt to prevent honest criticism of any stupid or wrong actions by Israel. No one is fooled. And no one will be stopped from such free speech.
This takes after an old Nazi law. Opens things up to all sorts of things - none of them very good.
3
Maybe the next president will classify Christianity as a cult.
1
This will end very badly for American Jews. You can be Jewish by faith or by ethnic group. Being Jewish does not make you a Zionist any more than being a Moslem makes you a Palestinian.
Dont be fooled by this. Just look at the tropes DJT used the other day in front of a mostly Jewish group of businessmen. Anti-Semitism is a hallmark of this administration. Whatever you do dont vote for him in 2020.
7
Criticizing Israel isn’t anti-semitic. This executive order only encourages further atrocities on the Gaza Strip.
7
They’re is a bitter irony that a blatantly anti-Semitic president and administration pretend to be concerned about antisemitism when they identify an opportunity to attack the academia. Sadly,some Jewish organizations support this sham..
3
Unlimited corporate money in election campaigns: constitutionally-protected free speech.
Criticising Israel's racist policies and illegal occupation: outlawed hate speech.
1
This is stupid . As a Jewish American I find it insulting and a bit disconcerting . I think Jewish students do fine as far as getting admitted to colleges . Why do you even have to state your religion on a college application?
I say to Trump “, thanks but no thanks . “ we’re doing just fine . I don’t want any special consideration because I’m Jewish . We don’t need any extra “help “.
Donald J. Trump is not and has never claimed to be Jewish. It is unethical beyond belief that he declare what Judaism or Jewish identity is or is not. This particularly the case since he has a documented history of holding judeophobic beliefs (such as all Jewish people drive hard financial bargains/deals like he claimed to do himself; that the Israeli Prime Minister is the leader of all Jews, not just Israeli ones); of valuing the ideas of Adolf Hitler as manifest in his reportedly keeping a copy of Hitler's speeches by his bedside; and winking and nodding at blatant and violent racist antisemites while referring to them as "fine people."
I agree that there is a pressing need to protect Jewish people and people of other minority religions who are somehow involved in educational institutions of all levels, but there are other and better and less potentially dangerous-to-Jewish people ways to do it.
6
If Donald Trump and his supporters cared in the least about anti-Semitism they would make it clear they don’t want and will not accept the support of white supremacists and neo-Nazis. But they never will, because Trump can’t afford to lose them. I’ve never seen a Trump supporter disavow or even acknowledge the atrocities carried out in Pittsburgh, Poway or Charlottesville by their fellow travelers. They don’t care, or they lie and deny it has anything to do with them.
It’s unbelievable anyone, Jewish or non-Jewish, buys into the lie that Trump is protecting Jews from the conflagration he and his followers have exacerbated.
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@Cousin Greg If Trump was responsible, or partly responsible for antisemitism, how is it that it is appearing all over Europe. Did Trump have anything to do with that, or perhaps this is just a disgusting change in peoples behavior that is worldwide. It an international problem, not a national one.
5
@Cousin Greg If you ask me, it's unbelievable how anyone of Jewish heritage could vote for a party that has representatives who have partaken in the effort to destroy the state of Israel and aspersed anti-semitic comments towards Jewish people. Ilhan Omar, AOC, and Rashida Tlaib ring any bells?
As far as Trump is considered, if he's so anti-semitic towards Jews as you claim, how do you explain his love and support for his son in law, Jared Kushner, a devout individual of Jewish heritage as well as his support of his daughter's conversion to Judaism?
3
@Andrew --- One can be critical of, even angry toward, Jewish people who support Israeli policy positions without being in the least bit anti-semitic ... or anti-zionist.
2
"His order also expanded the definition of anti-Semitism to include some anti-Israel sentiments. Both moves had been pushed by Kenneth L. Marcus, the head of the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights, for years."
This new order adopts as its definition of anti-Semitism using language put forth in 2016 by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and also accounts for other kinds of anti-Semitism.
Ms. Green seems to be coming across as criticizing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and if so, she said explicitly say so. Mr. Marcus and the administration are simply using this definition.
The article wrongly implies that Trump administration decided on the definition on their own.
The administration should be applauded for adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance language, not criticized for it.
If one examines the record, Israel has tried to negotiate peace, but the Palestinian leadership cannot accept that Israel needs to protect its citizens with its Army (just as our US Army protects Americans).
Meanwhile, millions of Muslims are put in camps in China and there is no BDS for China.
There is nothing Israel can do until the Palestinians have leadership that willing to sign a peace agreement that recognizes Israel's right to defend its citizens.
9
Title VI uses the phrase "race, color, or national origin." If we want to say that roughly translates to "ethnicity" I'm okay with that. And I'd say it's fair to consider "Jewish" as an ethnicity just as it is fair to consider "Hispanic" as an ethnicity.
To the extent the executive order clarifies that Jewish is equivalent to Hispanic or Italian or Thai or whatever I think the order is unproblematic.
However, to the extent it tries to conflate opposition to Israel's ethnically-oriented policies, support of BDS, or criticism of Zionism with discrimination, I find it troubling. While those things sometimes are just wrappers for anti-Semitism, they can also be legitimate political points of view.
2
Really? So what happens if, heaven forbid, the USA and Israel get embroiled in armed conflict or other serious oppositional conflict? Are you prepared to be deported or interred as the Japanese-Americans were in WWII?
2
@Survivorofantisemitism
I'm not sure I follow. I wouldn't support discrimination against Japanese Americans or Jewish (or even Israeli) Americans either in peace or during wartime.
To the extent that the order recognizes Jewish as a category that could, like Japanese, be used to label people and discriminate against them, I'm okay with the order. But I don't like the order specifying that certain political beliefs are automatically equivalent with discrimination.
I'm not naive, though. I know Trump is just trying to divide Jews and attack progressives. The real insidiousness here is that Trump is trying to create divisions among Jews and to demonize progressives as anti-Semitic.
Jewish groups were largely supportive, with some liberal organizations opposing it....
[ I do not understand. I am Catholic and I love Ireland, but my being Catholic has nothing to do with my caring about Ireland and besides there are a number of aspects of life in Ireland that I could criticize and that would have nothing to do with my Catholicism.
When Ireland is criticized institutionally, I never think the critic is being anti-Catholic. ]
4
It's different. For one thing, worth the exception of what the English did, the Irish people have not historically been oppressed; have not been repeatedly mass-murdered and even to the point of a massive genocide; have not repeatedly had their ancestral land invaded, stripped of resources, and its people subjugated, enslaved, and forcibly deported. Nor have people of Irish heritage been repeatedly forced by multiple other religious groups and people's to convert from Catholicism at penalty of torture or death. Nor, importantly, do Irish people continue to face wide-spread slander and libel, systematic discrimination and serious harassment and violence up to and including death because they are Irish. They are not every 1/2- 1 century or so driven out of one place or another in the world where they may have settled; nor, to my knowledge, has there been or does there still to this very day exist a serious and effective and International (not just British-Northern Ireland) effort to oppress, repress, erase, or eradicate the entirety of the Irish people and the entirely of Irish culture; and at least since the days of Martin Luther and the Reformation, no group except maybe ISIS and their ilk, who hate all who are not their type of "Muslim" not just Catholics, has there been a credible threat or attempt to annihilate all Catholics. The same, unfortunately and grotesquely, cannot be said of Jewish people or the Jewish religion.
2
@Nancy — Good point. One would hope that publications like the New York Times would be in a position to extrapolate on your pondering so that average humans would have an understanding of the world around us; alas they appear limited in their scope of the issue and consistently do not ask pertinent questions as to why things happen this way. I’ll take a stab at one reason but do keep in mind, I support Israel.
A true story: A historical author, whose name shall remain unknown, was asked by his publisher if by chance he might be Jewish. The author asked why and he was told that the historical book which was to be promoted would be more acceptable if a Jewish author had written it. The author of the book replied that he was not Jewish, therefore the publisher prepared for a more difficult task to get acceptable sales of the book to accumulate. The question is why? Well, the book was about World War Two, so arguably it was already on the hot seat of public scrutiny not to mention tragic and horrific losses incurred by Jews under NAZI control, which could have made some passages in the book hard for people to want to hear. But that still doesn’t answer the question why would only a Jewish author be preferred in that case as the publisher commented? Any thoughts on that? I pondered for awhile on that question and came to the hypothesis that it is easier to allow potential contradictory views when the person bringing them has suffered in the same way. The NYT limits to 1500 words.
SJP is a hate group. Read what it says.
If another organization said similar things about, for example, France, or Mexico, or Thailand, or any other country, no one would hesitate to call it a hate group.
No country is perfect. But to single out one for its real or exaggerated or imagined flaws, and condemn its existence on that ground, is an expression of hate.
For example, China has a system resembling apartheid in which members of certain ethnic groups, and even ordinary peasants of the majority group, require passes to travel from their homelands. What was the last time you heard that frankly described as apartheid, or condemned at all? What was the last time anyone called for a boycott, divestiture or sanctioning of China, or Russia, or Burma (which surely deserves it) or any one of the many other countries around the world that commit major human rights violations every day?
6
Does this mean that by federal definition someone who is anti-Catholic is somehow also anti-Italian? Someone who is anti-Shinto is also anti-Japanese? Seems a little overly broad. Someone who is an Atheist or Agnostic is not necessarily opposed to policies of countries that are highly religious or their people unless the dominant majority oppresses non-believers.
2
If campaign donations = free speech, surely a boycott does!
Can we retroactively declare that "White South Africans" are a race or national origin? That would have protected them from being criticized for having their "Non-White-South-African" citizens confined to townships, forced into menial or hard-labor gold and diamond mining jobs, and generally being relegated to being lower class citizens.
There seems to me to be a proper analogy of forcing black South African natives into townships and marginal agricultural lands and Israel constructing walls around Palestinians to limit their freedom to travel and work.
As a liberal Jew, it seems like the lesson of the how the Germans treated us is that it is an effective policy to isolate and wall off (ghettoize) those you perceive as your enemies so you can control and eventually eliminate them.
Protesting how Israel is treating the Palestinians is part of our country's long tradition of free speech. I support the nation of Israel but I'm not blind to actions I believe to be wrong. I support the United States -- my grandparents escaped the pogroms in Russia to emigrate here -- but I still have a right to protest my government's actions when necessary.
Jewish students should not be attacked or insulted but neither should Palestinians students, citizens or their supporters be denied their free speech rights.
I do recall being called a "Christ Killer" and worse in college by biased Christian students. Insults don't resolve issues; they merely harden emotional positions.
2
A law that prohibits speech on U.S. soil that criticizes the actions of a foreign government is an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment. What’s next? Silencing criticism of Russia?
2
I'd use the stopped clock analogy, considering the current political climate. I'm an ethnic Jew, and I agree that there has been a rise of 'anti Semitic, anti Zionist, bullies', on college campuses and elsewhere.
5
Jewishness is not the equivalent of "national origin" rather a religious tradition either inherited from one's family, or--as with Ivanka Trump--adopted by choice.
I completely disagree with Kushner's statement that “Anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism.” And this executive order is nothing more than pandering. Don't take the bait. Let your eyes and ears (maybe noses as well) tell you that these Trump characters are Wolves in Sheep's Clothing.
2
Where does Donald "Bad People on Both Sides" Trump leave the Coptics?
The Jewish community is, has always been, and always will be a vital thread in the fabric of our society. These people are Jewish because of their faith, or religion. Heritage is a loose connection, ask Ivanka. The key is their faith. Judaism is not a nationality or a race. This example of Mr. Trump's ignorance is yet another straw.
2
So Mr. Trump is going to define for me whether or not I am a Jew? Based on whether or not I support Netanyahu and the occupation of Palestine? I'll make it easier for him, I'll wear a yellow star so that people will know not to insult me.
6
What if I am a Jewish atheist who opposes Zionism and supports BDS? Am I guilty of discriminating against myself?
What constitutional law advice, if any, did the Trump administration get?
8
Just last week our NYT’s had an article that said the Jewish people don’t like Trump. Why is he suddenly supporting these people. He and the GOP are anti everyone and we all should know that by now. Don’t trust Trump this is a red flag and once he gets back in for a 2nd term he will hate you again.
1
The FBI has no trouble listing anti-Semitic attacks among its list of hate crimes, and Jewish people as a soecific group that is targeted.
If they can specifically be targeted, they can also specifically be protected.
2
It is election season.
1
Defining Jews as a race embraces the new-Nazi view that we are non-white. As a Jew who lost dozens of family in the Holocaust I consider it an insult to have Trump and his administration further characterize my heritage since he has yet to reconcile his view that neo-Nazis contain some fine people with the Jews he stereotyped a few days ago in Aventura. With defenders of the faith like Trump there’s no need for Hitler.
9
Bds is not ipso facto antisemitism. Nor is anti Zionism. Many white people say they’re anti reparations and anti affirmative action but not racists. In fact trump is one of them. So why the double standard?
1
Of course we all know who else defined Jews as a race rather than a religion.
6
Ashkenazim might be a race. Some Jews, but not all, like to refer to Jews collectively as a "tribe": not something in the DNA, but not something you can join on a whim either. "National origin" is certainly wrong; American Jews' grandparents came from all over the world, although of course many were refugees from the Nazis.
But none of that is so very important in Trump's action. The really crucial point is that conflating anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism does nobody any favors, least of all the Jews. If anything, it benefits the terrorist leaders who use valid complaints againt Israel to justify warfare against all Jews everywhere.
3
I am proud that in 2016, my fellow American Jews rejected Trump overwhelmingly, by a percentage larger than almost any other religious or ethnic classification in our country.
I hope that Trump's latest action, meant to pander to the small percentage of American Jews who shamefully align themselves with the xenophobic Republican party, will only outrage and encourage Jewish Democrats and Independents to rally behind whatever candidate wins the pro-democracy Democratic Party nomination.
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@DLNYC
Well stated. Thank-you.
12
@DLNYC One major problem with the Democratic Caucus is that a large percentage of it is pro Palestinian , and quite leftist and isn't afraid to speak out. Unless a centrist wins, or someone like Mike Bloomberg, the party will turn off a lot of traditional Democratic voters. That might put the mendacious Mr. Trump back in office for 4 more years.
10
Look at why he is doing this. He wants to split to traditionally Democratic leaning Jewish vote, hoping for some spillover to somewhat counter-balance his loss among suburban women as a whole.
But, doesn't his order to provide more protection for Jewish people run counter to the ideology, beliefs and slogans of some of the "fine people" in Charlottesville (and other white nationalist supporters of his) who have finally felt emboldened by his not-so-subtle support to come out from under the rocks where they have been hiding?
Perhaps we will see an executive order tomorrow trying to re-establish the confederacy as a counter-sop. Consistency was never one of the strong points of our Prevaricator in Chief.
139
@The Lone Protester -
You may be in Frankfurt, but you are hardly alone.
7
@The Lone Protester
Note that it applies primarily to college campuses which probably won't affect many of his 'fine people.'
2
@The Lone Protester
'He wants to split to traditionally Democratic leaning Jewish vote, '
Rep Omar and Democrats who stand with her did this already.
2
Isn't the best and most accurate solution to amend the applicable civil rights regulations and Department of Education rules to include religion as an unlawful basis for discrimination, rather than define Judaism as a nationality?
At the very, very least, Trump and supporters of his change should make it clear in both written and verbal communication and in the executive order itself that the order is not intended to nor shall it ever be used in order to change, adjust, limit, deny or rescind full USA citizenship of or for Jewish individuals or families or groups; nor is it intended to in any way abrogate or lessen or weaken or deny all the rights of citizenship (or in the case of Jewish people in the country who do not have or seek or have sought citizenship -- like tourists, temporary or permanent resident who do not wish or intend to become US citizens) to people who are Jewish or whom are believed to be/ regarded as Jewish.
43
@Wondering Jew
I'd he kidding? He can't declare Judaism is anything. It is a religion and nothing Trump invents can change that. The nerve of.him. he thinks Nazis are fine people. Please go away donald
22
@Wondering Jew
So you want to cherry pick what suits you?
6
@Wondering Jew
Trump has no concept of either "civil" or "rights" as they pertain to people not subsequent to him. He is the embodiment of the In-civil Right.
An executive order proclaiming Jews a race for purposes of the Civil Rights Act sets a dangerous precedent, as others have noted. It is also patently untrue, as Judaism is a set of beliefs or religion. We are not all one race or nation, and we should not be designated as such. This is a set up.
257
@Maurine: I think that rather than protecting Jews, this executive order will harm Jews in the long run. A set-up indeed.
32
@Elin Minkoff
It is supported bymajor Zionist Jewish organizations. It is not a set up but a shortsighted policy that will backfire.
13
@Maurine Actually, according to Ancestry.com I am 95% Jewish! Because we were separated from the rest of society and only usually married each other over 2 thousand years we became our own ethnicity. When my grandparents came in 1920 from Poland, they were not listed as Polish in the Ellis Island papers. They were listed as Hebrews! Sounds like a race to me.
4
The law of unintended consequences is likely to be exemplified by this executive rule. Anti-semites have used the notion of Jews as a nation and race as a basis for their anti-Semitic attacks, including questioning loyalty of Jews towards any state besides Israel, and to strip German Jews of their citizenship during the 1930s.
As an American-Israeli Jew, I am a national of two countries, neither of which is Judaism.
170
@Allon
I don’t think that is an accident. It is consistent with the rest of his policies.
14
This is about squelching support for Palestinian rights. It has nothing to do with anti-semitism.
349
NDGryphon, it’s about squelching Hate speech, which leads to violence and death.
It has nothing to do with Palestinian rights.
32
@Adrienne Fuks It most certainly has something to do with squelching the BDS movement. Btw, I'm Jewish. My nationality is American.
129
@Adrienne Fuks Sorry, but hate speech is protected. After all your hate speech may be my way of expressing my opinion. Do you want me to decide that your way of expressing your opinion is hate speech?
When the term "slippery slope" comes up, this is a great example.
29
"In the University of Pennsylvania case, the rejected applicant claimed he had the 'full support of the vice provost in addition to having multiple-generation legacy status,' yet was passed over for a student of a different gender, race and religion."
HOW ON EARTH could any applicant to Penn (or anywhere else) know they were "passed over" by a specific student? Penn has a large population of Jewish students and an active Hillel. If you didn't get in, even with the "full support of the vice provost in addition to having multiple-generation legacy status," tough luck. You have AMPLE company.
90
I believe you mean how could the prospective student know that a specific other student was selected instead.
2
@Lee Rosenthall I agree, Lee, and it also makes no sense that an applicant would have the "full support of the vice provost." The vice provost should not be involved in advocating for individual candidates.
3
President Trump publicly stated that if we are Jewish, Netanyahu was our prime minister, clearly inferring our loyalty is to Israel. As an American Jew, I do not have a prime minister, but I do have a president. But clearly my president thinks that Jews are first and foremost a nation that has loyalty to Israel. This action is just the next step. It is wrong but consistent, and not just for Jews. It is memorializing the otherness of a religion, just like he's done for Muslims, however more positive the spin.
89
@DianaID: I vividly remember reports of that "slip of the tongue" during his address to the Jewish Republican Coalition, and I dismissed it as just one more stupid thing to come out of our president's mouth. I should have taken it more seriously because it was shades of things to come.
1
@DianaID This is same conclusion I'm drawing from this. He accuses some of having dual loyalties, but is now codifying that concept for others. This is yet another example of having a President that has never had to give a second thought to what anyone other than he thinks.
As an American Jew, I find Trump’s latest move abhorrent. Indeed, Israel’s current policies in the West Bank flout international law. Settlement is a euphemistic expression for colony. Israel has colonized the West Bank, making 2 viable states a near impossibility and wreaking havoc on the lives of Palestinians. Gaza is an open-air de facto prison.
At this juncture, as a Jew who respects human rights, I see that Israel has backed itself into a corner enacting a system of apartheid. Speaking out against misguided and prejudicial Israeli policies is a matter of saving Israel from itself.
If Israel continues colonization, it will likely maintain and even increase oppression. This is unsustainable in the long term. Colonization ultimately leads to one option (as seen when South African apartheid ended), that of a single Israeli / Palestinian state which somehow must insure and respect the rights of all citizens.
58
@Stephan " Injustice at last produces independence. "
Voltaire
1
@Stephan
As you must know, the Palestinians in 1948 tried to destroy Israel which resulted in the destruction of their Palestinians State instead but with a loss of 6,000 or 1% of the 600,000. For the US to lose the same proportion of population would mean a loss of 3.3 million, or nearly half the population of NYC.
Since Camp David, with Clinton and Israeli PM Barak, Israel has attempted to negotiate in good faith with Palestinian leadership (Arafat at Camp David.
Hamas, the duty elected (in 2006) government of Gaza decided not to recognize Israel and shoot missiles into Israel harming civilians.
If Gaza is a prison of some sort, it is Hamas's doing, not Israel's.
If Palestinians had negotiated in good faith and signed a peace agreement, there would not be further building because the peace agreement would prohibit that.
As long as the Palestinians are unwilling to negotiate a peace in good faith, Israel will continue building which seems reasonable since it is up to The Palestinians.
8
What concerns me, along with several other things, is that by “declaring” Judaism a “nationality” Trump is making another target of opportunity for white nationalists, not just the usual run-of-the-mill anti-semites.
Historically/socially, anti-semitism is a religious artifact of a nascent Christianity that eventually became doctrine in the Roman Catholic Church, and in Protestantism after Martin Luther split from the Church.
It is small steps from religious ostracism to social ostracism to national scapegoat.
13
@HapinOregon As asecond generation Holocaust survivor with vivid memories of my father and grandmothers recollections of living in Germany I am very disturbed by this.
3
Thank you, Mr. Trump. As a Jewish mother with three college-age sons, I feel the president has got their back.
10
@Rachel S. Hmm. I'm not quite sure you are paying close attention to this President.
5
@Rachel S. Just like he had Michael Cohen’s back, I presume.
3
@Rachel S. , Mr. Trump has your son's backs and he has put a target on their backs for his anti-Semitic and white nationalist allies to aim at. Good luck allying with fascists.
10
The problem I see among many with this executive order is that it singles out just one religious faith to protect. Are there not Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs who are you experiencing discrimination on college campuses too? By selecting only a single religion to protect the separation of church and state is broken because a single faith has been placed in special status. Some Christian faiths would claim they have faced discrimination by on campus no doubt. It this is to happen it needs to be a change in Title IX.
33
The solution is to amend the laws and rules so that they include protections for religious minorities or outlaw discrimination based on religion, not to alter the definition of "Judaism"
7
It wasn't that long ago that American citizens born in America but of Japanese parents were rounded up and put in camps because of the possibility they might have greater sympathies or higher loyalties to the nation of Japan than to their country of birth, citizenship and residence. Whatever Trump's intentions, this is not good for the Jews or anyone else.
91
@Guy Baehr Excellent comparison!
Equating opposition to Israeli policies with anti-Semitism is now federal policy. Trump’s speech at the Israeli American Council demonstrated he believes his strong support of Israel gives him free license to spout hateful Jewish stereotypes, certain to be echoed on white supremacist websites. Attacks on critics of Israel never protected American Jews from anti-Semitism, but it is clearly now having a reverse effect. Trump and the Republican Party have targeted the Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions movement against Israeli policies in the West Bank. Trump is expanding his fire to target Jews, and the Christian Right will soon follow.
36
@Bruce Shigeura,
Opposition to the policies of Israel is *not* antiSemitism, but antiZionism has absolutely, positively served as camouflage for virulent antiSemitism. People who cloak their antiSemitism in the language of antiZionism may share a wink and a nod with their fellow travellers, but they don't fool Holocaust survivors for an instart.
6
@Charles Becker
Do you consider support for a one-state solution anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism? Even John Kerry warned Netanyahu that Israeli policies were making the two-state solution impossible, and the vast majority of Israeli citizens oppose it. A secular, democratic state with the right of return of all Palestinian refugees may be the only way to meet the national and security needs of both Israeli Jews and Palestinians, but it would result in a Palestinian majority and end Judaism as a state sanctioned religion. It needs to be discussed without fear of being labeled anti-Semitic.
1
@Bruce Shigeura,
You have offered what I'm sure you think is a very clever solution to the vexing problem of how to end the existence of a Jewish state located on the historically provable homeland of the Jewish people. But before you fall too much in love with your idea, you need to understand that such a state as you propose would very quickly result in yet another Islamic state in which Jews are freely and publicly persecuted. Since Jews are already targetted across Europe by indigenous Europeans and MidEast immigrants, and increasingly targetted in the United States (remember Pittsburgh, and now Jersey City?), your solution is really no solution at all.
If sectarian nations are your concern, you have plenty of others to target before you get to Israel.
Presuming your argument is offered in goodwill and not as a stalking horse, how do you propose to ensure that Jews in this new state of yours will be guaranteed freedom of religion *and* freedom from persecution? A perpetual U.S. military peacekeeping force? The British left the Palestinians and Jews to their own devices once before and what we have now is the result, and would once again be the result. That is not me speaking; that is history speaking.
So if I were forced to answer on your opening question, having run the logic to ground here, I would say 'yes'. If seriously proposed as a solution it is anti-Zionist (which used to be ok but is no longer) and anti-Semitic (which never was).
1
Judaism is a religion. With the exception of those converted to that religion, Jews are also an ethnicity whose members share genetic markers. They are ‘a people’... united by blood, by faith, and by their history.
20
@Susanna A religion is not a people.
Where have you that made up ?
Only from inside that religion. It is a religious appropriation.
You mean that jews, muslims, christians represent each several and different "people " in the USA ?
In Europe we call that "communautarism " .
@Susanna
While that all may true, there is no Jewish "nationalism". I was born a Jew in America and remain a loyal American who loves this country.
Not to mention that this seems to be a first step (along with the first steps already taken with Islam) to single out people of a particular faith.
2
@Susanna ,
Historically, people identifying as Jews spread all over the world. They lived among many different ethnic groups and sometimes intermarried. Both on a cultural and a genetic basis, I am dubious that your belief is correct.
2
I am really beginning to wonder if this administration ever consults with constituents on the impact of their executive decisions? If implemented, this attempt to apparently eliminate bias will have a negative impact for Americans and immigrants of the jewish faith for decades to come. Putin is smiling.
15
Putin and his (thankfully) dead forbearer, Stalin.
This seems awfully familiar, didn’t some other government define Judaism this war back in the 1930s?
118
@Hugh Crawford Being a German Jew, I must say that your post is spot on.
Since he has failed to take a vigorous stand against white nationalism, Trump's insistence on playing both sides of the card will not end well.
While I applaud the White House for recognizing that anti-semitism on college campuses needs to be eliminated ASAP, this is the wrong way to fight it. And this is why: dual loyalty tropes and anti-semitism go hand in hand.
10
@Hugh Crawford,
Ouch, that feels painfully correct.
3
There seems to be quite a lot of conflation occurring here. First, it is possible to love a country yet despise its current government, leadership, or specific policies. I am sure there are many Americans who can understand this. One can love Israel but still find its treatment of the Palestinians wanting, and fervently hope for and advocate a change in leadership.
Second, linking American Jews so strongly with another country as to say that criticism of the latter is a crime against the former seems to invoke the old dual-loyalty canard. Would it make sense to prosecute criticism of Erdogan as a hate crime against Turkish Americans? Antisemitism in the US is real and has a body count; equating it to political speech against the policies of a country trivializes it and disrespects its many victims
127
@Debbie 'One can love Israel'. Can one, Debbie? Care to explain how? Because I've heard that said many times, have just never heard exactly how.
1
For all the people saying Jews are not a race because a person can convert to Judaism, they are certainly far more homogeneous by DNA then the imaginary classification of "Hispanic' which has only to do with language and country of origin but which plays a very significant role in classifications for purpose of measuring "inclusion and diversity" in schools, workplaces, and federal contracting.
13
@JerseyGirl They are more homogenous because they were ghettoized, not the other way around.
@JerseyGirl
Hispanic is not a religion though, last time I checked.
@JerseyGirl To my knowledge no one except for you is claiming Hispanic to be a race.
"The U.S. Census Bureau defines the ethnonym Hispanic or Latino to refer to "a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race" and states that Hispanics or Latinos can be of any race, any ancestry, any ethnicity."
Hispanic - Wikipedia
To say that Jews are a race because they are more genetically homogenous than Hispanics is both racist and nothing to brag about.
Why is it racist? Because race is primarily an artificial construct or to quote from one source https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23684745 , "Humans have much genetic diversity, but the vast majority of this diversity reflects individual uniqueness and not race."
Why is it nothing to brag about? Because genetic homogeneity is a sign of inbreeding not "race".
1
I am continually confounded by the effort to end BDS. The Quakers practiced it as a protest against slavery they used maple syrup instead of sugar and wool and flax instead of cotton. There’s something wrong with this? How does it become illegal?
Jews are NOT another race of people scientifically we are all the same.
46
@John The problem with BDS isn't that it's calling for improving the rights of Palestinians. The problem with BDS is that it calls for the elimination of Israel as a country.
9
@John Religious archaism is still alive in the USA .
The Quakers were " French Prophets " .
They came from Provence.
Actually genetically Ashkenazi Jews are every bit as uniquely distinguishable by DNA as sub-Saharan Africans and East Asians.
8
How quickly would the South African government been toppled and apartheid overturned if laws had been passed by Reagan in the 80s making boycotts illegal?
44
@Xoxarle
Nothing is making boycotts illegal.
Just making anti-semitic boycotts illegal - you see the difference there?
If you have spent any time on campuses in the past few years you would realize that BDS is a cover for 'legalized' anti-semitism on many campuses.
6
@Xoxarle Thank you, yes, the analogy is quite accurate. Having been a student at Brandeis in the 70's participating in the divestment movement this strikes me as precisely the same. Criticism of Israel (or even, frankly, Zionism), is not in itself anti-semitic. This is a dangerous road to go down, very chilling of exactly the kind of free speech that should be heard on college campuses and elsewhere, and does not bode well for the future of what we like to think of as a free society.
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I'm curious as to why the original regulation left out religion as a protected category; at first glance, it seems it should fit in with the other categories mentioned. Unless they are making allowances for schools associated with a specific religion? Maybe the idea is to allow a Christian school to refuse to admit Atheists, even though they couldn't refuse to admit someone because of their European background. Or something.
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I'm a Jew. I'm also an American citizen. If in the eyes of the United States Judaism is now a "nationality," it appears the government has suddenly and without warning revoked my citizenship. I don't understand how that can happen without the slightest hint of due process.
And since this such an obvious prelude to, such an blatant set-up for, discrimination against Jews (really, can yellow Stars of David and concentration camps be far off?), I'm flabbergasted that the ADL has actually praised this move.
Of all the developments since Trump was elected, this latest executive order poses the most immediate danger to the physical well-being of American Jews. Yet Jewish organizations like ADL -- blind to everything but what benefits Israel, apparently -- are asleep at the switch.
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@Ben indeed, this is terrifying. Thank you.
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@Ben Yes. It means that US law makers are uneducated.
This is astonishing proof of ignorance of the spirit of the law.
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@Jdsf78
If in the eyes of the United States Judaism is now a "nationality," it appears the government has suddenly and without warning revoked my citizenship.
Truly Terrifying!
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I'm a proud American Jew. I think a lot of people saying this casts us American Jews as "un-American" misses the point.
Jews as a nation is a common consensus view among Jews and Jewish organizations (though not unanimous). See www.jewfaq.org/judaism.htm.
I view this classification as similar to protecting Mexican Americans from racist attacks. Does that mean Mexican Americans are not American? No. Neither would this order mean American Jews are not American.
Do I support most of what Trump does? Almost never. Do I think this move at this time is a cynical ploy to win Jewish supporters and distract from his virulently anti-semitic canards just days ago? Absolutely. Should we be skeptical, even cynical, of such overtures from Trump to Jews? 110%.
Does that mean it's necessarily an awful, dehumanizing thing? No.
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You are missing the point. Mexican & American ARE both nationalities - being Jewish is not. Being Jewish American is just like being American and Catholic, or American and Lutheran. Religions are not nationalities.
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@BBB Sorry, BBB, you are missing the point. Judaism has historically been both and religion and a nationality. The Hebrew word for Jew, "Yehudi," simply means a resident of Yehuda (ancient Judea).
To combat anti-Semitic allegations of dual loyalty in America and Europe, Jews in the 19th and 20th centuries were forced to play down the national angle and emphasize the religious angle. But that does nor change the facts.
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@BBB American is no nationality .
There is no nation called America .
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How can Judaism be a race or national origin when it is a set of beliefs? Anyone can convert to Judaism if they accept the faith and anyone can leave Judaism for another faith or even no faith at all by simple declaration. On the other hand, I am white and cannot convert to become Asian or African-American nor can I turn myself into a German while continuing to live in NYC.
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@Bruce A
I would not define Judaism as a set of beliefs because there is much disagreement among Jews on what to believe. It is the religion of the Jewish People who originated in the Levant and have expanded beyond their Semitic origins and now include persons of every race and many nationalities. Jews are bound together by much more than religion. Many are not religious at all. Jews are bound by a destiny that they seek to control, despite the efforts of others to control their destiny.
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@Bruce A Ashkenazi Jews are indeed our own ethnic group, complete with unique genetic markers that link us back to our ancestors in the middle east.
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Sefardim and other Jewish sub-groups are genetically homogeneous as well. Bukharians are almost all cohanim and you don’t get more uniform than that!
We Jews are ethnically related or inbred, depending on your perspective. But here in the United States, where I was born, my nationality is American. I am an American and a Jew but thankfully, so far, only one of those is on my passport.
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You have to hand it to Trump's lawyers, they found a loophole to fight the anti-settlement protest movement on campuses. This is all about the West Bank settlements, not mapping religions to ethnic or racial groups. Didn't the guy behind this work for AIPAC at one time?
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@John Reynolds Sorry, John. You got it wrong. Anti-settlement protests on campus - if only that were the only issue - but it's not, far from it. This is about (in my opinion) the hostile climate permitted by some universities that allow BDS programs, exhorting cheers of Palestine from the river to the sea and more, about BDS supporters shouting down and trying to close down peaceful pro-Israel speakers on campus. I've seen it at UCLA and have seen reports from too many campuses including in your face intimidation of Jewish looking students. This is what this executive order might end, I hope so. And if you're looking for other ulterior motives -- that's cool.
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@Paul, but it should be possible to peacefully protest Israeli policies, right?
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@Paul BDS is not anti settlement protest ?
What is the reason then ?
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The "order will also expand the definition of anti-Semitism to include some anti-Israel sentiments."
It is not clear, but I suspect this means "anti-Israel-government sentiments."
And since the current government of Israel is doing its best to harm Israel, an "anti-Israel-government" sentiment is a "pro-Israel" sentiment.
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@Dan Styer
Correction. It’s whatever they want it to be.
Feel free to defund campuses republicans. By all means go for it.
As a Jew, I would rather this issue not be weaponized in Trump's war against liberals. I won't speak to my support for this issue.
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I’m an American first and I am Jewish.
How dare trump attempt to make me less American and somehow create a nation to be my origin.
I have never been considered a minority but I have been denied employment, pushed aside by organizations, beaten up, ridiculed, and have had epithets lobbed at me because of my religious beliefs.
None has stopped me from making a living and raising a family here.
There is something nefarious in trying to make me something I’m not and take away my status as an American. Is this trump’s next step in isolating and separating American Jews from America with some other motive?
Jews have suffered discrimination for centuries and trump’s creation of an executive order won’t change it and will probably be litigated in the courts.
We would all be better served if this bigot was removed from office. His effort seems more to continue to make his white nationalist supporters happy than to right a questionable wrong. Impeachment. Election. Either way is ok.
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@Stephen Edwards As a fellow American Jew, I view recognizing Jews as a nation similar to recognizing Mexico as a "nation of origin" for Mexican Americans. Does that make them less American? No. It's part of their identity, and legally protects them from racist discrimination.
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That’s true. The Jews were recognized as a nation within Egypt in the Haggadah -the story of Passover- and the act of gaining freedom. My comment relates to being treated differently by trump rather than being considered Americans to suit his purpose of reducing the influence of BDS. I don’t agree with BDS but as much as I disagree, freedom of opinion does still exist here. I guess this may be another attack on the Bill of Rights by trump.
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@David S. , wow. You really don't see the dangerous implications of "nation of origin" as creating "not really American" divisions? Study some history. It's bone-chilling.
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I imagine that neo Nazis and other antisemites are applauding this not-so-veiled effort to classify Jews as non-Americans.
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@DD Ramone Jews' own scripture says that we are a nation. Perhaps neonazis are celebrating, but so are many Jewish Americans.
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@David S. - if Jews are a nation, then how can you be "Jewish American"? Accusing Jews of dual loyalty is anti-semitic, but people here are saying that's what Jewish scripture says.
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Judaism is a religion; not a nationality or a race. It is anti-semitic to suggest otherwise period. Declaring Jews a different nationality is step one to denying them American citizenship by our current neo-nazi would be fuhrer.
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@Chelle
Semite is a racial designation applied to native residents of the Levant. Hebrew and Arabic are both Semitic languages. A major criticism of Palestinians is that Jews are not Semites and do not belong in the Levant. Antisemitism is a term that was created in the late 19th century in order to emphasize that discrimination against Jews was based on racial and ethnic grounds rather than religion. Secular Jews have been every bit as much targets of antisemitism as have been religious Jews. Yes, Judaism is a religion, but antisemitism is directed at a people, not a religion.
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@Dana You just demonstrated the argument against your logic. Without the conscience of it.
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@Chelle
Judaism is NOT only a religion!
Jews are a collective ... a People!
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The term Anti-Semitic implies racial identity, but Jewish identity is neither racial nor religious. The concept of a People that transcends religion and race is the most accurate expression of what it means to be Jewish. Antisemitism comes closest to being discrimination based on national origin and should definitely be covered by the Civil Rights Act. Criticism of Israeli policy is not necessarily Anti-Semitic. Criticism of Israel's right to exist is always Anti-Semitic.
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@Dana
So anti-Palestinian rhetoric would also be anti-Semitic, yes?
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@Dana If a Palestinian criticizes Israel's "right to exist" is that "anti-Semitic"? Or might that be equivalent to a native American questioning the right of the US to exist, given that its existence is dependent on that indigenous person's dispossession and brutalization? If a Palestinian questions Israel's "right to exist" I would say that person has every right to do so. Far more than you have a right to determine what is and is not "anti-Semitic."
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@maybemd
Agreed. Arabic and Hebrew are both Semitic languages. And Palestinians are a Semitic people.
@Shaun Narine
No. It's likely that most Palestinians derive from Syrian ancestors who migrated to the Roman district "Palaestina" after most Jews were driven out by the Romans subsequent to the Bar Kokhba revolt. After the revolt the Romans renamed Judea, Palaestina, a name derived from the Roman word for Philistine, the traditional enemy of the Jews. The name Palaestina was specifically chosen to antagonize the Jews. Palaestina was made a district of Syria, and many Syrians migrated there. There has been a Jewish presence in "Palestine" for more than 3 millennia.
Judaism is complicated. Given the genetic differences between Ashkenazi and Sephardic jews, and the African jews of Ethiopia, calling the jewish people a "race" is a bit of a stretch.
It would be like calling Catholics a race because they share a culture with a common religious tradition. But Portugese and Polish catholics are about as different as spanish and polish jews in non-religious aspects of their lives.
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@Ken
It so happens that the Synagogue in Porto, Portugal was built using Sephardi money in about 1923 but most of the congregants are now Ashkenazi ...
Jews are a People ...
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I don't like BDS one bit but I'm a little bit worried about the precedent here for free speech here. I'm probably not alone in this.
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@Michael Livingston’s
What exactly do you dislike about BDS?
I have heard good and bad. The bad though always comes from conservatives who lie constantly. So define the issues so people understand.
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He won't have an answer. There's nothing substantial to dislike about BDS, and everything to dislike about the nutty yahoo's nationalist apartheid that they fight.
Congress's near-unanimously-approved anti-BDS resolution is their most bizarre misuse of their legislative powers since the 'RIOT Act.
@Mathias the premise is flawed. Any sharing of land has to be agreed to by negotiation. The Palestinian people of today have no one to negotiate on their behalf in good faith. In addition The BDS movement advocates for the destruction of the State of Israel. Re: the often heard chant: “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free” ( River Jordan, Mediterranean Sea) look at a map.
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Conflation is right.
Expanding the concept anti-semitism to cover anti-Israel sentiment is ridiculous.
An anti-semitic statement should be evident on its face; it is chilling to speech if anti-Israel statements can be vetted for possible action against the speaker for anti-semitism.
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@Clotario
...and I should have said,
but of course, silencing criticism of Israel is the intent.
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@Clotario
Criticism of Israel is one thing BUT:
Delegitimization of Israel
Demonization of Israel
subjecting Israel to Double Standards
Is anti-Judaism HATE
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@Clotario
Their true intent is to silence criticism of conservatives.
Antisemitism may well be on the rise on college campuses but the “investigation” about the legacy student denied admission to the University of Pennsylvania is a farce and reeks of entitlement. I attended Penn ten years ago. I’m Jewish myself. The student body was predominantly Jewish, there were numerous Jewish student groups on campus, several Jewish fraternities and sororities, and a gleaming new Hillel building with its own cafeteria. The president of the university was (is?) Jewish! To claim that a student was denied admission for being Jewish is beyond laughable. Given the University in question I’d find it more believable coming from literally any other ethnic group. Penn might be one of the most Jewish universities in the country, if not the world.
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@K
York University in Toronto was overwhelmingly Jewish in the 1970’s but there was/is a War going between students of Palestinian /Arab origin and Jews at York U TODAY ... things and student bodies Ch-ch-change
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@K I had the same reaction. The reality is lots of very qualified legacy kids (including my own double legacy kid) get dinged. I'm still pretty plugged into what is happening on campus. A strong undercurrent of antisemitism isn't one of them.
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The 2020 election is near. Trump's criminality is in focus amongst 73% of voters (he maintains 37% true believers). His approval rating amongst Jewish voters is stuck at 29%.
Is it any coincidence that Trump makes an executive order that appears to increase 'protection' of Jews? All of his new dictates are previously covered in laws. This is merely another self-serving move. More important is the applying "race" to a group who are not meeting the accepted definition thereof. Hints of past pogroms appear.
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@Jim No way it's as high as 29% among Jews.
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@Jim
No accepted definition of race exists or can be scientifically tested.
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This is a complicated issue- Judaism definitely is a ethnoreligion so I don't think classifying it also as a race is necessarily wrong. Anti-Israel sentiments *can* also be antisemitic-"Zionist" is used regularly as a slur now. And, although their cause is worthy, BDS is a flawed movement that frequently wanders into anti-semitic tropes and doesn't seem to have a realistic strategy besides "they leave and give us everything we want". If we can avoid breaking into Chinese student organization events and yelling at the students, I think we can avoid doing the same at pro-Israel events.
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Categorizing Judaism as a race or nationality contradicts religious, cultural, and historical perspectives. And it will certainly make it so much easier for those who hate Jews to deny their citizenship and categorize them as a lesser or inferior race. Good job Trump administration and all your flunkies. Your craven denials of your support for racist and anti-Semitic followers has reached a new low.
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@the more I love my dogs, Yes! Be very wary when Republicans redefine language.
Can a person convert to Judaism? Doesn't that make it a religion? Israeli is a nationality. Jewish, not so much.
The GOP is good at muddying things up to suit an agenda.
Stephen Miller has the president's ear and Jared is none too bright.
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@the more I love my dogs This is how it started in Nazi Germany. My grandparents, who were fifth generation Germans, living in Frankfurt, were summarily told that they were Jews, and not Germans. The rest is history.
This is a vile, dangerous and frightening policy.
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@the more I love my dogs What are you talking about? Lots of Jewish scriptures refer to us as a nation.
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How can anyone say this is not an abridgement of our basic constitutional right of free speech?
What group, or country, is next? Does the government crack down on protests for women's rights, fair pay, safe working conditions?
Who in the government gets to decide what is OK and what is not, the party in power at the time?
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@jim People have a right to free speech. This would be the Education Department reviewing funding to anti-Semitic incidents. They don't fund anti-black hate speech, even when veiled in statistics or assertions about "communities". That doesn't mean such speech is illegal.
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@David S.
So if left leaning groups gain power and defund all educational and religiously aligned organizations that protest pro-life it’s totally good to go? Or any conservative activity seen as questioning liberals can be defunded?
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