The “unconscious” bias against Jews is now on display everywhere, but much of it has now become an open, fetid, bubbling cauldron not of “unconscious” bias but of “conscious” annihilationist antisemitism, with calls that have gone far beyond the initial demand for an “immediate ceasefire in Gaza,” and have now progressed to demands for the destruction of the Jewish state, and for forcing Jews in Israel to “go back to Poland” or for other Jews, in this country, to “leave America,” as what began as an attempt to undermine Israel’s ability to defend itself against Hamas has metastasized into an antisemitic attack on Jews everywhere. More about “unconscious” or “implicit” bias against Jews, and its transformation into open antisemitic hate, can be found here: “Scratch the surface of “anti-Zionism” and you find antisemitism,” Elder of Ziyon, April 28, 2024:
There have been many articles about “unconscious bias” or “implicit bias” in the context of racism over the past several years. For example, the University of California San Francisco defines it this way:
Unconscious biases are social stereotypes about certain groups of people that individuals form outside their own conscious awareness. Everyone holds unconscious beliefs about various social and identity groups, and these biases stem from one’s tendency to organize social worlds by categorizing.
Unconscious bias is far more prevalent than conscious prejudice and often incompatible with one’s conscious values. Certain scenarios can activate unconscious attitudes and beliefs.
George Washington University has an entire set of resources on defining and combating implicit bias.
Yet at this same GWU campus you can see these signs, in public, today:
“Students will leave when Israelis leave. Students will go back home when Israelis go back to Europe, US, etc. (their Real homes.)”
Now, who are the “Israelis” in this scenario?
Are they referring to the Jews who escaped – and who didn’t escape – the Holocaust to go to the only place they could live in safety. Obviously.
Does this include the millions of Israelis whose ancestors were ethnically cleansed from Arab lands? Of course it does. They are the “etc.”
Are they referring to the two million Israeli Arabs? Clearly not. They are referring to Jews, and only Jews….
Many of the leaders of these protests are dyed-in-the-wool antisemites. But most of the students and faculty who join in for the ride are only implicit antisemites – they swear they don’t have a hateful bone in their bodies.
But they walk past this sign every day. And they are not saying a word about it.
Those who walk by signs that read “Free Palestine” and do not grasp that this is shorthand for the slogan “From the river to the sea/Palestine will be free” — which is a call for the total destruction of the Jewish state and its replacement by a 23rd Arab state — are guilty of “unconscious bias.” Those who walk by a sign that says “Students will leave when Israelis leave” are unaware that the sign is subject to two interpretations, both of them reflecting an indifference to Jewish rights, Jewish safety. One interpretation of that sign is that it means Israelis “must leave” Gaza at once, declaring a permanent ceasefire. That will mean that Hamas, with four of its battalions still intact in Rafah, and with 4,000-5,000 of its fighters having recently been revealed by the IDF as still needing to be cleaned out of northern Gaza, will be seen by the Arabs and Muslims as having defeated the powerful IDF, merely by still standing. And in truth, Hamas will have won, if it will then be able to regroup and rebuild around the battalions surviving in Rafah, putting the terror group in a position to repeat the attacks of October 7, as it has threatened to do, “again and again and again.”
Those who walk by those three signs will also read the middle sign that says “Students will go back home when Israelis go to Europe, US, etc. (their real homes).” What is this but a call for Juden Raus — Jews Get Out of Palestine. And though for now the Jews of Israel are told to “go back to Poland” the next logical step is to wish them to leave the US and Europe too, for their “real home” which, since it will no longer be Israel, is not to be found anywhere. That’s right. There is no secure place on earth for the Jews, no place that they can call their own, now that we’ve established that Israel in its entirety — “from the river to the sea” — belongs to the Muslim Arabs of “Palestine.” Let “the Jews” again wander the globe, everywhere unwanted, everywhere insecure. That’s where the story ends.
Where the story begins is with those signs on college campuses, which so many faculty, staff, and students, not recognizing their “unconscious bias” against Jews, choose to pass by, indifferent to the message that seems perfectly innocuous to them, when in fact there is a direct of path from those messages to a new genocide unleashed against Jews in the Land of Israel.
Bexarkat says
It’s sad how many of these addle-brained students don’t know about the region. It is the Arabs who have occupied the land since they colonized the peninsula and beyond, in the 7th or 8th century by the Islamic hoards of Mohammed.
bagsgroove says
It’s the philistines (Palestinians) ,of no Arabic dna only southern greek origin dna, that sailed to the gaza area as pirates and defeated the hebrew kigdoms and stole their land. So the present day philistines should all be sent back to greece and they should all pay reparations to the jews.
Westman says
What kind of parent sends their kid to Harvard, Columbia, GW, etc at extreme cost, and allows that child to ruin his/her future in some barricaded building or joining a campus tent “camp”, demonstrating/rioting over something that has no relationship to gaining university credentials?
I remember the 1968 campus demonstrations. There was hardly a STEM student among the protestors on campus because losing that class time would result in academic failure.
That today’s campus demonstrations are large and common, points to sizeable “academic” majors that are non-rigorous, allowing fungible time. Most of these kids are ignorant of the underlying cause of the current “Palestinian crisis” and have not read the Quran to determine why there is never peace for Jews in close proximity to ardent Muslims.
Also, there is no military draft, unlike the 1960s. Much of this campus unrest is displacement of anger about future career/life prospects onto a social issue. Very few, if any, of the protestors will actually spend money or travel to Israel; working to improve lives for Palestinians.
Eventually the current adolescent tantrum will subside and be replaced by another issue. Who knows what?
Avoiding a future Ukraine War draft?
Mick says
Well summed up..
3 other differences : more visuals of destruction; the memory of US catastrophic interventions in Iran, Iraq, Afghan; Hamas does not have an Uncle Ho or a Hanoi Jane..
Students need to read the ToI.
somehistory says
These idiots are the same ones who deride “boomers” The same ones who tell older people that the things valued and cherished in the past, are worthless today.
The same sort who write articles for some of the *papers* and said articles are full of errors in grammar, and word usage, while demeaning others for a supposed lack in skills and knowledge.
These are the ‘students’ who study ‘gender’ and ‘issues,’ and look down on those who actually are bold and brave enough to say, “there are only two genders” or “male and female” are born that way, not “assigned” by anyone.
Now, they believe they actually know all about what is .happening and why in the Middle East, and who is in the “right.” But they cannot explain it when confronted.
They are the no-nothing generation, easily swayed and sent in whatever direction the prevailing winds are blowing.
James Lincoln says
somehistory says,
“Now, they believe they actually know all about what is .happening and why in the Middle East, and who is in the “right.” But they cannot explain it when confronted.”
Perfectly stated, my compliments.
crown says
“ That’s right. There is no secure place on earth for the Jews, no place that they can call their own, now that we’ve established that Israel in its entirety — “from the river to the sea” — belongs to the Muslim Arabs of “Palestine.” Let “the Jews” again wander the globe, everywhere unwanted, everywhere insecure. That’s where the story ends.”
Israel is not going anywhere.
There are really only two ways this all plays out:
1 – Muslims finally, finally gain an iota of decency and agree to live with Jews in their original homeland. Now, this would be immensely beneficial to everyone in the region. However, I wouldn’t bet on this one, since it depends on some inherent decency of Muslims. It ain’t there.
2 – All of the Middle East will be one smoking, nuclear-irradiated hole. We’re talking about end-of-days apocalypse here. I am betting on this one.
somehistory says
Number 2. Ezekiel foretold it. And so did John (Rev. 16)
Westman says
The timing seems off. Russia is too tied up with the Ukraine War and the Neo-cons are still planning for war with China while their Ukraine proxy is being decimated. If Israel nukes Iran now, it can’t respond in kind and Russia doesn’t like Persians enough to be in a nuclear war with the US.
Pakistan has the only Islam nukes and it’s unlikely to help Iran while looking over its shoulder to see if India decides to engage.
The best time for Israel and US to have stopped Iran’s nuclear ambitions has passed.
#2 is most likely down the road when its more favorable to Muslims. I think we can expect Saudi Arabia to move away from US influence and pursue nuclear arms if they think Iran has them.
Rick Olsha says
AM YISRAEL CHAI !!!!!