Decision is latest example of Ivy League schools squashing speech critical of Israel

The three deans include Cristen Kromm, the former dean of undergraduate student life; Matthew Patashnick, the former associate dean for student and family support; and Susan Chang-Kim, the former vice dean and chief administrative officer.

The suspension of the deans is the latest example of how Ivy League schools have moved to squash any speech critical of Israel or simply challenging the view that students who express pro-Palestinian sentiment are inciting antisemitism.

Columbia has been the spotlight of the student protest movement in solidarity with Gaza over the past several months.

  • Passerby6497@lemmy.worldEnglish
    34·
    4 months ago

    I hate how when I see these sorts of headlines, I immediately think “oh, did they support Palestine?” whereas 5-10 years ago I’d assume they were a neo-nazi or someone in Trump’s orbit like Stephen Miller. Articles like this only further reinforce that thinking:

    The suspension came after conservative news outlet, The Washington Free Beacon, leaked photographs of the three deans’ text exchanges which included one dean using two vomit emojis in response to a reference to an article published in the Columbia student newspaper by Yonah Hain, the campus rabbi, about students’ response to 7 October.

    In the article, Hain wrote "Debates about Zionism, one state or two states…are all welcome conversations on campus”, but he said statements of support for the “Palestinian Resistance” equated to the “normalization of Hamas…[and] a point-of-no-return moment at Columbia”.

    Yeah, that shit deserves at least two vomit emojis. Its OK to debate whether or not Palestinians deserve to live on the land that Israelis are throwing them off of, but supporting resistance against colonial oppression is frowned upon.

    The fact that this is the only paragraph of merit and its buried 3 paragraphs below that bullshit in the article should tell you all you need to know:

    In a separate text, Patashnick texted that one speaker was “taking full advantage of this moment”, adding “Huge fundraising potential”. In another exchange, the deans appeared to suggest that the parent of a Jewish student had access to Columbia administration because of her wealth.

    One person calling out right wing grifting, and another insinuation that the deans were making old ‘jewish banker’-esque comments.That’s the best the article has.

    I’m continually amazed at the bullshit the right gets away with.