Two years after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, antisemitic “venom” infecting America’s colleges hasn’t faded – it’s evolved, a professor said.
The protests might have subsided, but the “toxic” animosity has merely gone covert, permeating classrooms, faculty areas, and student organizations, according to William Jacobson, a Clinical Professor of Law at Cornell Law School.
He notes that universities have become adept at disguising the issue by addressing encampments and overt disruptions, while the underlying hateful ideology has deepened.
“Globally, there has been an aggressive campaign to vilify Israel,” he explained to Fox News Digital. “Baseless claims of genocide are bubbling beneath the surface on campuses. The situation has deteriorated in some respects beneath the surface.”
Pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrate at a House Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on antisemitism on college campuses, at Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., May 15, 2024. (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
He said campuses tolerated disruptive tactics for months, creating what he called a “Palestinian exception to the rules.”
“I have consistently advocated for enforcing rules fairly,” he mentioned. “You can’t establish checkpoints like those at UCLA to exclude Zionist students. Declaring Zionist-free zones on campus is unacceptable as it infringes upon other students’ educational rights.”
‘It’s still brewing’
The professor emphasized that despite public assurances, only a handful of universities have genuinely addressed how antisemitism became normalized within their academic and administrative environments.
“I don’t believe the schools have changed their world outlook at all,” he said. “They’re just waiting it out. They’re playing hide-and-seek with the administration.”
Students at Columbia University participate in an anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian protest. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on Jacobson’s remarks.
